Personal Best: Ruth Bowen

A Wallpaper Whiz.

By Kathleen Fifield

If you’re a local designer with a pricey grasscloth or handpainted roll that needs to go up, Bowen is the pro on your speed dial. Here, the paper hanger known for her precision shares a bit of her easy and spontaneous style.

HOME
Personal paper: Osborne & Little leopard print (in the guest room). “People hear ‘wallpaper’ and they think of a creamy background with a viney print. But it’s come such a long way!”
Conversation piece: Zebra-skin rug from South Africa. “We had to smuggle that back. But it was used for meat, not poached.”
Favorite bedroom paint color: Benjamin Moore No. 507, half formula. “Blue-greens, with a touch of gray, are great for a spa or a bedroom. They’re very soothing.”
Favorite bedroom furniture: Antique pine armoire from Old English Pine in Lambertville: “I like pine because it has a casual feel, but it has to be antique to have the right look.”
Cheap headboard trick: “I bought a $25 painting of the Italian coast at an auction and mounted it above the bed.”

FASHION
Work staple: Halogen cotton-and-Lycra t-shirts from Nordstrom. “I wear t-shirts every day and am very particular about them. They have to have a flat band around the neck, never one that’s sewn on and sticks out. And they have to be little!”
Jeans: Pepe. “I bought them in Paris
when I was there. Before these, I was into Louie jeans.”
Favorite item: Theory long black leather coat: “I call it my Mick jacket.”

FUN
Yoga: Bikram classes at Spa Elysium in Chestnut Hill. “People always say I must not have to work out because my job is physical. But I have to work out so I can do my job! Yoga fixed my ‘paster’s elbow.’”
Cold-weather restaurant pick: Monk’s. “I love Belgian beer and mussels. Open
my fridge anytime, you’ll find a few bottles of Chimay.”