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    A Renter's Best Friend

    Chic, not cheesy: Design-forward decals banish beige walls and there's nothingFathead about it

    Sarah Rufca
    Oct 17, 2011 | 11:51 pm
    • Scroll damask vinyl wall decal by Birdie Graphics, $44 on Etsy[https://www.etsy.com/listing/81147873/scroll-damask-18-graphics-10026-vinyl?ref=cat3_gallery_3]
    • "Breakthrough" by Surface Collective[https://www.surfacecollective.com/wall-decal-detail/breakthrough/202/37/], ~$145
    • Imaginary Castle by Patrick Hruby for Blik[https://www.whatisblik.com/shop/explore/imaginary-castle], $110
    • All You Need Is Love by Harmonie-interieure[https://www.harmonie-interieure.com/home.htm], from ~$122
    • Elephant wallpaper silhouette by Romp[https://rompstore.com/productDetail.php?productId=74&categoryId=126&productItemId=96&optionId=199],$110.

    Not so long ago, making a rented space your own meant risking the wrath of the landlord with a coat of paint (messy), covering up walls with framed art (expensive) or learning to love that boring shade of beige all around you.

    That was until Blik invented the removable wall graphic in 2003, earning an I.D. Design Award and a spot at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Triennial in the process.

    With colorful stick-on designs that are like cake to install and remove, the wall decal movement exploded, and as a result now renters and designers with a short attention span can find everything from butterflies to bible verses vying for wall space.

    But just because decals are cheap and easy doesn't mean they have to be cheesy. Designers are making decals that are closer to frameless art, eschewing the everyday in lieu of bold graphics, artist collaborations and on-trend irreverence.

    Blik was the first innovator, and the company still has the best collection of decals, from minimalist tiles to video game themes to trompe l'oiel furniture. Blik also specializes in collaborations with the likes of the estate of Keith Haring, Charles and Ray Eames, Ilan Dei and the Savannah College of Art & Design. Some of their stickers can even be removed and re-used.

    Just because decals are cheap and easy doesn't mean they have to be cheesy.

    Looking to match a modern Scandinavian aesthetic (*cough*IKEA*cough*)? Danish design firm Ferm Living makes minimalist designs that stretch from serene nature patterns to whimsical sketches of suitcases and power lines.

    For something a little bolder, Barcelona's Mira y Tu Interiors creates decals with attention-grabbing designs with inspiration from origami, geometric patterns, nature and sketch-style drawings. Best of all each decal comes in 30 customizable colors, if the pattern has more than more than one color, users can select both in the combination, plus you can select the wall color to make sure the final product matches your artistic vision.

    Design geeks drool over wall images from Canada's Surface Collective. There are the popular cherry blossom and damask patterns in addition to anime and gothic-inspired styles, but other typical images are updates in interesting ways, like clouds reflected in a window-like pattern and a map of the world drawn with gem-like geometric lines.

    For a dose of color that's whimsical, energetic and just a bit retro, France's Domestic has wall stickers in simple patterns ranging from fruit to ladybugs to hearts — we think Robert Indiana would approve.

    If you prefer to make a more literal statement on your walls, Harmonie-intérieure offers words to welcome and inspire with design-forward typography, Romp takes youthful art to the next level by mixing wild animal shapes with vintage wallpaper prints — no kids required — and Winkplay straddles the line between decor and art with oversize prints of Audrey Hepburn and the Brooklyn skyline.

    Looking for something completely one-of-a-kind? Plenty of artists and designers have taken their wares to Etsy and can offer unique or customized patterns. With wall decals for every style and budget, the blight of beige walls could finally be coming to an end.

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    top home + design articles of 2025

    Hidden gems, affordable finds, more top Houston design news from 2025

    Emily Cotton
    Dec 26, 2025 | 4:30 pm
    Houzz top kitchen remodel trends in 2025
    Photo by Joshua Caldwell / PureHaven Homes, Clayton Vance Architecture
    Houzz documented the latest kitchen design trends.

    Editor’s Note: As 2025 draws to a close, it’s time to look back at which Home and Design topics Houston readers flocked to the most. Not surprisingly, articles that offered affordable finds proved popular, with the closure of a warehouse devoted to vintage home supplies taking the top spot. Other popular stories showcased local experts in thrifting, a Houston family who received a new home on national TV, and pro tips for reducing clutter.

    With sustainable living more popular than ever, we expect readers will continue to be interested in where to find thrifted and affordable items. Here are the 10 most read home and design articles of the year.

    Houzz top kitchen remodel trends in 2025
    Photo by Joshua Caldwell / PureHaven Homes, Clayton Vance Architecture

    Houzz documented the latest kitchen design trends.

    1. Houston warehouse full of historic home supplies holds massive closing sale. Historic Houston’s salvage warehouse announced in January that its rented First Ward warehouse space had been sold to developers (gentrification, we know thee). A series of warehouse sales ensued, and owner Lynn Edmunson promised to find a home for future pop-ups.

    2. These are Houzz's top kitchen remodel trends for 2025. According to interior design platform Houzz, homeowners are shifting what they want in a kitchen. The data shows a sharp decline in searches for Rustic and Farmhouse styles, while Traditional kitchens made a nice rebound. Also popular in the search bar was the ever popular “sustainable.”

    3. Houston's massive antiques mall is full of hidden treasures. The Antique Gallery in Spring offers 85,000 square feet of vintage and antique finds sold through over 240 vendors. The classic Main Street theme is anchored by Pam’s Cafe and coffee shop, a counter-service eatery that offers shoppers the opportunity to take a break and try Pam’s delicious and revolving menu items.

    4. Houston designers shop this River Oaks store for eclectic accessories. Will Hunt Lewis’ expertly-curated vintage, antique, and new accessories boutique shines as the culmination of a career spent buying and merchandising for Jonathan Adler, One Kings Lane, and Kravet — plus his own floral design and events business in Mississippi. Lewis’ keen eye and excellent taste have made him indispensable to top Houston designers.

    5. Houston family dishes on life after Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The Elrod family’s devastating house fire left them grieving a beloved grandmother as well as the family cat. This resilient family was nominated by their local community to be the recipients of a brand new Taylor Morrison home — as did all of the family’s for this year’s revival season, which was led by The Home Edit’s Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin.

    6. Houston organizational expert shares 8 tips for reducing clutter. Carroll Cartwright of Neatly & Co shared tips for getting organized in the new year. The one-time corporate hotshot turned sought-after organizer spent 2025 going viral for an over-the-top walk-in pantry and has since seen Neatly & Co become personal organizer to Kourtney Kardashian.

    7. Hidden gem Houston store offers timeless antiques at affordable prices. Frustrated by the lack of authentic antique Greek and Turkish decor to buy locally for their own home, Melis and Umit Aktura turned a personal project into a thriving import business that attracts designers and the public by the literal truckload. The Spring Valley store sells imported decorative goods from Greece, Turkey, Indonesia, and India — all 100-years-old or more.

    8. This Houston furniture store sells big name brands at deep discounts. For 35 years, everyone from college kids to design pros have shopped showroom-condition secondhand furniture at this longtime Houston staple. Proprietor Sherri Enroth, colloquially known as “Sofa Sherri,” tells CultureMap that Gen Z’s passion for thrifting has given the store new life.

    9. Houston's 'Patron Saint of Thrifting' is always hunting for fresh finds. Meet the Lady behind Houston’s popular Resale & Thrift Guides, successful weekly YouTube series, and thriving group antiquing trips. Lady Mary Beth has taken a career in corporate gift buying and used her expertise to turn her passion project into a real success.

    10. 6 Houston experts dish on their Round Top Antique Show favorites. Six stylish Houstonians shared their top picks for the fall season of the quarterly antiques fair. From Lily Barfield of The Marlene Inn, to restaurateurs like Latuli’s Allison Knight and Truth BBQ’s Abbie Byrom-Botello, readers learned some of the best places to pick up stylish home decor at the sprawling shopping extravaganza.

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