Palace Papers

Photo: Nicole Radja

What it is A small wallpaper design company founded in Chicago in 2006 that produces contemporary hand-drawn designs based on traditional patterns.

Who she is Casey Gunschel, an artist who spent a year studying at the Art Institute and worked on high-end faux-finishing in homes on the North Shore. After attending the wrap party for The Real World Chicago (she had a friend who helped design the house), and noticing some interesting wallpaper in one of the rooms, she started thinking about doing similar designs herself. Four years later, she started her company, Palace Papers.

What she makes Gunschel turns to old children’s book illustrators—such as Arthur Rackham, known for his Alice in Wonderland drawings (“they are very dark, but really beautiful,” she says)—and antique geological survey maps for inspiration when she designs her own instant classics. Her popular patterns feature subtle images, like the Coy pattern, which, if you look closely, reveals designs of koi fish. Her newest design, Heroine (to be released this summer), is a feminine floral print featuring poppies and is another play on words (the title refers to both the term for a female hero and opium). The new pattern takes Gunschel back to her faux-finishing roots, as it is completely hand-stenciled.

Why we like it Gunschel’s patterns are elegant, but not too ritzy, making them versatile enough for studio apartments as well as commercial businesses. We’re not the only ones who are fans: Her designs cover the walls in a couple of restaurants in Los Angeles, as well as dressing rooms in the Miami location of Barneys New York. Plus, it’s refreshing to see an artist using the old-fashioned approach of drawing by hand, especially when it would be so much easier to design with a computer. “I think a lot of other wallpaper looks really computer-generated,” Gunschel says. “I’m trying to be the opposite of that. I really like the quirkiness of hand-made, and the subtle imperfections of hand-drawn lines.”

Where to find it Urban Source (1432 W Chicago Ave, 312-455-0505, urbansourcechicago.com) and palacepapers.com.