Trompe L'Oeil Wallpaper Provokes Double Takes

Well-known in the United Kingdom and Europe, London-based wallpaper designer Deborah Bowness is introducing her decorative drollery stateside with a gallery exhibit at the Anthropologie store in New York City 's Rockefeller Center. Called Genuine Fakes from London, the show features life-size, photo-realistic images hand-printed on wallpaper.

The panels—most of which measure 130" high by 22" wide and range from $348 to $1,400 each—picture everyday domestic goods. One collection, Wallpaper Frocks, contains a series of brightly colored dresses hung off a black-and-white clothes rail. Another line, Salvage, features pointy lamps, sepia-toned filing drawers, and old chairs. A third, Illusions of Grandeur, shows just that: fancy moldings, a chandelier, and a gilt mirror.

Urban Hardwoods Gives Local Timbers a Second Life

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Jim Newsom always knew he was a “wood guy.” In the late 1990s, he began to salvage beached logs from the shore of Seattle 's Elliot Bay , turning them into decking planks. In 2002, he expanded his efforts and founded Urban Hardwoods. The Seattle, Washington-based company reclaims local fallen or diseased trees and, depending on their condition, transforms them into furniture, cabinetry, and flooring, or into raw lumber. The aim is not only to reuse the resource, but also to “reconnect people with creations from their natural environment,” Newsom says.

What next for Umbra's U+ Studio Collection?

I've been consistently impressed by Umbra's U+ Studio Collection (umbra.com), the funky, more experimental line relaunched two years ago by the Toronto-based furnishings company. And although U+ features work by numerous designers, including Karim Rashid and Michelle Ivankovic, I'm most often drawn to the work of one in particular: Matt Carr, the talent behind many of the line's mirrors and clocks. His style is best described as modern Scandinavian, with sleek lines, unfussy surfaces, and lots of glass, wood, and metal. I was fortunate enough to meet him two weeks ago at the New York Gift Show, where he walked me through his forthcoming pieces for U+, many of which are a departure from his usual aesthetic. Here's a sneak peek of the items, all of which should be available by March 1. —Decor Darling

	PISA BOOK SHELF That's Carr himself standing next to this leaning tower of shelves, which can add storage and a strong sculptural element to any room. Comprising dark wood veneer; designer not included. 63½" high x 12½" wide x 29" deep. $550. Umbra.com.
	TREASURE CLOCK The eclectic timepiece was inspired by a desire to "create a sustainable product that gives new life to discarded toys," says Carr. Constructed from natural birch and second-hand playthings, each clock is unique, and only 200 will be made. Available in white, shown, and black. 15½" high x 15½" wide. $145. U+ Studio Collection; 800-387-5122, Umbra.com.
	CADO STOOL Versatile and sophisticated, this leather multitasker combines seating, a serving surface, and a hidden storage area. Pretty cool. 18" high x 18½" wide 18½" deep. $399. Umbra.com.