Centered by Design’s debut wallpaper collection “Mediterranean Reverie” with Isidore Leroy traces back to the idyllic interiors of European homes from Venice to Antibes. Chicago-based interior designer Claire Staszak paired this timeless inspiration with fanciful charm to design six papers for the heritage French brand.
Claire joins us this week to discuss how the collection came together.
Raymond Paul Schneider: When did you first start to develop this new collection?
Claire Staszak: We first partnered with Isidore Leroy in May of 2023 for the Lake Forest Showhouse. We used their gorgeous Paris at Night paper for our Men’s Dressing Room, and it was so well received that it sparked the conversation for a wallpaper collaboration and collection. In September of 2023, we boarded a plane for Paris to visit their offices as well as their printing facilities in Bordeaux. We also toured historical archives in the Bibliothèque Forney within the Hotel de Sens, and I was inspired to create a collection that incorporated many of my favorite motifs and feelings of an idyllic European lifestyle.
RPS: What was your initial inspiration, and where did the idea(s) come from?
CS: I have loved wallpaper since I was a little girl. I grew up with a room covered in two Laura Ashley patterns separated by a border. I have been told that Centered by Design’s use of wallpaper is one of our strong suits. I love that wallpaper is back and I really feel that more than anything it can make a room. It transports you, that is what I love about it.
For the Mediterranean Reverie collection, I was very inspired by our experience working on the 2023 House Beautiful Whole Home. The sunroom was covered in wooden trellis originally designed by London-based firm Colefax and Fowler many years ago. I was noticing more and more trellis being used indoors, and felt the wallpaper selections were limited. Similarly, with the wall paneling, it seemed to be something everyone liked the idea of adding to their interior, but again I had not seen a wallpaper with that concept that I loved. Since Isidore Leroy is known for murals, we tied the collection together with a mural scene and also made all the paper customizable with options to feel like a full mural to transport you to a different place!
RPS: Please describe your overall creative and design process.
CS: The design process was very collaborative. I shared design boards and inspiration, and worked with Isidore Leroy to choose the right artists to bring each paper to life. There were countless zoom meetings, exchanges of feedback, and refining each paper with the artists, company, and graphic designers to get the results we all wanted, while keeping the collection cohesive.
RPS: Did you have a specific audience or theme in mind?
CS: My love of all things romantic and European, mixed with a dash of history, were themes I had in mind.
RPS: Please describe the methods, tools, and materials you used to develop and prototype this design.
CS: Each paper was hand painted by different artists, scanned, and then worked on by highly skilled graphic designers for color variations, scale adjustments and custom detailing.
RPS: Did you utilize a new technique or technology to conceptualize or create this product? If yes, please share the details.
CS: The customization available for the architectural papers in this collection is very exciting and feels like a new technique in wallpaper. What was once a custom, hand-painted mural is now hand-painted artwork, which is digitally scanned and then manipulated into different colorways, scales and fit to each customer’s room.
RPS: Describe your overall brand DNA and Ethos:
CS: Centered by Design is known for storied interiors and our expertise in crafting timeless spaces. From new-builds to restorations, we reinvent and preserve, ushering homes into a modern age, thoughtfully linked to the past.
Photography by Amandine & Jules.
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