What do you do when, despite the multitudes of floral and polka dot options, you just can’t find the right bedspread? If you’re an art-school grad, you design one yourself, of course. That’s what Linda and Max Geiser did back in 1999 after they bought their first house, two years out of CCA. From that little experiment with pen, paper, and sewing machine, the thirtysomething couple has spun an entire business that now produces pillows, bedding, wall decor, and mobiles with a subtle 1960s retro flair.

Fold Bedding, as it used to be called—now Wallter, a play on “wall,” “texture,” and the name of Max’s grandfather—is the perfect union of Linda’s sewing and illustration skills and Max’s modernist sensibilities and training in interior architecture. “Growing up San Jose in a Joseph Eichler tract home community,” says Max, “I’ve been surrounded by clean lines and bold contours my entire life.”

Linda, the textiles whiz who creates every single bedspread, blanket, and pillow on her own machine, produces a couple of items a day in their Richmond studio to meet growing demand. “We’re all about tactility,” she observes. “The raised stitching on our bedspreads was what initially separated us from other companies. And the paintable wall applications Max designs are three-dimensional, rather than flat.”

Texture is indeed a leitmotif for the Geisers, who met at CCA in Marilyn da Silva’s 3D course. “Up until that point I was strictly a drawing and painting gal, but that course opened up a whole new world for me,” remembers Linda. Max agrees that their CCA experience helped them make the crucial leap into the third dimension: “Chris Deam helped me move from drawing to furniture.”

The couple knew they were onto something when a few of their test pillows, on consignment in a boutique, sold the very first day. Soon thereafter, a magazine ad for their bedspreads sparked a large order from a store in Los Angeles, and they’re now selling to numerous boutique stores, interior designers, and the likes of Crate and Barrel and Urban Outfitters. Their small business relies on local suppliers and, where possible, ecofriendly materials, packaging, and manufacturing processes. In 2004 their wall appliqués won the best new product award at the New York International Gift Fair. Their designs have appeared on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and other television shows.

Linda and Max’s most special joint effort, however, has been their two sons: Adam, born in 2001, and Owen, born last May. “They come to the studio with us, so we can’t be complete workaholics,” says Linda. Echoes Max, “When they’re ‘done,’ that means we have to be done, too.”

Linda and Max currently live in El Cerrito, California, and work in Richmond, California.

See also: artists' website at www.foldbedding.com.

From Glance, Spring 2008

Linda Geiser

Born in 1975 in Cheyenne, Wyoming

CCA degree:
Illustrator Program, 1997

Residence:
San Francisco, CA

Current occupation:
Home-accessory product designer

Influences at CCA:
Dugald Stermer, Marilyn da Silva

Max Geiser

Born in 1974 in Bethesda, Maryland

CCA degree:
Interior Architecture Program, 1997

Residence:
San Francisco, CA

Current occupation:
Home-accessory product designer

Influences at CCA:
Thom Faulders, Chris Deam