Christin Ripley is at The Beck

Multi-talented marbling artist, Christin Ripley, is at The Beck!

I love the colorfulness and whimsy of Christin Ripley’s decorative objects. There is no lack of grey, white and black in today’s design world so I find it a breath of fresh air when an artist incorporates bright and bold tones into home furnishings.

Christin’s studio processes include Turkish Ebru marbling, serigraph, relief printing, wood-working, bookbinding, sewing & upholstery. Turkish Ebru Marbling, which I find visually intoxicating, is a surface print made by floating pigment atop a viscous liquid. Patterns are formed as the ink spreads across the surface of the liquid and can be manipulated with fans, feathers & combs. The marbleized pattern is captured by carefully floating paper or fabric on the liquid surface, absorbing the ink into its fibers. The finished product, WOW!

This upholstered chaise lounge is truly the epitome of a statement piece. Ripley’s use of Ebru Marbling is so unique because she uses heavier-weight fabric for upholstery & creates such a large scale of the marbled print. Each print or piece of marbled fabric measures 60” wide x 2-4yards long. A single-segmented run can produce 60-90 yards of printed fabric, allowing for a cohesive pattern as shown in this gorgeous chaise.

REST is a collection of comfort objects pushing the standard square & circular shapes of pillow construction. Items are named after components of classical Greek architecture implying, they should be piled into a pillow fort to make it seem as if you’re in the midst of the rubble of an ancient ruin like the Acropolis or Parthenon. Most have zippers and removable inserts also making them highly functional home decor items.

Christin aligns her work with four philosophical influences, one being to operate under Bauhaus objectives which I can personally relate to as an interior designer needing to incorporate functional pieces into my designs. As Christin states, Bauhaus strives to:
- Reunite creativity in manufacturing (which industrialized processes teased out)
- Challenge traditional shapes & construction of functional forms
- Create functional objects with the soul of artworks
- Blur the distinction between fine & applied art
As a designer that enjoys incorporating vibrant colors and some quirkiness into my designs, I love, love, love this philosophy!

Christin Ripley Studio specializes in hand-printed textiles that are formed into pillows, furniture & sculpture. All items are made start to finish by Ripley in New York’s Hudson Valley since 2014. Ripley received a BFA from the Cooper Union in 2005, & lived in NYC for 14 years before moving to upstate NY. She’s held multiple residencies & internships in printmaking, paper-making & sculpture. Her work has been featured in publications such as Domino, Architectural Digest, and Bon Appetit magazines. I adore this sweet picture of her with two of my favorite pieces.