This October, widely revered boutique wall-coverings brand Calico launched the Alchemy and Enchantment collections: ethereal designs informed by the natural-dyed silks utilised in the puppet theatre of Janene Ping, the Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School teacher that recently taught founders Nick and Rachel Cope’s children. The duo—one of a handful of independent studios that defined the post 2008-recession New York design scene—moved to the Upper Hudson Valley region during the Covid-19 pandemic. Like many urban-transplants escaping the city, they came in search of a better quality of life. But unlike most that have since returned, the Copes stayed and it significantly impacted how they work.
‘I feel liberated to explore new ideas with more freedom, away from the frenetic energy of New York City,' Rachel Cope explains. 'Being upstate has allowed us to establish a studio space that accommodates larger-scale projects, incorporating nature-based materials and processes that weren’t feasible before. This slower, more grounded pace has influenced the evolution of our practice, bringing a sense of mindfulness and intentionality into each piece and fostering a connection to more organic themes.’
