Why H&W Co-Founder Christiana Coop Chose This Schoolhouse Pattern for Her California Farmhouse Bedroom
When you own a wallpaper company and have every pattern in its arsenal at your disposal, it can be difficult to decide which ones you want in your own home. Every pattern you have a hand in creating feels like an extension of yourself. But then, every so often, a design comes along that you just know was meant to be. Such was the case when H&W co-founder Christiana Coop first laid eyes on Olive Grove from our Schoolhouse + Hygge & West collection. As soon as the first rolls were printed (and practically still warm from the press), up it went in the master bedroom in her Sonoma County farmhouse.
“I wanted something fairly textural since I have some large scale and eye-catching red textiles in the room already. Olive Grove was perfect,” says Christiana. “The Midnight colorway in particular is so deep and lush that it almost feels 3D. There’s something very magical about it… and I’m a total sucker for the touch of metallic in the olives and their gorgeous, subtle shimmer.”
A bit of a pattern maximalist, Christiana knew her bedroom needed a pattern that would complement the existing colors and textiles in her space—not compete with them. And after over a decade in the wallpaper business, she has picked up a few pattern-mixing tricks of the trade. “I chose to do the softer Midnight colorway with its more textural repeat to mix with the bolder curtains, and I think it worked well,” Christiana explains. “That said, I’m guessing some people might still find the mix to be ‘a lot.’ Which leads me to my real tip, which is just to mix what you love. If you’re happy with it, that’s what matters.”
One way Christiana harmonizes a space with bold color and pattern is by balancing it with clean, streamlined furnishings. “I tend to gravitate to furniture with simple lines and neutral colors and then mix in colorful, bolder accessories, like wallpaper, textiles, and art,” she says. “Because I’ve moved so much and also am constantly changing the design of my space, this approach works the best for me. I’m able to invest in furniture that can be used in many different spaces and design schemes and then play around with the details.”
And, unsurprisingly for someone who has dedicated her career to it, wallpaper is her detail of choice. “Wallpaper really sets the tone of the room and tells an immediate story in a way that no other design detail can,” says Christiana. “When a person walks into a space, it’s the first thing they see and hopefully, in my home, it will make visitors smile and feel like they know me just a little bit better.”
Now, every time Christiana sees her bedroom wallpaper, she finds joy not only in the beauty of the pattern itself, but in the memory of creating this collection with Schoolhouse—a brand she has long admired. “It was such a great experience from start to finish,” Christiana recalls. “The entire Schoolhouse team is so thoughtful, detailed and so lovely to work with. They had a clear vision for this collection that we were able to bring to life in a way that naturally blended both our brand aesthetics.” What made this collaboration so seamless was not only Schoolhouse’s adamance about what the collection should be, but also what it should not. “At the beginning of the project, they sent over an inspiration brief that detailed both what they wanted from each pattern, but also listed what they wanted to avoid, which I thought was such a smart approach,” says Christiana.
Near the end of the year-long creation process for the Schoolhouse + Hygge & West collection came Christiana’s favorite part—seeing the patterns come to life with color. “We did quite a robust color study to narrow down to where we ultimately landed, and that phase of the process is always the most exciting to me,” she says. “The feel of each pattern can change so much with the addition of color.”
Today, with the collection finally available for purchase, Christiana says she is most looking forward to seeing these patterns in homes across the country and the world. “Like us, Schoolhouse has an incredibly strong brand identity, where every little detail is thoughtfully considered and curated,” she says. “We both trusted that the collection would result in something we’d all be very proud of and excited to share with our customers. We’re thrilled with how it turned out and cannot wait to see it in the real world.”
But, perhaps most importantly, this collection—and Olive Grove in particular—has already won approval from the toughest wallpaper critic Christiana knows—her dog, Otis. “I’m pretty sure he loves it because it makes him look extra handsome.”
