Historic Wallpapers: Newark

I'm not sure what happened, but suddenly, toile feels right. The mustiness that used to be associated with the 18th century allover print has completely disappeared. Perhaps its because toile has a bit of a graphic quality to it, boldly contrasts with most furniture types and makes up for a lack of architecture or art (see mosaics, below).

Thibaut, located in Newark (480 Frelinghuysen Avenue), specializes in life-friendly reproductions of historic prints. The toile pictured at left is available in a variety of colors, with similar prints in varying scales. Other favorites: the Laguna and Spring Lake collections.

Photo from Thibaut.com

The Amazing Expandable Table; The Studio, Frenchtown

Though people flock to the suburbs for more square footage, more often than not, homes lack decent workspace. You could torture yourself endlessly, wondering whether to relegate Junior to the den so you can finally have a place to pay the bills.

Or you could buy a dining room table that can do double-duty as a desk, through folding panels. The trestle table (left) by Morgan Hill is available through The Studio in Frenchtown (12 Bridge St.). Made of solid walnut, the table can also be used as a sideboard. And even better, The Studio offers the table (and other pieces) at a nice discount.

Contempory Mosaic Designs, Short Hills

Some say that you don't really know someone's real personality until you get in to a fight with them, or you're in some sort of emergency situation.

I also like to think that people's true colors come out when they buy art.An art purchase, quite often, exposes one's jarring lack of taste. One bad purchase and suddenly you don't have any friends. You certainly don't want your name to come up in conversation and have someone say, "Oh him. I thought he was a nice person until he bought that Thomas Kinkade. I thought I knew him."


Those are the exact terms that people use to describe their neighbors who end up being serial killers: "Oh I always thought he was a quite, polite person. I had no idea he was really an axe murder."

So what does this have to do with these fantastic mosaics ( left), part of the Erin Adams line by Ann Sacks? Well, if you notice, these tiles form their own art. If, deep down inside, you know that you would only sully your reputation with questionable artwork or trite posters, a wall of tiles can save you.

The mosaic tiles would work well on just one wall in a living room (acting as a focal point), but also through an entryway (on the walls, or on the floor), a bathroom or kitchen floor. It'll be more money up front, but the look offers timeless interest.

The Ann Sacks line is available through Short Hills Marble and Tile (658 Morris Turnpike, Short Hills).

Upholstered Bed at ETC Company, Princeton

So I've been looking all over this state for an interesting bed set- meaning headboard/footboard combo. You'd think this would be a relatively easy task, since we spend over a quarter of our days (if we're lucky) in bed, therefore the furniture item is just as important as the couch in our living room.*

*Unless your couch IS your bed. That's sad. Hopefully it's a temporary situation.

Anyway, I found a very great selection of beds at ETC Company in Princeton (25 Palmer Square East), particularly the Mirabelle Leather Bed, pictured at left. I especially like this piece, since it adds an antique accent to a room that normally doesn't include antique furnishings. Made of maple and cherry woods, the leather upholstery really establishes the bed as an important piece of furniture. Keep it simple with plain bed linens.

The Shoppe on Main Street, Moorestown

Despite being named "One of the Best Places to Live" by a major money magazine, Moorestown N.J. tends to be known better for its outlying chain store shopping centers, or really, being a barren town by 9 p.m. But I found an outstanding locally owned home decor store that deserves a mention.

The Shoppe on Main Street (8 East Main Street, Moorestown), has a wide selection of antiques at reasonable or at-market prices. The inventory could use some editing (as does the ad-heavy site), but the chair selection is definitely worth a look. My favorite was the Mahogany Estrella Side Chair (left). The seat is upholstered in what appears to be a neutral brocade, but this can be changed easily. A periwinkle linen would update this classic in to the modern era.