A Flavor-Ful Chat with a Wallpaper Whiz

By Felicity Loughrey
February 22, 2011

Jon Sherman

Jon Sherman, Owner, Flavor Paper (all images including wallpaper designs courtesy of Jon Sherman)

In Jon Sherman’s penthouse apartment, found in a restored 1929 Brooklyn parking garage and now the live-work HQ of wallpaper business Flavor Paper, there’s a brass instrument installation on the living room wall. Over a three week period, Sherman bid and won 16 brass horns on eBay, “for well under my budget and many were actually in far better condition than expected.” Once the horns arrived, he ordered the trombones and trumpets. He then took his eBay loot to a local welder who pieced the instruments together. “The Shermaphone was born!”

trompet design

The "Shermaphone," an installation Sherman created using brass instruments he found on eBay

Seven years ago, Jon Sherman, who had previously worked in private equity and real estate development, became the accidental owner of the assets of an Oregon wallpaper company that was going out of business. He had 24-hours to move a 52-foot, steel-plate printing press. He found a log lifter to transport his new possessions from the Northwest to the Deep South. He set up shop in New Orleans but in 2009 moved the modern wallpaper printing biz to Brooklyn. (The New Orleans shop now prints fabric.)

“We had been thinking about expanding into New York for a long time,” says Jon Sherman. “All our paper suppliers are up here, so it drastically reduced our carbon footprint.” (Previously, Jon Sherman's team would have tons of paper shipped to New Orleans and then send back much of the final product to the New York area.) “It made sense in a lot of different regards.” Jon Sherman’s priorities for the year ahead are a new website for Flavor Paper and more life-changing designer wallpaper!

Not your grandmother’s retro wall covering, Flavor Paper is one of the world’s most exciting and unique wallpaper design houses. Two of the company's funky wallpaper screens are in the permanent collection of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum—the City Park motif by wallpaper designer Dan Funderburgh etched with rats, pigeons and fire hydrants, and the Cherry Forever, a scratch 'n sniff cherry paper. Flavor Paper’s modern wallpaper designs are bold, frequently metallic and sometimes feature burlesque dancers, moustaches and gangster bling.

Flavor Paper

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City Park
Designed by Dan Funderburgh
Photo Credit: www.flavorleague.com
Obscuro
Designed by Kravitz Design
Kabloom
Fruits of Design
Designed by Dan Funderburgh
Brasilia
Designed by Kravitz Design
Cherry Forever
Designed by Michael Angelo
Farmers Market
Designed by Dan Funderburgh
Flower Pedal
Designed by Dan Funderburgh

eBay has a played a small part in the Flavor Paper wallpaper story. Jon Sherman says, “I have bought everything from a 35-foot scissors lift that we still use to access our New Orleans’ office to, most recently, a cold-roll laminator to install cut vinyl"—all from eBay's online marketplace.

“I will search eBay with an item in mind and then happen upon something even better than I had ever dreamed,” says Jon Sherman. “I end up coming across items I might not have thought about while searching for something completely unrelated. Those tangents can be really fun and rewarding.” Has he ever seen Flavor Paper for sale on eBay? “No, but that’s one thing I haven’t looked for.”

Jon Sherman’s Flavor-ful eBay wishlist

New Orleans Saints Super Bowl Championship Ring

(buy it now price, $350)

“Who could resist?”
Hugo Boss Men's Charcoal Wool & Cashmere Jacket

(buy it now price, $299.99)

“My winter jacket is stuck in Dallas due to weather so I need another – boom! and at a nice discount.”
Nikon Fish Eye Lens

(buy it now price, $189.99)
Nespresso Coffee Maker

(buy it now price, $289)

“We have one in Flavor Paper that's more industrial, but I need one for my apartment too, so I don't end up at work on weekends!”
Wacom Bamboo Pen and Digital Graphic Tablet

(buy it now price, $69)

“This will make designing wallpaper a whole lot easier!”
1651 Illustrated Medical Anatomy Book

(buy it now price, $2000)

“Great resource for design ideas.”
Victoria & Albert Indian Floral Patterns Illustrated Book

(buy it now price, $6.45)

“Another great pattern resource.”
Electra Coaster Bike Cruiser

(buy it now price, $349.77)

“A nice way to get around Brooklyn when the snow melts.”
Two Technics Turntables

(buy it now price, $1,100)

“I need to replace the two turntables I have from New Orleans. These are perfect. It’s hard to find a custom paint job!”