Want to see some embarrassing before photos of my home followed by some inspiring after ones? Okay so I'm totally psyched to share this with you because I love, love, love working on decorating projects and this wallpaper project, which I've teamed up with Aimee Wilder in Brooklyn on, is just bananas. Or in this case, pineapples. Remember this paper from the other day?

That's what has transformed my entry. But truthfully, outside of designing my son's nursery before his arrival this year, I've not done much of anything in my home except think about things I need to do before I lose my mind. Despite my love of motherhood, I also love my home. I can't deal when rooms are upside down or incomplete, this makes me feel chaotic in my head. Can you relate? Home is my sanctuary, my place of love, peace, dreams and aspirations. If it's a cluttered dump or piled with half-finished projects, I can't give 100% to my family, friends or job.

And you know that expression, don't do anything half ass - use your whole ass.

So I decided to use ALL of mine and work on a project this week that has been annoying me the most - my depressingly unwelcoming entryway. But first. Three truths.

I rent.
We aren't moving anytime soon.
I have to live my life NOW because none of us are getting any younger.

BAM! All are challenges and inspirations. And they affected this project. I think the hardest thing is to pay for stuff in a rental that you can't take with you when you move. But unless you imagine having the same wallpaper on your walls for the REST OF YOUR LIFE then wallpaper really isn't as hard to commit to as you may think. Sure, it's an investment. But it's a bigger emotional investment to come home to a space that doesn't have YOU written all over it. That is depressing. It drains you.

I have this philosophy that I've written in my books already but in case you missed it, I believe that if you make your home a great place, even if it's a rental, you will become more successful in other areas of your life. That may sound really far out, but in my life, it's just how it is. I have always been the most productive, the slimmest, had the most money and been the most energetic when I lived in a space that was decorated and organized well. My hope is that this wallpaper will make me rich and thin. (smile)

I'm also not one to wait until I own my home before I properly decorate it. Never have been. I remember gut renovating my first apartment when I was 22 years old living on my own in Boston. While I won't install something like a new bathroom into a rental, I am willing to work on smallish projects that have major impact. Like paint and wallpaper. And while wallpaper and installation aren't cheap by any means, it is so worth it to do at least one complete room in a home and/or a feature wall somewhere. I have one wall in my tiny half bath with wallpaper and now, my entryway in giant golden pineapples - and to borrow from Jerry MaGuire - It "completes me".

Am I crazy? Yup. Positively mad.

But that's a good thing because crazy people take risks and have more fun. Just like no one ever wrote a song about a skinny flat butt, no one ever wrote a hit song, film script or book about a normal person doing normal things. Bleh. We all crave a little crazy.

Where I'm from (I grew up in South Carolina), a pineapple was the welcoming fruit. It meant hello, we love ya, have some iced tea on our front porch, tell us about your day. We had a brass pineapple door knocker (always). We had a brass pineapple on own living room bookcase because that was the 80s, brass was were it was at. I've never not lived in a home without a pineapple somewhere - until now. I gave away my gorgeous white ceramic pineapple to a friend before I relocated to Germany and I've missed having it around. Seeing one always made me think happy thoughts associated with home and love. My fruity talisman. And now I have a billion of them! The moment I step into my home I'm greeted with an explosive reminder of warmth, welcome and love. Everywhere. It's bonkers and I love it. When I walk in, my view sure has changed from before...

Above: The view from the main stairwell into our apartment after I've opened our double doors.

This transformation was done by removing an ugly unused radiator from the right wall, stripping old wood chip wallpaper off the walls and replacing it pineapples and getting an inexpensive pendant from a local shop, handmade in Thailand. Now I can't wait to finish the room with furniture, a rug, coat hook, etc. I'll show you the finished room soon! But doesn't it make a huge difference to add a little wallpaper?

Designer: Aimee Wilder Wallpaper: Piña Sola Color: Spinx Note: You can order a sample, single roll, double roll, or a gorgeous sheet of it if you don't want to wallpaper with it but frame instead which would be gorgeous. Please note: I didn't install the paper myself, I hired out for the work, so if you ask me questions about installation I'm not your girl. All I can say is that this is the most gorgeous paper and in person it's even more stunning than in my snapshots.

I'd like to thank Aimee Wilder and her team for sponsoring this project by donating this beautiful wallpaper. I contacted them with my idea and they were so supportive and lovely, which gave even more good energy to the project. Thank you ladies!

SO DO YOU LIKE IT?

(images: holly becker for decor8)

Before + After: My Entry With Pineapple Wallpaper

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