Jeremy Rabe is Wild for Wallpaper

The home of lifestyle host and producer Jeremy Rabe is a playground of color and pattern, full of boldly wallpapered walls, fun furniture pieces and vibrant lighting. Rabe is no stranger to DIY projects, and he took it upon himself to do many of his own renovations. His creativity and love for bold design helped him envision the home in a completely new way. “I would describe my style as bold, colorful, eclectic, contemporary and meaningful,” says Rabe. “I like to make a statement.”

Rabe’s house was built in 1975 and sits on 6 acres of land. It was rustic when he purchased it. During a three-year remodel, Rabe focused on creating a more modern look, while still maintaining some of the rustic wood elements.

The dining room was one space he felt like he could really go “over the top.” He chose to darken the space, creating an inviting and cozy mood. “I have been in love with dark, haunting colors, like navy blue, for a while now,” says Rabe. “I know many would think that painting a smaller dining room this dark color would make it feel smaller, but with the addition of wainscoting, and large-scale art and decor, it feels much larger.” The wallpaper in the space was inspired by a blown glass chandelier that sparked memories of Rabe’s time working in cruise ships. He would visit ports of call in the Caribbean, where he saw sculptures by Dale Chihuly.  “I found a beautiful, floral, large-print wallpaper mural that not only contained the perfect colors, it also added to the moody ambiance I was hoping to create.”

Originally, the primary bedroom space was a sitting room that later Rabe converted it into a large bedroom, but when it came to the design of the space, Rabe was unsure about the direction he wanted to go. “I was kind of at a standstill,” says Rabe. “Then, I was watching And Just Like That on HBO and saw the most amazing wallpaper in the apartment of Carrie Bradshaw, aka Sarah Jessica Parker.” At the time the paper wasn’t available, but after a year Sarah Jessica Parker launched her wallpaper line and Rabe was able to purchase it. Once he had the wallpaper in-hand, it inspired the rest of the bedroom’s design, including a large carnation print in the perfect shades of blue.

Another bold space that stands out in Rabe’s home is the powder room. “I love an over the top powder room,” says Rabe. “A room that guests will use and that will also be a conversation starter.” When the wallpaper search began for that space, Rabe found a Fornasetti-style print that reminded him of some Fornasetti plates he fell in love with while traveling through Europe. The paper had the same feel as the plates, black and white with the face of a woman, who happened to be Hollywood icon and fashion goddess Audrey Hepburn. “I thought it was a great way to incorporate my experiences and travels in Italy with a quirky and unique take on a famous print for a small powder room,” says Rabe. “I like to call it quirky, contemporary chic!”

Rabe loves to embrace his love of bold style in the form of many DIY projects in and around his home. He says he loves when a home tells a story, and many of the colors, wallpapers, tile, art and decor in his house have personal meaning. They are inspired by his life and his travels. When he looks at things in his house, he says, they remind him of a story. Almost everything in his home has a story to it, and chances are, he did the work himself too. “There is no better feeling than doing a project in your home, taking a step back, looking at the finished project, and saying, ‘ Yeah, I did that,’” says Rabe.