Wall Treatments: Ink by Knoll Leaves (Good) Writing on the Wall

It’s refreshing to see the old-school print medium of ink command such a presence as it does in Abbott Miller’s Ink wallcovering collection for KnollTextiles. A notable graphic designer and writer, and partner at award-winning design firm Pentagram, Miller has a passion for the written word and typography, often infusing his projects with a hint or obvious admission of this whether it’s intentional or not.

For Ink, which won Best of NeoCon® Silver in the wall treatments category, Miller’s graphic patterns showcase liquid movement. He initially experimented with ink, steering it across paper surfaces to observe how it pools, trickles, and streams. The trials themselves looked like works of art, so the designer digitally pieced them together into compositions that consequently became the Ink collection.

The line features three patterns—Drip, Drop, and Run—all of which are printed on RECORE® eco vinyl. Drip has a graffiti quality, formed by steering ink into interconnected letterforms. Its liquid-inspired colors include Punch, Mint, Sake, Tonic, Gin, Ice, and Mercury. Drop resembles droplets on paper, organized into rows to form abstract stripes. Drop comes in flavor-oriented colors: Orange, Apple, Rye, Raisin, Blueberry, and Pepper. For Run (pictured above), he steered a few ink drops simultaneously across a page, resulting in an organic, branch-like pattern. Run’s earthy palette includes Coral, Leaf, Branch, Vapor, Water, and Smoke.

“Abbott takes the world of graphic design and translates it into wallcoverings that are at once bold and timeless,” says KnollTextiles creative director Dorothy Cosonas.  —Sheila Kim