I've taken up all kinds of fun new pursuits since moving to the East Bay, including a gig as a style expert for some local magazines. When doing research for a story recently, I came across a great resource: wallpaper from Hygge & West.

If you tend to think of wallpaper as fusty, this place should change your mind. Their patterns are fresh, bright, and decidedly hip. I'd seen their Petal Pusher and Daydream around; they're a favorite on Pinterest boards. And they partnered with cb2 recently to showcase Nethercote, a fun riff on what you might find in an old English country estate.

But one of my favorites is less well known: A Stone's Throw Away, by designer Joy Cho, of the popular blog Oh Joy!. When I look at it closely, it reminds me of the pattern you'd see on a giraffe or a turtle, simultaneously geometric and organic. It comes in two colorways: almost white and gray, and almost white and black. It's rather small in scale, and, unlike many patterns, would work in either a large or small room. I think it would be especially lovely in a place that's normally utilitarian, like an office.

Check out more offerings from Hygge & West on their website. If this pattern isn't your style, they have plenty of others to choose from.