I need a rudder to steer me through the coming week of energetic Ike plus no school, no grandparents, and bedrest -- it's going to be a long one. What better distraction than wallpaper? And of course it doesn't hurt that I've become something of an amateur expert (not a pardox, I swear) on the subject via long hours of obsessively trolling the internet in search of "The One." We'll discuss that very important matter later on in Wallpaper Week, but for today let's talk House of Hackney.

They had me at the mirror image adverts, but I like the crazy romance of the patterns, too. Wild Card is a fabulous interpretation of Madame Castaing's famous leopard prints, Dalton Rose has an ombre bottom, and Empire is cheeky good fun.

Wild Card

Dalton Rose Ombre

Empire Stripe

Flights of Fancy

Queen Bee

I'm a little smitten with the Empire prints for a mini gentleman's room. I would probably only do it on on one wall and frame it out with molding, then paint coordinating color on the other walls -- because that's a lot of look.

Any favorites? That leopard print is sure to make an appearance in someone's powder room, right?