JR Artisan Spotlight

Karen Robert

Owner/Designer

How did you get your start in the industry:

I started my wallpaper line when I couldn’t find exactly the right wallpaper for a large house I had just moved into. It was quite an old house with lovely quirky nooks , and I needed wallpaper that was both modern and old. I am a graphic designer so I had some designs in the back of my head that I was dying to create.  So I got an old printer and bought some grasscloth to print on and started experimenting. Most of the house is covered in these early experiments, most are no longer in my line even. I look back and think I must have been crazy to just dive in like that. But I seem to thrive on jumping over hurdles.  Most of what it takes to create a successful company is being imaginative about how to solve problems.

 

Describe your work in 5 words or less:

Richly textural, unique, chic, & tactile

 

What inspires you?:

For my wallpaper designs I find inspiration everywhere I look. If my eyes are open, I am inspired, especially in nature. Nature has a way of creating the most beautiful shapes in a combination of math and art. If you look at the Fibonacci sequence for example, it is repeated everywhere, from seashells to the shape of our galaxy.

 

Describe your studio/work space:

The state of our studio goes from chaotic to neat and tidy depending upon where we are in a project. The yin and yang keeps life interesting. 

 

What’s makes your brand stand out from the rest:

What makes Aux Abris stand out is our constant search for interesting textures to print on. We are constantly experimenting and trying new and different ways to make wallpaper exciting and unusual.

 

 

Any new techniques, mediums, colors, aesthetics you are experimenting with?

We have just started working with paper-backed linen. We find it creates wallpaper that is incredibly tactile, yet soft and warm. The linen takes color beautifully, making our designs look muted and well worn.

 

Aux Abris is available through our New York Showroom

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