BY SHALEEN DESTEFANO
Batya Stapelman is a woman to know, and, in fact, many people do. She is that mutual friend everyone loves and speaks so highly of, because she is deeply rooted in the Denver art and design scene. She’s a true Denver girl, through and through. You’d never guess her New York roots, were it not for the name of her business, WallTawk.
What was life was like before WallTawk? Did you always know you’d find your place in the design world?
I’ve been operating WallTawk for 8 years and everything prior to this business’ inception seems like a lifetime ago. My academic training was in law, and I practiced for a decade. In between the time I let my law license lapse and I started WallTawk, I worked for a Brooklyn-based public relations firm; our clientele was highly focused on craft, artisanry, and design. I worked at that firm for just over 4 years, so the transition to wallpaper, and design in general, didn’t feel so stark or abrupt; there was a bit of a transition. Letting stable employment go was definitely a risk, and starting a company from the ground up was a leap of faith, but I had an intense passion for wall-coverings, and I saw an opportunity. I realized that wallpaper was on the precipice of being a huge design category again, mostly because when I was working in PR and going to the big trade shows, wall-coverings were increasingly taking up more space. As for finding my place, I still can’t believe it all happened. I’m so grateful for the clients who refer me, and the trade partners such as interior designers, architects, and builders, with whom I’ve worked for years. They have helped me stay the course, and now, 8 years in, I feel like my company is synonymous with independent and design-forward wall-coverings.
Being a GenXer, we grew up inside wallpapered homes that were so not cool. Wallpaper today is basically equivalent to an art installation. What are your thoughts on the evolution of this design trend?
I grew up in NYC during the late 70s-early 80s, and our kitchen had THE best wallpaper. The vinyl substrate was filled with floral motifs in avocado green, orange, and white (so decade-appropriate). But to your point, wallpaper diminished in popularity during the 80s and 90s. The ressurangece of wallpaper and its popularity, has a lot to do with new techniques (digital printing on grasscloth, for example), improved adhesives (if you want to swap paper out, it will not take down the plaster during the removal process), the desire for self-expression and personality, and the incredible variety of patterns available today. Many artists, illustrators, and graphic designers have moved into the wallpaper space. The patterns they create, many of which are derived from the artist’s preferred art mediums and translated into a wall-covering vernacular, are large format art for your walls, as is the case for custom murals. A client of mine is a collector of Warhol designs, but his large format art pieces were out of reach. My client was thrilled to learn the Warhol Foundation had licensed original designs for wallpaper! There’s so much variety right now and patterns that speak to one’s interests. Love yoga? There’s a Forest Yoga Toile in a variety of colorways. Love bugs, snakes, watercolor flowers, clouds, mountains, figs, rocks, or dinosaurs? There are many options. Want a magnetic liner applied under your paper for hours of interactive play? Some brands offer that, too. Sky’s the limit! I think the remainder of this decade will be about self-expression and how that translates into the homes we live in. I also see an increased demand for soothing tonal patterns and textured wall-coverings that bring a serene and calming feel to spaces, which is its own panacea to the chaotic world around us.
Can you tell us about the Denver Damask project? How did this come about and what was the process of bringing it to life?
I wanted to create a Denver/Colorado-centric pattern for several years, but I needed to find someone who shared my passion and could bring the idea to life. Meredith Feniak, a friend of mine who had completed incredible art installations and murals around town, came to mind immediately. I knew I didn’t want to create a pattern that was too cliché, and I wanted something that felt intricate and classic with subtle and hidden design elements. With this in mind, and emphasizing Meredith’s focus on botanical illustration, we began to map out the pattern that would eventually become Denver Damask. From a distance, the pattern reads as a semi-traditional damask, but upon closer inspection you will notice the bicycle wheels and wagon wheels (a nod to the current and previous modes of transportation), chilis, rye, Aspens, mountain peaks, a rhino, the Bluebird marquee, a Thunderbird (the legendary creature popular in indigenous culture and history), indica and sativa leaves, Union Station with its clock set to 3:03, ski and snowboard tracks, the lights of Larimer, Spruce branches, and Red Rock Amphitheater to name a few design elements. We also selected a non-profit partner for this pattern, and a percentage of proceeds are donated to The Center of Colfax for their LGBTQI teen suicide prevention program. I’m very grateful and it is a dream come true.
Have you had opportunities to work with other local artists past this project?
I’m currently working with another local artist, Lana Effron, and we are in the process of producing another Colorado-centric pattern. I’m hoping to have strike offs ready in early spring. I’ll give you one hint about the subject matter, it has something to do with fruit. I’d also love to work with Marsha Robinson of Strange Dirt and Kaitlyn Tucek in the future. I’ll just plant that seed here…
From start to finish, how do you work with your clients? Especially clients that come to you with zero vision of what they want to select?
A lot of clients say they have, “no idea what they want,” but in my experience (working on over 2400 projects to date), many people do have an instinctual feeling about what they like or what they don’t want. That said, all appointments start with the same intake questions: what kind of room do you want to work on (I need to know if the room is a heavily used bathroom that gets steamy, for example), what kind of colorways run through the home, budget preferences, what patterns does the client naturally gravitate towards (animals, soft geometrics, abstract, botanical, neutral, bold, etc.)? I hold 1-hour sessions, by appointment, M-F in our home, which doubles as the showroom on the bottom floor. I ask for images of the space ahead of time and curate sample pulls based on the client’s responses to those intake questions. I carry a wide range of patterns, styles, and price points, but none of them really overlap; each brand has its own feel and personality. At the end of the appointment, I create a digital look book for review. The next steps include a field measure with an installer, a quote for paper, ordering and installation. Since I work with a lot of interior designers, too, those appointments are directed by the designers and I chime in with any other patterns that come to mind, but, I take a back seat, and really function as a trade resource.
Beyond your keen eye for design, you happen to be very passionate about giving back. Can you tell us more about the organizations your choose to support?
Thank you for saying that, and yes, I have some great partnerships. I’m fortunate to work with several brands that give me preferential pricing on products with the understanding and expectation that I remit the difference (5%) to non-profit organizations. I’ve also made a commitment to donate a percentage of all sales (which fluctuate depending on the month) that are not connected to the aforementioned company. I’m always open to new suggestions, but my past fundraising drives and current donation efforts have benefited The Food Bank of the Rockies, Colorado 1000, Jewish Family Services, The Gathering Place, The Center on Colfax, and smaller contributions have been made to conservation groups, Seeds of Peace and Dumb Friends Animal League. There are so many worthy charities doing incredible work, but food insecurity and shelter are where I started since the more structured arrangements came about during the pandemic.
What is spinning on your record player and what are three things you’d save in a fire (after your sons, husband and dog)?
Amy Winehouse, The Weekend, Billie Holliday. Photos (old ones that were never digitized), my Caralarga weaving, our passports.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I’d like to become a B-Certified Corporation, expand into fabrics (for the corresponding wallpapers), and launch more art-driven patterns that speak to the city and state we call home and support local creatives.
Batya, thank you so much for sharing your vision and process. If you’d like to learn more about WallTawk, visit walltawk.com.