Our team member rolled up her sleeves and took on this fun accent wall project. Below is an account of her experience with our Peel & Stick Wallpaper:

Deciding on anything design, or decor related can sometimes be overwhelming, and wallpaper is no exception! Even the peel & stick versions can seem a little scary. Hopefully this post makes the task seem less daunting, answers some questions, and helps you to get started.

First of all, I need to let you in on a little secret... I have never applied wallpaper before... but this experience was 100% simple and has made a big statement in my home. Now that I have my patterned wallpaper up, it has given me a starting point for the room and makes it easier to choose the other items for the room. 

Wallpaper can act as a focal point within a room. It often covers the majority of the surface, and is usually one of the first concepts guests will notice!

At Modern Komfort, we offer over 40 different patterns, with samples available to borrow in store, along with a wide variety of options on our website. All of our wallpaper is peel and stick and our patterns include geometric shapes, dots, chevron, terrazzo, plant/succulents, grid formations, and our personal favourite, the "ombre" fading design. 

Wallpaper is certainly on trend at the moment and we don't see any signs of it disappearing any time soon. However, in case you still have doubts, the peel and stick variety is ideal because it can literally be used over and over. If you put it up and get tired of it in a year, you can give it a new life in a different space.

Steps of application:
Wallpaper is weightless, timeless, cost-effective, and most of all it leaves a dramatic affect when redesigning your space! The steps to apply the wallpaper are quite simple, but you must take your time, so each sheet is aligned perfectly resulting in perfect placement and an elevated space.

Step 1: Before splurging on wallpaper, measure the surface you which to cover to
ensure you have the correct amount of paper (you could even purchase an extra roll for backup). You can either buy in separate panels or custom ship it with the entire wall’s dimensions. This way, even if your space isn't perfectly straight, you won't run into a shortage problem. HOT TIP: Please don’t assume your ceiling is perfectly straight. You may have to make adjustments at the bottom.

Step 2: Ensure the surface you plan to wallpaper is clean, smooth and dry for the best possible results!

Step 3: Carefully remove the backing about 5 inches so the sticky surface is exposed and ready to apply. 

Step 4: Take the top corner of the wallpaper and start to press and smooth the surface out slowly making your way down to the bottom, and from the centre to the outer edges. I used my hands to smooth the surface, but you can also you a soft cloth. Go VERY SLOW! And I would remove the backing as your go down the wall, NOT all at once. I worked left to right and top to bottom. As you remove the backing, try your best to remove any air bubbles or creases with your hands. HOT TIP: Make sure your patterns match up. I mean, this kind of goes without saying, but it's an important point.  

Step 5: If needed, cut around the edges of the wall with an exacto knife to ensure the wallpaper fits the surface correctly. It was so easy, like cutting butter so again,  take your time. 

Step 6: Repeat previous steps for each panel if you have not ordered in one full custom piece - I ordered 5 - 2’ x 4’ panels.

Have fun & enjoy : )

Jessika 

“May your walls know joy; may every room hold laughter and every window open to a great possibility” - Maryanne Radmacher-Hershey

Color Trends in Home Decor 2019

At Modern Komfort we are in the business of helping to create beautiful spaces! And while figuring out current home décor trends can be daunting, as well-known designer, Jonathan Adler says, “Nothing is ‘out,’ nothing is bad – it’s just a lot of options. Think of trends like a salad bar; you can pick and choose to create your personal style.”  We love this outlook, because let’s face it, who’s changing up their home décor every time there is a new trend! 

While knowing all the current home décor trends is helpful in choosing paint colours, furnishings and accessories, know also that choosing elements you love, in the colors you love, is the most important part of creating a home.

It’s not always necessary to make big changes to create big impact. When changing out tile, flooring, countertops, etc. is not realistic, yet you are still craving a change, simply updating your movable elements like armchairs, art, rugs, or even just changing out the accessories to add more of the colour and style you love, can give your space a whole new look and feel, and satisfy your desire for change.

We've looked around at paint companies colour forecasts for 2019, along with news from our favourite design bloggers, and we have put together this list to help you navigate what's new in 2019. 

Gray: Benjamin Moore’s 2019 colour of the year is Metropolitan AF-690. This choice is interesting because it indicates that although gray has been a very popular colour for the last ten years, it is still desirable as a main neutral backdrop for homeowners and it is warming up. Gray is still a wonderful backdrop to some of the brighter and cleaner colours we are seeing such as blues, oranges and pinks. We love what @kismet_house did with our Modernity grey upholstered bed. It has a warm, calming feeling in this room, paired with wood touches and pastel pink. 

Blue: The colour blue is considered the first colour choice for the majority of people in the world and a personal favourite for the Modern Komfort staff, so we are happy to see it is still going strong and that there are no signs of it disappearing as a top colour in the world of design. In fact, we view blue as a trending classic.

Behr’s 2019 colour of the year is Blueprint S470-5. This is a mellow blue with a hint of green. While strong saturated blues are still very much on trend, including indigo and navy, we are also seeing softened and dustier hues including denim (a hot new hue!!) and powder blues making their way into our homes. Our patterned indigo mudcloth pillows are a simple way to add a touch of blue to your space, while our Athens Rug pairs different blues which makes it easy to style other existing pieces with. 

Green

Like blue, green is becoming very popular and whether décor or fashion, it is popping up everywhere. Green colours help us feel calm and rested – have you noticed that house plants are everywhere now?  

Dulux’s 2019 colour of the year is Night Watch, a deep forest green. This colour takes us back to the 80’s and 90’s but today’s forest greens are not the same. The new dark greens are greyer and moodier and pair beautifully with brass and blush pinks. In fact, all shades of dark and dramatic greens are trending.

A simple way to add green to your space is with greenery such as plants, throw blankets, smaller accessories. For a bigger statement, the Algonquin Arm Chair in Emerald Green is a perfect choice. 

Blush Pink (or is it Peach?): We are happy that blush pink is still going strong, however, 2019’s pink is softer, tawnier and muddier then the fresh shades of Millennial pink which have been around for a few years.

Peachy pink tones are showing up in smaller home décor items such as pillows and we are seeing peach sofas from top designers. Because peach hasn’t been around since the 1980’s it is looking fresh and new! It also signifies that interiors are warming up. A great way to update your grays and blues is to add peach or pink! 

Big lush florals are trending right now! Many of them have rich jewel tones and a range of greens and pinks. These florals also work beautifully with other patterns including stripes and checks. A multi-coloured pattern can be so useful in a room and a great way to figure out your colour palette.

Cognac Leather: Cognac Leather is everywhere right now and we can see why! This warm shade has been around for decades and is considered a timeless classic – our favourite type of décor. A colour combo we are loving is denim blue and cognac. Cognac pairs perfectly with warm wood tones also. 

Who knew that going from one kid to two would increase the amount of time spent in the kitchen by about a million? I honestly didn't think of all of the extra cooking and meal prep I would be doing with one in school and a new baby starting to eat solids. Being in the kitchen more often also means spending increased time dreaming about all sorts of trendy makeovers I'd love to do (one of them being the outdated countertop and island). While those big changes will come eventually, they are expensive, take a lot of planning, and mean that we need to be out of our kitchen for longer than I can imagine possible at this stage.

In the meantime, I've made some simple and inexpensive changes that are satisfying my inner desire for a large-scale makeover. Adding a few new funky tea towels over the cupboard hardware, and a some bright flower pots from Anthropologie on the window sill, have made a big difference to my kitchen time enjoyment.

However, the best and most inexpensive change I've made to date is switching out my old dish cloths with our Swedish sponge cloths. These little things are amazing, and here's why:

• they are eco-friendly and made from 100% bio-degradable cellulose, so they are compostable!
• they are quick-drying and when they do dry they go back to a hard cloth that once again looks super rad;
• being naturally anti-bacterial, they are great for those of us who are clean freaks and don't want germs in our kitchen;
• they make sweet gifts at a great price point of $12 for a set of 2, and some of the designs even have matching dish towels available;
• they are gentle enough to use on virtually any surface in the kitchen, including granite, stainless steel, laminate and glass.
• the best part is that they come in all sorts of designs that actually look super cool on your counter.

Transitioning into spring is such a beautiful time, filled with optimism and excitement for longer days, fewer layers and more fresh flowers. Open windows, curtains blowing in the breeze, the smell of fresh cut grass... the transition from the deep dark cold of winter to the new life of spring can be felt inside your home almost as much as outside.

It's a great time to make some subtle changes on the inside to welcome spring and bring all of that vibrance happening on the outside in. It can be as simple as changing throw pillows on the sofa or bed to more light and vibrant patterns. Keep in mind that you only have to change the pillow covers and store the winter patterns for the following season. This will save money and take up less space in storage. 

Heavy accent blankets on sofas, beds or over chairs can also be switched out for brighter colours or even lighter and more airy fabrics. Turkish style throws can add subtle softness to your space when draped over a chair or chaise, and the best part is, you don't even have to fold them, the right throw looks good even when it's messy. If you still like to have heavier blankets around for cool evenings,  having soft colours like pastels or other light hues can help with that airy spring feeling.