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Heritage

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For over 55 years, our skilled artisans have transformed materials like glass beads, gold leaf, seashells, wood, and intricate stitching into works of art—right from our Chicago Studio.

Whether crafted in-house or internationally, by hand or as Type II 54" vinyl, every wallcovering meets Maya Romanoff’s uncompromising standards for quality, beauty, and innovation. Our guiding principle remains: "Make every wall beautiful!"

Our History | 50+ Years of Innovative Design

1969

Inspired by his experience working with textiles and dyes at Woodstock, Maya Romanoff began exploring tie-dye and resist dyeing techniques. Later that same year, he founded The Maya Romanoff Company. 

Maya personally designed and illustrated the original company logo—two entwined lotus flowers representing unity in all things. From the very beginning, artistic collaboration was at the heart of Maya’s vision and remains a cornerstone of the company’s success.

Our History | 50+ Years of Innovative Design

1971

In its early years, the Maya Romanoff Corporation began as a fashion label. What started with tie-dyed T-shirts soon expanded into suits, dresses, and caftans. Maya had a deep appreciation for the way fabric moved, its colors, and how it flowed on a moving body. He went on to design a couture clothing line that was sold in high-end stores like I. Magnin and Henri Bendel. Custom pieces were also created for celebrity clients such as Roger Daltrey, Elton John, and Julie Christie.

Our History | 50+ Years of Innovative Design

1988

Bess’ Sunrise, the largest hand-dyed artwork in the world, was installed on the former Sun-Times Building in Chicago. This striking installation featured twenty-eight vividly tie-dyed canvas panels, each measuring 6 feet wide by 120 feet long. Draping from the rooftop of the seven-story building down to the banks of the Chicago River, the panels swayed with the wind to create a mesmerizing sunrise effect across the water. 

That same year, Joyce Lehrer joined the company as head of sales, marking the beginning of her lifelong journey with the organization. Her leadership quickly expanded beyond sales, allowing Maya to concentrate fully on his artistic vision. Joyce now serves as the company’s CEO. 

Our History | 50+ Years of Innovative Design

2007

A collaboration with renowned architect and designer David Rockwell has resulted in an award-winning collection of innovative surfacing materials, crafted with both visual impact and tactile sophistication in mind. The David Rockwell for Romanoff collection offers a refined palette of textures and finishes that elevate interior environments: 

  • Stitched – A textural reinterpretation of Weathered Walls, this design introduces handwork-inspired detail, adding a crafted sensibility to a classic surface. 
  • Blanket – Felt-based and accented with linear stitching, this material delivers both warmth and structure, ideal for spaces requiring acoustic softness and aesthetic clarity. 
  • Groove-V and Stitched II – 54" dimensional vinyls that create subtle depth, perfect for high-performance applications where durability meets design. 
  • Cozy – A premium, heathered wool textile enriched with metallic foil or dimensional ink, evoking the nuance of embroidery while offering a soft, tactile layer. 

Designed to inspire and perform, the collection brings architectural texture, material richness, and Rockwell’s signature sense of storytelling into any space. 

Process & Design

| “It’s Got to Be Beautiful” 

At Maya Romanoff, inspiration flows from every direction—our clients, our team of artisans, and the materials themselves. We listen to what each material wants to become, allowing its natural beauty to guide the design.

From the very beginning, our founder Maya infused his company with a dual ethos: a profound respect for raw materials and a fearless spirit of experimentation. This philosophy is the heart of every collection we create. Since 1969, Maya Romanoff has pushed the boundaries of wallcovering design—innovating with dyes, glass beads, gold leaf, seashells, wood, and hand stitching in our Chicago Studio. Today, we’re proud to be the largest manufacturer of handcrafted wallcoverings in the United States 

We take as much care in performance as we do in design. Every wallcovering is crafted to install seamlessly, comply with fire safety, durability, and cleanability standards. Each product is thoroughly inspected and graded by our Quality Control team, then carefully packed to ensure it arrives—whether a few blocks or thousands of miles away—in perfect condition.

Chicago Handmade

| True Artisanship

In MAYA ROMANOFF’s studio, we craft each surface material by hand—blending traditional artistry with a modern sensibility. Our contemporary workshop draws inspiration from 18th-century studios, featuring long painting tables, stencils, drying racks, and rolls of paper. The distinctive beauty of our wallcoverings lies in the raw materials we use and the careful touch of our artisans. We rely on the skilled hands of craftspeople working with paints, dyes, and painstaking techniques. 

We welcome visitors to experience our studio in person. Those who tour our space often leave inspired by the artistry and care behind every piece. As one visitor remarked, “I just didn’t know this handwork was still being done in America.”