I obviously spend a lot of time in the world of technology. So when I hear the word wallpaper, my first thought is the background image on my laptop or phone. But the more tactile form of wallpaper – that goes on an actual wall – is making “a fashionable comeback.”
And one of Dell’s entrepreneur customers, the interdisciplinary artist Kathryn Zaremba, is poised to take advantage of this trend and, in fact, may be one of the catalysts for the renewal in wallpaper popularity.
Hers is not the mirrored and flocked wallpaper of my 1970s childhood, however. Zaremba’s designs include everything from swans and avocados to Matisse-inspired abstracts.
“Wallpaper seemed like a melding of my life experiences, I want to make things that enliven a space, that provide creative energy and inspiration for its inhabitants,” Zaremba told Urban Outfitters. “An idea for a pattern can really pop up out of nowhere or sometimes it’s in a museum looking at works of art or it might come out of playful experimentation in my studio.”
She spent time on theater sets and sound stages during her first career (yes, while many her age are still figuring out their first, Zaremba is onto her second career). Zaremba experienced coast-to-coast art galleries, stage sets and science museums, which became learning labs for her future illustrations and designs.
Zaremba stepped away from stage and screen to attend the Kansas City Art Institute in Missouri and went on to graduate school at The Corcoran College of Art + Design in Washington, D.C. It’s also where she founded her wallpaper business and co-founded The Lemon Collective, a workshop space in Washington D.C. that is focused “mostly on making and makers” The Washington Post reports.
Starting these endeavors after college, however, she did not have access to the same high tech equipment she did while in school. She connected with a Dell Small Business Technology Advisor who had tips on what tech would be good for her business – including a Dell Precision All-in-One.
“.. I’m pretty obsessed with it,” Zaremba says of her Dell Precision All-in-One. In the video below, she explains how she draws and cuts out shapes then digitizes them for her wallpaper. “I manipulate the shapes in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator to make wallpaper that is uniquely me for clients.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLNjnGGNISY
Often she needs to meet with those clients in their own space, so her Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (below) allows her to take a portable studio with her. She notes that it is strong enough to power the creation of high-resolution illustrations, and “makes it easy to show [clients] vibrant details, samples and renders of how the wallpaper will come to life in their space.”
She might need to add some video conferencing technology to her setup next because people around the world are taking notice of Zaremba’s wallpaper. Her Swansy Noir and Muse Variations designs were recently featured in Refinary 29 UK’s list of “Best Removable Wallpaper for Your Rented Flat.”
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