This Chicago-Based Wallcovering Brand Is Celebrating Big Honors

Chicago-based Maya Romanoff recently celebrated 55 years as well as the honor of seeing three iconic collections inducted into the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. David Berkowitz, executive vice president of manufacturing and product development, taps into the brand’s decades of high-quality design to give us the scoop on all things wallpaper.

How do today’s wallpapers compare to those of yesteryear?

Wallpaper has evolved from traditional floral prints and repetitive patterns to include textural surfaces, sustainable materials, digital prints, and interactive and performance surfaces. Maya Romanoff has been at the forefront of this evolution, turning wallcoverings into a tool for storytelling rather than just a background. We’ve introduced papers designed with hand-dyed and hand-painted watercolor effects and aged patinas; metal leafing; inlays of organic materials; and tie-dye, a nod to Maya Romanoff’s early days as a textile artist. Our processes blend old-world techniques with modern manufacturing for high-end results.

Tell us about the wallcoverings selected for the permanent collection at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.

Flexi Mother of Pearl features tiles handcrafted from meticulously arranged Capiz shells to create an iridescent surface that captures and reflects light. Also crafted with Capiz shells, Mother of Pearl Aphrodite offers a more opulent aesthetic, highlighting the texture and sheen of the material, transforming walls into luminous surfaces. In Ajiro Fanfare, flexible wood veneers are inlaid with micro-thin layers of responsibly harvested wood to create patterns that evoke Japanese marquetry.

To what do you attribute the company’s longevity, and what’s on the horizon?

A commitment to craftsmanship and authentic artistry is key. We also have a culture of experimentation and reinvention and a family-led leadership that honors Maya Romanoff’s vision while embracing modernity. As far as the future, it points toward more sustainable innovations in materials and processes; expanded digital customization; integration of performance surfaces; and deeper collaborations with designers and artists for unique collections.