Artist Tess Ramirez (aka My Father's Daughter Designs) is the talented hand behind our Greenwich Play x Pepper Home collection. Tess has been sketching since she could hold a crayon, and her art is still rooted in that same sense of joy and discovery. For this collection, she drew inspiration from children’s classics like Madeline and Babar, infusing her hand-painted scenes with storybook charm and painterly detail that make each design feel alive. The result? Wallpapers that feel like stories unfolding on your walls. Follow along to learn more about Tess and her creative process!
01. First off, tell us about yourself and how you got started as an artist.
My Dad was an artist, and he started to teach me how to draw as soon as I could hold a crayon. Both of my parents worked in the arts, so I spent a lot of time in museums with my sketchbook growing up. Ironically, being a full-time artist was not something I pursued professionally until five years ago. When I first graduated, I was working in government, and art was something I leaned on as a creative outlet; drawing and painting connected me with my childhood and with my Dad, who passed away when I was in college. I loved the years I worked in DC, but I felt like a big part of my personality (and brain power) was locked away. It took me a long time to find the courage to act on it.
02. What is your favorite medium to work with and why?
Paint is definitely my favorite. Painting (at this scale) involves your whole body, so it can be really cathartic. It's pretty difficult to multitask while painting, so it really quiets the noise and allows me to fall into a totally different world. I like to compare it to reading a really good book.
03. Your illustrations for this collection are full of storybook charm and nostalgia. Where do you draw inspiration from?
Children’s books! I have a stack of books in my studio from my childhood that I revisit all the time: Eloise, Angelia Ballerina, Madeline, Babar.. anything that was hand-rendered. They are expressive and perfectly imperfect. I love that the artist's hand really shines through.
04. Each piece feels like a mini story in motion. Do you sketch everything out in detail first, or let the scene evolve as you paint?
As much as I try to stick to the concept sketch, I always end up editing on the fly. I think a bit of spontaneity brings a piece to life.
05. From taxicabs to farmyard chickens, the small details really bring these scenes to life. Are there any parts of the collection that were especially fun or challenging to illustrate?
The NYC design was incredibly intimidating. I'm a New Yorker, and felt really strongly that the design should look like it was made by a New Yorker. Pepper & Greenwich Play were just as enthusiastic about the little details. We all felt strongly that the final product should be enjoyable for adults as well as kids. Including a few little winks or “if you know you know” moments - the different architectural details, the West 4th Street Courts, the bodega cat… we had so much fun with those details.
06. What excited you most about collaborating with Pepper Home and Greenwich Play on this collection?
I have always been interested in designing wallpaper, but felt like my style of painting and subject matter wasn't “right” for it. I'm more of a scenic artist than a painterly pattern designer, so the second the project concept was explained to me, I practically pounced. The first time I painted a scene on my walls [without permission] I was 6. I assume after debating whether or not I would do it again, my parents proposed that I paint the walls of my playroom instead. The second time I painted my walls, this time with permission, I painted a panoramic New York City Skyline (I swear this is true!).
07. Do you have a favorite piece from the collection? What makes it special to you?
An impossible choice! I love all of them for different reasons, but the New York City and Paris murals were very meaningful to work on. When I was very little, my parents relocated us to Paris for their jobs. Our apartment overlooked the Seine, and according to my Mom, I would crawl to the window and point at the bateau mouche a hundred times a day. I used a lot of photos from our family album as references while working on that design, which was really special.
