Karen Robert. Photo: Tanya Malott
Shelter Island Magic Inspires These Wallpaper Collections
Two designers muse on the Shelter Island magic that spurred their recent collections.
As Told To Sarah Shelton
Karen Robert, Aux Abris
I first discovered Shelter Island when my family moved back from London 20 years ago. As soon as I stepped foot on the island, my heart started racing. In time, I purchased a wooded, 13-acre property replete with a shallow pond that supports a herd of deer, opossums, wild turkeys, ducks and geese. All summer long, we hear a deafening chorus of creatures. It is a magical place, and we are fortunate to have found it.
I started the Sheltering Pond mural design (far right) when my family relocated full time during the pandemic, but it took me until winter 2024 to launch because it never felt quite finished. I finally saw an old 1920s picture with trees in the foreground and decided that this was what was missing. When I added my trees, I was satisfied.
For me, this wallpaper reflects the sense of peace and tranquility I have when I am on the island.
Serena Dugan, Serena Dugan Studio
When I first came to Shelter Island, it felt like a distant memory; like I had been there before. Ultimately, I was pulled by many things: the land itself, and the outpouring of creativity that I knew building a home here would inspire.
The first outpouring is my Shelter Island Collection (far left), which is a gathering of all the new fabrics and wallpapers that I designed for my house. I wanted a bold floral wallpaper for the powder room that would melt into the beautiful stone vanity. I wanted an undulating wave that would repeat as wallpaper in another bathroom, and a loose, gestural vine painted on grass cloth for a guest bedroom.
In each case, the decorating vision inspired the motif, and all these patterns held together beautifully as a collection—all truly inspired by Shelter Island’s feeling of ease, warmth and beauty.
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