I’ve been waiting to write this one.
Because this visit felt like the true beginning. The moment where ideas started to take shape, where inspiration met responsibility, and where we realized just how much care this project was going to require.
Hoping for Fall (and Getting So Blessed)
Living in Arizona, I don’t experience much seasonal change. So when we finally scheduled our first off-season visit to Greencrest Manor, I was quietly hoping we wouldn’t miss fall.
November felt late. Almost too late.
I had been watching Instagram stories of changing leaves, knowing my flight wasn’t until the following week, praying a cold front wouldn’t roll through and strip the trees bare before we arrived.
When we landed, it felt like a gift.
Golden sunlight. Trees full of yellow, orange, and red leaves. Warm air. Everything still intact. The drone came out immediately because capturing the grounds was non-negotiable.
So much of what we’re designing is inspired by what exists outside, bringing the outdoors in, capturing warmth, texture, and a sense of place. Fall felt like the perfect way to introduce this collaboration.
Seeing Greencrest Beyond Wedding Season
Greencrest is widely known for its summer weddings. The gardens. The flowers. The lush grounds.
But fall doesn’t get nearly enough attention.
That week, everything aligned. The leaves were still glowing, the grass was green, the lake behind the property shimmered, and ivy wrapped around the manor in deep reds and oranges. It felt cozy, layered, and incredibly inviting.
One thing that matters deeply to me is that if wallpaper is inspired by nature, it needs to work across seasons. It has to feel just as right in winter as it does in summer. Standing there in fall confirmed that this collection needed to be timeless, not seasonal.
Touring the Manor with Intention
Once inside, we slowed down.
This visit wasn’t about deciding everything. It was about observing.
Some rooms would want wallpaper. Some wouldn’t. Some might call for a full room wrap, while others needed just an accent wall, a ceiling moment, or a subtle pattern tucked into millwork.
We were looking for opportunity. Cozy niches. Forgotten corners. Spaces that could be elevated without overpowering them.
The Garden Room: The First Clear Yes
One of the first rooms that really stood out was the Garden Room.
Sunlight poured in. The walls were white. The space felt calm and open, but it was immediately clear to me that wallpaper could elevate it in a really special way.
This was one of those moments where the room almost tells you what it wants.
The Dining Room and Small, Intentional Moments
In the dining room, the walls were already drenched in a beautiful forest green. Rather than adding more to the main space, we saw opportunity inside the built-in cupboards.
A peekaboo moment. Something subtle. A surprise detail that doesn’t scream, but rewards you when you notice it.
Upstairs: The Rooms That Needed Careful Thought
Upstairs is where things became more delicate.
The bridal suite is light, airy, and softly pink. It’s where so many emotional, highly photographed moments happen. Jenn is understandably protective of this space.
I knew immediately that wallpaper here would have to be exceptional. Not just pretty, but meaningful. Something that enhances the experience without distracting from it.
The attached bathroom also held opportunity, where we could pair a focal wallpaper with a coordinating pattern to create cohesion across the suite.
The Burt Suite was similar. Another room Jenn holds close. The millwork and wainscoting there opened the door for a landscape mural or a focal design nestled thoughtfully within the architecture. From there, we could carry a complementary pattern into the vestibule, closet, and en suite bath.
Letting Some Rooms Be What They Are
We continued through the Geranium Room, the Fern Room, powder rooms, and several other spaces throughout the manor.
And here’s the important part, not every room asked for wallpaper.
Some spaces felt complete as they were. And that matters just as much as knowing where to add something.
This project was never about covering walls for the sake of it. It was about listening.
Asking the Right Questions
As we moved room to room, I asked a lot of questions.
Who uses this space?
Is it for bridesmaids or parents?
Does it need feminine energy or something more grounded?
Where does the light hit in the morning? In the evening?
Where are photos taken most often?
If a wall is constantly photographed, how can we elevate that moment?
If a space is often overlooked, how can we make it feel intentional?
Every vignette mattered. Every wall had potential to inspire.
Understanding Jenn’s Design Language
We took note of the artwork, the color palettes, and the overall aesthetic Jenn gravitates toward. Her style is eclectic, old-world, and layered. Think English, collected, Ralph Lauren-inspired interiors.
Translating that into a wallpaper collection was always going to be a challenge. And honestly, that excited me.
Jenn works in the luxury wedding industry. She lives in pattern play. She knows how to build a theme and carry it through an experience. I came into this visit open and ready to learn.
She also has a background in florals, which made one thing very clear, the gardens needed to come inside.
Samples, Conversations, and First Impressions
I brought dozens and dozens of wallpaper samples. Different scales. Different color palettes. Different patterns.
This visit wasn’t about final decisions. It was about yeses and nos. What she was drawn to. What immediately felt wrong. What sparked conversation.
All of this would shape what we’d bring back on our second visit, where concepts would become clearer and more refined.
Leaving Inspired (and A Little Overwhelmed)
We filmed everything. The tour. The conversations. The moments of clarity and the moments where it felt like too much all at once.
There were times I felt overwhelmed by the scale of it all. And times when everything clicked so perfectly it felt effortless.
This wasn’t about what I wanted. It was about what Jenn wanted and how to bring that together into a cohesive collection that still made sense for Urbanwalls.
What This First Visit Gave Us
By the time we left, we hadn’t designed the collection yet. But we had something just as important.
Clarity.
We understood the style direction. The talking points. The rooms that mattered most. And what we needed to present on our second visit.
This was the foundation.
And it set the tone for everything that came next.
