ERA’s hand-drawn Scenic wallpaper was inspired by historic landscape murals found in New York’s grand dining rooms before the invention of repeat-printing technology. Oftentimes the wall paintings were beautiful botanical scenes or exotic landscapes. ERA chose a 1910 postcard of Prospect Park, the Frederick Law Olmsted–designed centerpiece of Brooklyn, where Roberts both lives and practices as inspiration to showcase the beauty of their own backyard. The postcard’s undulating horizon and deep perspective was the starting point, while the hand-wrought ink drawing combines the loose gestural quality of a painted brushstroke with the precision of the micron line.
As a panorama that is at once familiar and fresh, Scenic captures the spirit of a city that marries its rich history with fresh energy and contemporary design. Elegant enough for formal spaces, Scenic would be equally at home in more industrial or casual rooms because of the way it balances history and contemporaneity.
Design Team
Elizabeth Roberts
Andy Stepka
Robby Rathmann-Noonan
The Result
An homage to traditional panoramic wallpapers updated in the language and line of contemporary architecture.
Architecture | Interiors | Objects
