This Designer Found a Genius Way to Avoid Kitchen Island Shoe Scuffs
Plus it’s renter-friendly.
Published Feb 22, 2023 10:29 AM
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In Memphis-based interior designer David Quarles IV’s new collaboration with Chasing Paper, things got personal. Each of the four wallpaper patterns is named after a woman in his family—from his grandmothers, Ruth and Lucille, to his great-grandmother Mollie. Most important, each print tells the woman’s story.
”Black women should be celebrated for their softness rather than always having to be strong,” Quarles says. “I wanted to celebrate the duality of the women in my family.” He introduces their personalities through thoughtful details; for example, the Conversations With Rosie pattern comes in food-themed colorways: cayenne pepper, kale, and oats, all food that Quarles grew up eating.
The collection, which features vinyl grasscloth and peel-and-stick options, celebrates his loved ones, but it also encourages personal style. We asked Quarles for three all-you ways to rethink wallpaper in your home.
Do Look Down
Especially in apartments, most kitchen islands are covered in a coat of “landlord white” paint, usually in a flat finish that shows every scuff. Quarles has a solution for that: “Peel-and-stick wallpaper has that kind of shiny texture to it where you can wipe it down,” he says. It’s also a fun way to add low-commitment color.
Make Your Ceilings Grow
Adding peel-and-stick wallpaper above your kitchen’s open shelving adds height without you having to renovate—or risk losing your deposit. “It gives you a point of interest, which visually makes a room look larger,” Quarles says. Plus when it’s time to move out, all you have to do is remove it from the wall.
Play With Materials
Humid environments can be tricky with peel-and-stick, but thankfully Quarles’s Chasing Paper line has a grasscloth option, which he recommends for bathrooms because of its traditional application process. (Though peel-and-stick is fine for a powder room, he says.)
And his trick for picking the right pattern in a bathroom every time? Pretend you’re getting dressed. “Fashion and design go hand in hand,” Quarles says. Think of your tile as your “suit” and your wallpaper as a fun pocket square. That way, you can show off your personal style, no matter what room of your house you choose to wallpaper.
