Big Picture - March 2018 - 16

beyond décor

Interior Innovations
Three interior design leaders showcase digital printing's influence on customized
products. | by Rachel Nunziata

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.

https://www.twitter.com/RachelNunziata?lang=en

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Picture - March 2018