When Maya Romanoff was living the ultimate student experience of the 1960's at the University of California in Berkeley, he probably never imagined his studies would lead him to where he is today: artist, inventor, and director of the Maya Romanoff Corporation, the leading manufacturer of innovative wall covering and surfacing materials in the world of design.

Romanoff's post graduate travels to countries such as North Africa and Paris cemented his developing philosophy that art should be an integral part of everyday life. In turn, employment at the couture houses of Paris spurred on his interest in textile design. Enter Woodstock, and Romanoff's discovery of the intriguing technique of tie-dye. Presently he was producing amazing fabrics that swept tie-dye into the realm of couture. These early explorations of fabric and art sparked his life-long fascination with using common materials to create uncommon art.

The Maya Romanoff Corporation was established in 1969 and has grown to more than 50 employees. The Chicago based company is unique in that it fosters a sense of community and artistic expression that is rare in today's corporate world. Throughout the company's evolution Romanoff's founding vision of transforming modern design by combining ancient artistic techniques with the latest production technology has held strong. Pushing technological boundaries has allowed Romanoff to turn his affinity for organic beauty into marketable, avant-garde surface coverings.

Some of Romanoff's most acclaimed projects have showcased fabrics as fluid works of art, most notably: New York's Museum of Contemporary Arts' 1972 Fabric Vibrations; Bess' Sunrise, the draping of the Chicago Sun-Times building in 120 ft long ribbons of vibrant color; and the design of shimmering main stage curtain for The Harris Theater for Music and Dance at Chicago's Millennium Park. Romanoff has led the corporation into position as a prime surface coverings resource for top interior designers and architects. Installments include such highprofile projects as Nobu in Hong Kong, Melbourne and Los Angeles (to open Sept. 2007), the Green Room at the Kodak Theater for the 2007 Academy Awards, Tiffany, the new Playboy Club in Los Angeles, Boucheron stores, Phantom of the Opera Theater in Los Angeles, special projects for Disney, the palace of the Crown Prince of Dubai, Harrod's, American Girl Stores, and celebrities homes around the world.

Maya Romanoff has been the recipient of countless awards, including the ICON of Industry Scholarship Award, presented in honor of his lifetime achievements in November 2006 by NEWH, Inc., the Hospitality Industry Network. Other prestigious awards include House & Garden's Designers' Best, The International Furnishings and Design Association's Trailblazer Award, Hospitality Design's Best of Show in Hong Kong, Las Vegas and Miami, commissions for one of a kind artworks with Dizine for the St. Louis Contemporary Art Museum & Puerto Rican Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Home's Top 100 Designs, NEOCON's Best of Show, and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair's Editor's Award. In addition, Beadazzled, Romanoff's revolutionary collection of wall coverings made of tiny, sparkling glass beads, has earned a permanent place in the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.