The word “iconic” is often thrown around carelessly. Every so often, a new person, artwork, or collaboration comes to life, and the word truly applies. In this case, a new collection from fast-growing home décor innovator TilePix and renowned ceramicist and designer Jonathan Adler is unquestionably iconic.
If walls could talk. In this case, they do.
TilePix recently announced its first official “Icon” collaboration with Adler. A Shelter Island resident, he is beloved for his iconic lips and dreamy druggist-inspired graphics, flowers, and head-turning Atlas faces. This was no small feat for TilePix, which was determined to make Adler’s glamorous, well-known designs and timeless motifs available to everyone.
The “lightbulb” moment for the wall décor company came during a creative brainstorm when the team sat down to talk about dream collaborators for the brand’s “Icon” collection launch.
“Jonathan Adler was on the top of the list,” shared Kelsey Kroning, director of marketing at TilePix. “The ‘Icon’ collection is a whole other level for us to bring high-end design and art available to everyone for the first time. We already have a fun collection that supports and empowers up-and-coming artists, so this was about working with true artistic icons.”
As a big Jonathan Adler fan, like so many, I wanted to find out why this glamorous designer was equally excited about bringing his work to walls in this new way. “‘More, more, and more’ are my three favorite words,” he shared. “This collection has so many of my favorite patterns and motifs, and with their technology, my designs can be in more, more, and more homes — a win-win.”
Curious about Adler’s thinking on the collaboration overall, his response only reinforces this unexpected but ideal alliance. “I have never seen anything as cool as this company’s hanging system to take the guesswork out of arranging art,” he said. Adler and his husband, Simon Doonan, split their time between places on the East End and Palm Beach. He believes that a well-designed space can make you feel at home anywhere. In the post-Covid world we all live in, this new collaboration makes perfect sense as people work from multiple places, often just for a short-term stay. It has never been just about luxury for Adler. Creating unique and glamorous designs that embody every individual’s personality and style is just as important.
Talking with Kroning, she shared the company’s passionate commitment to innovation and design, which is analogous to Adler’s enthusiasm. Perhaps that is another reason why the universe, coupled with hard work and creativity, brought them together to launch the “Icon” collection. Kroning, a marketing guru who has worked with revered brands, is resolute in bringing home more and more wall décor options for DIYers. “It’s about launching new products that are in sync with their lives at every stage and for every moment,” she said.
It was clear that this wasn’t about bringing new products to life for just any reason. There was a distinct sense that this was about accessibility and adding a little happiness to individual spaces. The brainstorm that launched this dream “Icon” alliance was inspired by a realization and understanding of where the world is now and how people live in 2024. Whether working remotely, traveling, nesting, or renting a temporary home, consumers are navigating an increasingly complicated world and creating environments that bring smiles and serenity when they walk in the door.
I asked Kroning her about her passions, including her favorite artists and designers. Of course, Adler was at the top of the list. “I am not a natural DIYer,” she said. “Maybe that is why I personally love this new collection.”
As the TilePix hanging instructions indicate, just peel, stick, and hang, and you can be surrounded by all things Jonathan Adler. Magnetism might allow you to hang your new Adler prints easily on your wall, but it also accurately describes the personalities involved in this project.
