October 2019
interview with Justin Fox - California Landscape Studios and Karen Bonadio - Wallpaperguru
Justin Fox is the founder and lead designer of California Landscape Studios. Established in 2007, the firm is specialized in constructing luxury exteriors featuring unique pools and spas. Their work method employs total customization. CLS won the PSN Masters of Design awards in 2018 as well as the APSP International Awards of Excellence.
Karen Bonadio, AKA Wallpaperguru, is a California State Licensed Contractor based in Los Angeles, specialized in Custom and Historic Wallpaper Installation and Restoration. She is very passionate about restoring antique wallcoverings, "preserving the past for future generations". Karen has worked with top interior designers and architects. Her work has been featured on Old House Journal Magazine, Arts & Antiques Magazine and the Palisades Post
here below a short extract from the interview they released:
Justin, we are so in love with you Irvine installation featuring our Grand Ribaud design. How did the project come to be? Were the clients already open to the idea of wallpaper for exteriors?
The clients love modern design. Their house features glossy porcelain floors and polished stone. Since the backyard was a blank slate, I made it my goal to bring their style to the outside as well. The space is shaped like a pie slice and to change that I introduced two feature walls, parallel to the house, creating a more structured feel. These walls are the focal pieces of the project and when I came across the OUT SYSTEM by Wall&decò collections, I knew I could add vibrancy with the right decor: I chose Grand Ribaud because it matches the two colors I used inside the pool. The clients had never heard about wallpaper for exteriors before, but being the one that actually built the pool, I could convince them it was the right solution.
Karen, How does installing wallpaper with your own hands make you feel? What kind of motivation do you get when you are working on a project?
Wallpaper initially engages my visual senses, but then it goes deeper. There have been occasions, such as when working with the Wall&decò collection, where I literally felt the colors and patterns emotionally. These internal feelings ignite my passion and uplift me! It is in these moments that I truly connect to the wallcovering project. When I am in that Zen place of connection to my work, I feel like an artist. My hands become the tools that create a one-of-a-kind Art Installation.