We recently featured a few ideas on how to decorate your walls on a budget. If you’re looking for more inexpensive ways to brighten up your home, The New York Times recently challenged five interior designers to renovate and refresh the rooms of recently unemployed people on a budget of just $300. Click here to check it out!
When times are tough, retail environments pull out all the stops, forcing their design teams to get crafty in lieu of spending big bucks. Sometimes these ad hock compilations are miserable collages and other times, wondrously creative ideas emerge. Anthropologie’s artistic displays typically fall into the later of the two categories. Inspired by Parisian wallpaper styles, the back wall of the retailer’s Fifth Avenue location pairs kitchen wares with floral chalk panels. Using a $10 can of blackboard paint and a steady hand, Anthro’s budget illustrations are incredibly chic and can easily be translated to any wall in your home.
Inspiration: Floral Striping
When designing floral striping, all inspirational elements must be considered. Here is a mood board that combines paralleling themes through the use of nature, Parisian craftsmanship and modern techinique.
Julia Rothman is one of the most talented and original pattern designers in today’s marketplace. I had the pleasure of catching up with her at “Design by the Book,” a collaborative event hosted by The New York Public Library and Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge. Rothman has a the ability to beautify ordinary objects, using her unique style of illustration and layout to create whimsical repeats. Her work has been featured in countless publications and dons home goods of every variety. Check out our Q+A for a glimpse into her daily routine.
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PP: What websites do you generally start your day with-do you have a daily routine for news/blog/information consumption?
JR: Design Sponge, Print&Pattern, Poppytalk, Oh Joy!, The Post Family, Grain Edit always start my day. And the NYTimes for news of course.
PP: Do you discuss your work with other designers? If so, how does that impact your creation + execution process?
JR: I am on the video phone with Jenny Volvovski and Matt Lamothe, my Also partners all day every weekday. They see everything I am working on and give a constant critique on my work. That is always helpful. Sometimes they notice ways to improve my design that I would have never thought of. I think it’s always helpful to have designers you trust giving you feedback. You don’t always have to listen, but at least you are presented with other points of view.
PP: Where do you usually work on your patterns and how much time is devoted to illustration vs computer layout?
JR: I start with drawings I make with a pen in my sketchbook. I usually work on those hanging around my house, usually lounging on my couch. The time I spend making drawings varies but it’s usually the majority of the work. After the drawings are all done I go to my office and scan them in at high resolution. After that I manipulate and color the drawings using Adobe Illustrator.
PP: How has your work evolved over your career?
JR: In the beginning I was making drawings and then scanning them in and trying to make them into patterns. Over time when I decided making patterns was where I wanted to focus, I made drawings keeping in mind how they would later repeat. And then eventually when I started making specific products- wallpaper, mugs, stationery, it had to evolve one step even further. I had to give scale, colors and subject matter even more consideration for how it would specifically look on that object. For example, when I was making patterns to build up a portfolio I wasn’t worrying about the amount of colors. I put in as many as I wanted. But working recently on my wallpaper designs for Hygge&West, I had to limit my colors to three or less which was a fun challenge.
PP: What are some of your favorite creations/mediums/color palettes?
JR: I recently worked on a project organized by Design Sponge and the New York Public Library and made a very detailed navy men pattern. I was inspired by a book of uniforms and symbols of navy officers from around the world. I really love how it came out. I also recently made two patterns of vintage office supplies for Galison, a stationery company. I am really excited to see how those patterns get applied to a variety of products. They come out this Spring!
When I am painting I always use gouache. I love how flat matte the paint gets. It’s also similar to the flatness in silkscreen, another favorite medium.
One of the most often criticisms I get is about my color palettes. I tend to use really muted colors. Often art directors ask me to brighten up my colors. I’m more attracted to subtle tones with pops of brightness here or there.
PP: How do you incorporate commercial trends into your work- is this a factor that drives your design?
JR: I try not to think about trends too much. I make designs I think will be interesting whether or not they are popular themes or palettes at that moment. I’m sure with the amount of designs I look at on blogs every day, trends affect what I do, but it’s not on purpose.
PP: Do you have any advice for younger designers who are just getting started?
JR: I always tell new designers to be pro-active about promoting themselves. Nothing is going to come to you. You can be an incredible designer, but nobody will know that until you show them. And if the first person doesn’t think you’re great, don’t get discouraged. Maybe the next person will, or the next one after that.
Nostalgia inspires collectors of every obsession. Attempting to revive this mood for literary enthusiasts, designers from all over the world continue to reinterpret the idea of the library, creating countless variations (and visual shortcuts) of this popular hobby. Bonkarma, a concept store in France sells book-patterned stools, a faux alternative to clunky seating that can hold up to 200kg.
Bookshelf Wallpaper:
British designer, Deborah Bowness creates hand-printed wallpaper, imitating the likeness of a 3D library as a playful 2D backdrop. Bowness’s commissions include trendy locals such as the New York Soho House and Phillip Stark’s Yoo-Aldelgade in Copenhagen.
Stacked Illusions: Spine Emphasis
The owners of this puzata hata restaurant in Kyiv left no page unturned in their interior pursuit for white-walled texture. Here is a monochromatic approach to literary decor. For set designers seeking to recreate a cheap, light-weight alternative to the age-old study, classic cardboard cutouts can be found amongst other tchotchkes at Printemps in Paris.
Textured Installation: Page Emphasis
This past November, Anthropologie disfigured and reshaped a collection of paperbacks, creating large scale floral sculptures. Each beige bookend played an integral part in crafting the unique look of the month. Toying with the idea of opposites, the installation featured on weheartit showcases hundreds of books, appearing both messy and unorganized- a stark contrast (and breathe of fresh air) from the usual line up of conservative spines.
I’ve often described the NY Times Sunday Magazine to be my weekend dessert. Interesting treasures can always be found within the wide glossy walls of this publication. In mid September, a profoundly talented design team from Barcelona was profiled, collectively called Alan the Gallant. Alex Bedoya and Ana Montiel are the masterminds behind this design studio and are constantly applying patterns to modern day living. From wallpaper to t-shirts to refrigerator door coverings, this team is continually discovering new surfaces to beautify with their illustrations and graphics.