Big Picture - March 2018 - 16
beyond décor Interior Innovations Three interior design leaders showcase digital printing's influence on customized products. | by Rachel Nunziata I BIG PICTURE March 2018 began my digital print journey five years ago by consult- ing photographers and fine artists for their in-house print needs, allowing me to use my art school education. What I remember enjoying most was helping clients discover possibilities with digital print and strategically develop new business through collaborative diversification. It was easy to encourage and re-energize all types of creatives in this way because that's how they naturally think, myself included. But there was often skepticism about how exactly to develop business in new markets. I quickly learned an invaluable and fundamental principle: One simply cannot create in a vacuum. It became apparent I wasn't alone in thinking: "Let's start inspiring traditionalists and sign shops to print more creatively." There was an influx of PSPs eager to venture beyond signage and wayfinding, which I believe was a direct correlation to the decline of brick-and-mortar retail. OEMs were also promoting improved equipment and inks, allowing for far more exciting applications. Plus, consumers began shifting trend authority away from retailers and manufacturers through social media, ultimately triggering an onslaught of bloggers and influencers keen on branding, cool aesthetics, and long-tail marketing. Along with the expansion of print technology, the crashed housing market in the mid-2000s birthed the DIY home improvement rush, and big-box home stores thrived while most retailers began to tailspin in competition with e-commerce. The interior décor boom happened shortly after and design shows bubbled up from HGTV, creating a new pastime for consumers and design junkies. Designers gained celebrity status. (Admit it: You all know Chip and Joanna Gaines.) Soon after interior design became widely commercialized, the digital print community had an aha! moment, recognizing décor as the hottest growth market and the gateway to on-demand customization. Here, I'll be sharing three inspiring and entrepreneurial women in creative and technology industries, all leveraging the power of digital print and interior décor through collaboration. COLLABORATION IS KEY I recently spoke with Belgian designer Annemie Van de Casteele about her surface design studio and learned about the level of collaboration necessary in her discipline - an important piece of the décor puzzle. As a surface designer, Casteele's role brings a unique set of technical design skills and the ability to develop in collaboration with clients. The wide range of customers she serves is equally, if not more, impressive than where her final designs live. She creates wide-format scans, layouts, and color separations (or colorways) of digital print content often replicating wood, stone, and other natural elements. Her specialties include digitally printed flooring, such as carpet via roll or flatbed printing, LVT (luxury vinyl tile), roll-printed PVC foil laminated and cut into any shape, vinyl or paper wallcoverings, panels, furniture surfaces, and flexible substrates like fabric or canvas wall art. Clients include manufacturers, printers (digital or cylinder), engravers, design studios, architects, interior designers, and decorators - by demand only. Each design project is made exclusively per client, from scratch - the true definition of bespoke. RACHEL NUNZIATA is a digital print business and market development specialist with an undeniable enthusiasm for interior and home décor segments. She is a graduate of Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota, Florida, and has a knack for enabling synergies between artists, interior designers, and industry experts. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter @RachelNunziata. 16