Why Doesn't Lilly Pulitzer Make Wallpaper?

My nascent attempt at a deep dive and some thoughts on AI.

Hello!

This letter is coming a tad later than I’d liked. But in my defense, Brat summer has reached heights that I didn’t know were possible. I was lucky enough to work the Democratic National Convention last week and the energy was nothing short of electric. Case and point, I went a week averaging about 4 hours of sleep a night trying to absorb everything. Beyond the design industry, I am a junkie for brand strategies and evaluating consumer demographics, both of which were on full display in Chicago. Amongst other things I got to chat with the man behind these Brat memes and was further impressed/intrigued by Jack Schlossberg’s public persona for this election cycle (Jack, have you read any of Henry Jenkins’ theories on fan participation? Inquiring minds want to know). One of the more salient points that was raised by my friend Emily, a 20 year old political strategy intern, is that the Harris campaign made a smart choice to embrace trends that already exist rather than try to push itself into the youth zeitgeist. 

Ok, I digress. Here’s some design scoop.

News:

Gensler’s Research Institute is studying how sports facilities can enhance fan experiences and increase ROI. Some key takeaways- stadium upgrades are a great way to target fan experiences, workplace sections of these stadiums should align with the organization’s mission and goals, and operational strategy for teams like hospitality and security are key measures for a project’s long term value. “In today’s hyper-competitive battle for people’s attention, everything from the offerings around the stadium to the seating choices inside are key to engaging audiences with an experience that far exceeds what they can get in the comfort of their living rooms” Andrew Stern writes. I think this sentiment should be taken into account for all commercial real estate.  

Warren Schoulberg emphasized that Lowes and Home Depot’s weak financial results this quarter “puts the entire home retail business into perspective”. 

The  popular online design hub Houzz (currently valued at over two billion with a network of 600,000 home professionals) unveiled a suite of AI tools on their Houzz Pro project management design software.  “New features will allow users on the Houzz Pro mobile app to access the AutoMate Assistant, enabling voice activation for tasks like formatted notes, daily logs, change orders and expense entries, along with automating manual tasks like on-screen measurement in the Takeoffs space-planning software” writes Caroline Bourque on Business of Home. It’s worth noting that around the time of this launch, tech giant Salesforce announced that they will start using AI sales agents for 24/7 pipeline nurturing. Like it or not, this is our modern industrial revolution and it’s not going anywhere.

Kaiyo, a “sustainability-focused online marketplace for pre-owned furniture and home decor by popular brands like Pottery Barn and Article”, is closing. Business of Home amplified this story from The City, an independent NYC news publication, which reported users’ payments being withheld with little to no communication about “winding down operations” causing payment delay and no public announcement of the company’s operational status. Kaiyo (which is the operating name for a company called Furnishare) secured $36 million in Series B funding in 2022. Currently Kaiyo’s website is still running and has an 85% ScamAdvisor trust score. Hucksters! 

Researchers in Turkey discovered that an old clay tablet written in Cuneiform is a 3,500 year old furniture receipt (incredible). 

Herman Miller debuted a plant based Eames Chair that utilizes a biodegradable bamboo material called Banbū from material innovation company von Holzhausen to outfit the piece in plant-based upholstery which reduces the chair’s carbon footprint by up to 35 percent. As some of you may know, my day job is with MillerKnoll. I can confirm that they do not play when it comes to environmental practices and reducing their carbon footprint.

Sydney Carlson has launched her own cookware line. Gabriette, don’t say I didn’t try to give you a leg up!

Now, I’d like to introduce you to a little section I call:

Who Makes Lilly Pulitzer’s Retail Decor and Why Can’t I Have It?

I spent a blissful week at my family’s place in Northern Michigan last month. Some of my earliest sensory memories in design were made in the condo my grandparents decorated in the late 60s- rich walnut shelving, tastefully psychedelic light fixtures, shag carpet in every room.. You get the picture. It’s been both exciting and heartwarming for my mom to include me in the redesign process. Currently, we are in the process of picking out wallpaper for the children’s bathroom. I am ADAMANT about sticking with a chinoiserie or toile pattern similar to the room’s original wallcovering. Future generations will go through the fraught learning curves that come with rites of passage like shaving, removing contact lenses, and inserting tampons in this bathroom. What kind of monster would I be to deny them whimsical wall patterns as they navigate these inevitable horrors?

We ordered samples from Schumacher, Serena & Lily, House of Hackney, etc. But I couldn’t shake the thought of those wallpapers found on Lilly Pulitzer store walls. 

They’re so bright! So cheery! Unfortunately, after days of searching, it became apparent that these wallpapers are proprietary and only available to the brand’s retail locations. 

Which leads me to beg the question, why doesn’t Lilly Pulitzer sell any wallpaper?

Founded in 1959 and valued in the range of 100M-1B, Lilly Pulitzer is known for their bright and joyful Palm Beach aesthetic. Despite their brick and mortar stores being decked out in upholstery, wallcovering and artwork that mimic the colorful prints on their clothing and accessories, there is no home furnishing category. They have a limited collaboration with Lee Jofa in upholstery and starting in 2018, they partnered with Pottery Barn in bedding, furniture, and decor. But wallcovering? Aside from a brief line of product through the Lee Jofa collab in 2016, nada. Unless you’re Gwenyth Paltrow. What makes this a certified bummer is that if you search for Lilly Pulitzer wallpaper you will get a slew of dupes on sites like Spoonflower. I don’t want to call out anyone’s hard work, dupe or not, but with such a strong brand image and clear demand in the home space, why can’t we have the real thing?____________________________

 Thanks for reading! I’ll be back sooner rather than later this time. Ciaoooo xx