From Doubting to a Dream Collab with Anthropologie
If someone told me a few years back that I’d be partnering with Anthropologie, I would have told them to get out of town. This post covers the deets on how I landed an art licensing gig with one of my favorite retailers.
From doodling to DOING, this collab started as a partnership with a new wallpaper company, Ayara Home. Little did I know that, a couple years later, I would be reviewing artwork for a major shopping store.
Let me take you back five years. I was a seasoned designer with over a decade’s worth of digital templates under my belt, a head full of color palettes, and a heart set on something more. After years of creating digital designs for everything from invites to branding kits, I had one of those classic “is this it?” moments.
Swan wallpaper design for Ayara Home & Anthropologie
Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.
Instead, I made the leap from templates to textures—specifically, into the world of art licensing and wallpaper design. What could be dreamier than seeing your artwork climb up the walls of someone’s home, turning blank spaces into something beautiful and personal?
Chasing the Dream (and Booking It to NYC)
Fast-forward to early 2020. I’d been quietly building a portfolio, dreaming of seeing my illustrations in actual homes—not just as Pinterest mockups or mood board fodder. I scraped together a small fortune and packed my bags for the Big Apple. The goal was to showcase my work at a major licensing show and finally get my art in front of the people who could make magic happen.
This was my moment.
And then…the world shut down. Manufacturing halted. Licensing froze. And “unprecedented times” became the phrase none of us could escape.
Hand-drawn swan wallpaper for Anthropologie by surface pattern designer Rose Lindo.
From “Well, That’s Unfortunate” to Full-On Pivot Mode
Let’s just say, the timing was impeccably bad. But, instead of throwing in the towel (or curling up in a pile of swatches and crying… okay, maybe just a little), I did what any stubborn creative does: I kept going.
Even when people said wallpaper was “too niche.”
Even when licensing agents said my work wasn't colorful enough.
Even when it seemed like no one quite “got” my vision.
I kept sketching. I kept designing. I kept emailing (so many emails). And slowly but surely, things began to shift.
A Big Thanks to the Dreamers Who Said “Yes”
Enter Lori from @ayara.home. She saw something in my work - something worth taking a chance on. She became one of the first wallpaper companies to license my designs, and thanks to her belief in me, my illustrations started showing up in real-life spaces around the globe.
There’s nothing quite like the thrill of seeing your art become part of someone’s home story. Whether it's a whimsical nursery, a bold powder room, or a cozy reading nook, it’s like watching your work find its forever home—and it never gets old.
Pinch-Me Moment: Anthropologie (!!)
Now, here’s the part where I get all caps excited: YOU CAN NOW FIND ONE OF MY WALLPAPER DESIGNS AT ANTHROPOLOGIE 🦢✨.
Yes, that Anthropologie. The one with the dreamy displays, boho-chic everything, and home decor that makes you want to redo your whole house. Having one of my wallpaper designs in their collection is honestly a career high. It’s a pinch-me moment that took five years, a whole lot of persistence, and just enough caffeine-fueled chaos.
For Anyone On Their Own Creative Path…
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to keep going, here it is.
I see you—the illustrator working late at night, the designer with a sketchbook full of ideas and no clue where to start, the dreamer with something to say (or paint or pattern or doodle). Yes, the journey is messy. Yes, the industry can feel impossible. And yes, the world might think you're a total weirdo. But your weirdness is the magic.
Sometimes all it takes is one person to say, “I see you.”
Sometimes that person turns out to be a wallpaper company, or a buyer at Anthropologie, or maybe even your future customer scrolling through your feed thinking, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for.
So What’s Next?
I currently have a lot of new artwork, new products, & new stories to share with the world. I’m just getting started, and I can’t wait to share more with you soon.
If you’re a home decor enthusiast, a wallpaper lover, or someone who just really appreciates a good swan motif (you know who you are), this wallpaper design just might be for you.
