Last week Google released the Hangouts app. I’ve been waiting for it! My sons, the Shields Brothers, have been using Google Hangouts from a desktop for a long time now to host live music shows on YouTube. I saw the value of it then. Now I can use it for my work!

How and why would I want to use Hangouts to hang wallpaper? Well…

Hangouts allows you to do one-to-one or group video conversations. FaceTime is great but not all my clients have an iPhone. So Hangouts is a better solution for me. 

Hangouts is a tool I can use to stay in touch with the designer or homeowner. Oftentimes, I need a decision by the designer or homeowner and it saves both of us time and money. Here’s how I use it to make my job interactions better for my client and me:

1. When starting the installation, sometimes I have questions about which pattern the client wants near the ceiling or what pattern she wants as the focal point in the room. I make a Hangout call, hit the flip the lens button, and my client can “see” what I’m talking about.
2. Most wallpaper manufacturers have a policy that the paper can be returned if three or fewer strips have been used. Sometimes, if there is some question about the wallpaper, I install three (3) strips then confirm with the client via the Hangout that the wallpaper is what they expected.
3. Often, you don’t see issues with the wallpaper until it is rolled out. Especially with hand made block printed wallpaper or Chinese murals, there can be shading or coloring inconsistencies. I use the Hangout to show the client what it looks like before proceeding.
4. When the client is out of town or is unable to see the finished installation immediately, I will use a Hangout or send photos from my iPhone to get final approval.

If you’d like to start using Hangouts, here’s a good article to get you started.

I am wallpapering more and more room screen dividers. It’s a good option when a designer or homeowner wants a fling not a marriage to wallpaper. I see the rise in popularity of decorative screens as a solution and a decorative indulgence. The options for interesting combinations of styles and use of murals is more affordable, portable and interchangeable.

It can even be like having an affair with two different people … you can paper one side of the screen in Victorian pattern and border, on the other side you can paper with hand painted Chinese mural. It really makes a great design statement and can be a decorating focus point.

Decorative screens are used for …
• dividing the room
• adding privacy to any space
• hiding clutter and increasing storage
• adding color
• redirecting foot traffic
• creating a foyer
• adding a desk front modesty screen
• creating coziness
• adding a decorative background

Screens are used in almost all rooms in the house – offices, bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms. Here are some beautiful screens made with antique wallpaper and murals.

P.S. Think about finishing the edges with tacks, gimp, ribbon, gilded paper machie, etc.