“IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS: SEAMS LAID PERFECTLY PLUMB, CUTS AROUND MOLDING SO PRECISE THEY LOOK LIKE THEY WERE ALWAYS MEANT TO BE THERE.” —LANI ROSS
There’s an incredible amount of exacting detail that goes into truly skilled wallpaper installation. Variances in construction, environmental conditions and the unique characteristics of each paper all require a watchful eye and a careful hand. For Harrison Ross, Jacquez Duncan and Lani Ross, these are the very things that make their work at Applying Art an art form—and in Charleston’s demanding market, that level of precision matters.
Applying Art began, as Lani Ross puts it, “the way the best things usually do—from friendship, shared ambition and a mutual obsession with the craft.” The company grew organically from the nearly decade-long working relationship between Harrison Ross and Duncan across the Charleston area and along the Eastern seaboard. In those years, the two friends pushed each other to grow, exchanging techniques and building authentic partnership on the foundation of their shared commitment to excellence. Together, their technical mastery ranges from the less intensive, everyday installations to the most demanding, boutique-grade wallcoverings.
Their expertise, undeniable as it was, needed a different kind of skill to fully meet the market. Bringing with her eight years of practicing family and criminal law in addition to years of managing a local CPA firm, Lani Ross’ business acumen was invaluable as the three launched Applying Art, creating a blueprint for operational and financial discipline and instilling the kind of professional exactitude that builds lasting greatness. “The combination of what all three of us bring to the table is really what makes Applying Art work,” Duncan says. “Together, we’ve built something that none of us could have created alone—not simply a wallpaper installation company but a standard-bearer for what this work can and should be.”
A standard-bearer, indeed, as Applying Art has been formally endorsed by Gracie Studio, one of the preeminent hand-painted wallpaper companies in the world. “That is a distinction held by 74 installers globally,” Harrison Ross says. “Gracie Studio has demanded nothing short of perfection in the last 120 years, and earning a place on that list remains one of our most meaningful professional achievements.”
It all circles back to Applying Art’s own philosophy of quality, service and craftsmanship. “From the very beginning, our goal was to build something the industry had been missing,” Harrison Ross recalls. “We wanted every client to experience the difference of working directly with the owners of the company—people who are personally invested in the outcome of each project. Beyond that, we set out to restore a standard of quality and service that has quietly faded from the trades over the years. At the heart of it all is a belief that true craftsmanship should never be the exception—it should be the expectation.”
That is where their almost obsessive level of detail comes into sharp focus, approaching each project with a fastidiousness that speaks volumes about their expertise. The real proof, however, needs no words, only observation. “Most people can tell when a room looks amazing, but they can’t always put their finger on why,” Duncan explains. “A lot of that comes down to decisions made long before the first strip goes up. A truly skilled installer takes the time to work through dozens of layout options to find the one that makes everything feel just right: centered patterns, clean sight lines, seams that disappear into the design. That kind of planning is what separates a beautiful room from one that just has wallpaper in it.”
Lani Ross adds: “We like to think our installations are something you brag about right alongside the paper you picked. The wallpaper gets you a cool room. A flawless installation gets you a jaw-dropping one.”
In a market like Charleston, “jaw-dropping” can be a lofty aspiration—especially when it comes to the quirks of a historic home. Even with their years of experience, the team at Applying Art admits the task can be a humbling one, as the corners of a room are rarely plumb, rooms often slope, plaster walls might have layers over layers of repair and environmental conditions cause continuous shifts in the framework.
“These are the realities of working inside living history,” Harrison Ross concedes. “There is no standard playbook. Every room demands its own approach, and only an installer with deep experience knows how to read those variables and still deliver a result that looks like the paper was always meant to be there. For us, Charleston’s historic homes aren’t an obstacle—they’re the ultimate proving ground. If you can make the finished result look like the paper was made for that exact room in a nearly 200-year-old Charleston home, you can install anywhere.”
What began years ago as a way to fill a gap in the market has grown into something far more meaningful for the three owners. They approach each project as a painter would a canvas—with intention, vision and a love for their craft. For the trio, wallpaper is more than wallcovering. It’s art. “Wallpaper has a remarkable ability to transform a space without the permanence—or the disruption—of a full renovation,” says Lani Ross. “There is something deeply satisfying about an art form that is both impactful and adaptable. Wallpaper can be changed with the seasons of your life, evolving alongside the people who live there. Each transition is a fresh start, achieved without a single contractor.”
In the end, Applying Art has reached success through precision, attention to detail, artistry and passion. Each project is an opportunity to transform a space in a way that feels flawless, seamless and as though it has always belonged there. That is their hallmark—one that will eventually become a part of the home’s history as time and life play out in those rooms. *
Liesel Schmidt lives in Navarre, Florida, and works as a freelance writer for local and regional magazines. She is also a web content writer and book editor. Follow her on X at @laswrites or download her novels, Coming Home to You, The Secret of Us and Life Without You, at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.
Photo by Kelly Grace Photography
