Maya Romanoff

Maya Romanoff is an artist, inventor, and director of the Maya Romanoff Corporation, a leading manufacturer of innovative wall covering and surfacing materials in the world of design.^[1]

Maya and Joyce Romanoff.

Early life

While Maya Romanoff was living the ultimate student experience of the 1960s at the University of California in Berkeley, Maya probably never imagined his studies would lead him to where he is today. Romanoff’s post graduate travels to countries such as North Africa and Paris cemented his developing philosophy that art should be an integral part of everyday life. In turn, employment at the couture houses of Paris spurred his interest in textile design. Enter Woodstock, and Romanoff’s discovery of the intriguing technique of tie-dye, lead to the production of amazing fabrics that swept tie-dye into the realm of couture. These early explorations of fabric and art sparked his life-long fascination with using common materials to create uncommon art.

Diagnosed with Parkinson's in 1991, Maya has forged ahead and continued to grow the company in partnership with his wife Joyce and family bringing a next generation to the company.

Maya Romanoff Corporation

The Maya Romanoff Corporation was established in 1969 and has grown to more than 60 employees. The Chicago based company is unique in that it fosters a sense of community and artistic expression that is rare in today’s corporate world. Throughout the company’s evolution Romanoff’s founding vision of transforming modern design by combining ancient artistic techniques with the latest production technology has held strong. Pushing technological boundaries has allowed Romanoff to turn his affinity for organic beauty into marketable, avant-garde surface coverings.

the Maya Romanoff Corporation has consistently pushed technological boundaries to craft some of the most unique, influential designs in the world of interiors. They were the first to experiment with glass and shook the design world with the introduction of Beadazzled™ - the flexible glass beaded wall covering that earned a permanent place in the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum. Long before wood began to appear as wall coverings they introduced a collection of micro-thin, flexible wood veneers with intricate laser-cut patterns. Tapping into nature’s beauty, another of the company’s most innovative introductions is Mother of Pearl™, a collection of flexible, glowing tiles made of genuine capiz shell.

In 2007, the Maya Romanoff Corporation embarked on its first collaboration with the renowned architect David Rockwell to design a collection of rich, tactile wall coverings. The David Rockwell for Maya Romanoff Collection is a successful fusion of creative vision and artistic perspectives, introducing original concepts in surface design such as “Stitched” which utilizes the original concept of best-seller Weathered Walls, and “Blanket,” soothing wool blend coverings with intricate, stitched details.

Custom murals for private clients, restaurants and other Hospitality venues that utilize Beadazzled™ techniques are another large area of expansion and include collaborations with Swarovski crystal. Along with hospitality design, store design is another area that is gaining strength. Despite the increases in those sectors, the corporation maintains that their residential focus always represents a good half of their total business.

Continued expansion and focus on new markets – and the fact that over 50% of their top selling products are manufactured in-house - prompted a move to new facilities. Still located in the Chicago area, the corporation now operates out of a custom designed 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m²) space – all on one floor. The new layout fosters increased efficiency, interaction between departments, and an overall camaraderie. The new offices boast: 20 ft (6.1 m). ceilings, state-of-the-art computer, phone and inventory systems, a dedicated wallpaper installation room, yoga room, two spray booths, and triple the production and warehouse space.

The corporation has evolved from a handful of employees to a staff of 65, yet all employees stay interconnected as the corporate philosophy encourages design input and production suggestions from everyone. “You have to have good relationships with those you work with in order to make products that come from the heart,” says Joyce Romanoff, President. The loyalty and longevity of the firm’s employees (some have been with the company more than two decades) is a source of pride for the Romanoff’s and a rarity in today’s corporate climate.

In 2009, the company celebrates its 40th anniversary in the industry and, as it moves forward, the design vision is constantly evolving and expanding. Experimentation and the thrill of discovery continue to drive the company’s creativity. Artistic boundaries continue to be pushed, and the quest for the next, untapped resource continues. The company’s global focus is changing both in terms of resources and potential markets, targeting the Middle East, Asia, India, England and Russia. Increased international distribution and exposure has captured the attention of some of the world’s most innovative artists. One of the strongest new product directions for the company lies in implementing collaborative programs with top names in all facets of art, design and architecture.

Throughout the corporation’s advancement, what remains constant are the guiding tenets that have made the Maya Romanoff Corporation the success that it is today: to maintain their in-house manufacturing, to work with the world’s most innovative artisans, to uphold fair practices and respect their workers, and to accomplish all with the highest respect for the world we live in.

Selected Works

Some of Romanoff’s most acclaimed projects have showcased fabrics as fluid works of art, most notably: New York’s Museum of Contemporary Arts’ 1972 Fabric Vibrations; Bess’ Sunrise, the draping of the Chicago Sun-Times building in 120 ft (37 m) long ribbons of vibrant color; and the design of shimmering main stage curtain for The Harris Theater for Music and Dance at Chicago’s Millennium Park. Romanoff has led the corporation into position as a prime surface coverings resource for top interior designers and architects. Installments include such high-profile projects as Nobu in Hong Kong, Melbourne and Los Angeles (opened September 2007), the Green Room at the Kodak Theater for the 2007 Academy Awards, Tiffany & Co, the new Playboy Club in Los Angeles, Boucheron stores, Phantom of the Opera Theater in Los Angeles, special projects for Walt Disney, the palace of the Crown Prince of Dubai, Harrod’s, American Girl Stores, and luxurious homes around the world.

Awards

Maya Romanoff has been the recipient of countless awards, including the ICON of Industry Scholarship Award, presented in honor of his lifetime achievements in November 2006 by NEWH, Inc., the Hospitality Industry Network. Other prestigious awards include House & Garden’s Designers’ Best, The International Furnishings and Design Association’s Trailblazer Award, Hospitality Design’s Best of Show in Hong Kong, Las Vegas and Miami, commissions for one of a kind artworks with Dizine for the St. Louis Contemporary Art Museum & Puerto Rican Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Home’s Top 100 Designs, NEOCON’s Best of Show, and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair’s Editor’s Award. In addition, Beadazzled, Romanoff’s revolutionary collection of wall coverings made of tiny, sparkling glass beads, has earned a permanent place in the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.

References

1. ^ Maya Romanoff Celebrates 40 Years of Design History with Tie Dye and Pink Socks by Linda Tischler. fastcompany.com 10 March 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2011.

External links

• mayaromanoff.com
• cooperhewitt.org