WITTER (KFSM)-- A couple in Northwest Arkansas create hand made wallpaper for clients all over the world.
Heidi and Christian Batteau own Assemblage, which is located in an old seed mill off Highway 23.
The couple met when they were attending art school in Kansas City and then worked in New York City.
Heidi worked in textiles and Christian spent time painting rooms in luxury locations.
Around 2004 they decided to provide a product and not a service.
They received the opportunity to create wallpaper with Chanel and then everything took off from there .
Christian said this gave them the drive to take what the did on the walls and put it on paper instead.
Everything they make is handmade and even some of the tools they use are made in their shop.
When they take the paper off the roll, it takes anywhere from eight to ten weeks to complete about a room's worth of wallpaper.
The couple moved to Heidi's hometown of Witter around 2011.
While they work out of an old seed mill, the Batteau's work can be seen in many places including company's like Tiffany and Chanel.
“The wallpapers are in four of the ten tallest buildings in the world, 21 countries, Beijing, Hong Kong, New York obviously, Los Angeles," said Christian Batteau. "We end up sort of working with these clients that are absolutely outside of Arkansas.”
They said they would love to work with more clients in the state, but have not had the opportunity.
When they tell people in the state what they do, Christian said some do not really understand.
Heidi explained that most people think of the old concept of wallpaper with bad floral prints when they explain their craft, but that is far from what they create.
Christian explained some of their designs are made up of ground rock or metal and have as many as 20 layers on one piece of paper.
When the Batteaus discussed where they should move to when they left New York, they said Arkansas' appreciation for all crafts was a big reason why they were drawn to the state.
“I think that understanding that people make beautiful things and sell them and can support themselves doing that was a huge impetus to get us here in the first place," Christian said.
“And there’s a community that supports it in a way that you say I work for myself and I make something and I sell it," said Heidi.
During their time in the community they both said they were surprised by the work ethic and acceptance from people towards their craft.
“Being able to come in and make something beautiful and actually be able to afford and have a real life making something that you’re proud of, it’s a very old sort of American idea," Christian said.
The duo hopes their business will continue to grow so they can hire more full time employees to give them that American idea.
They currently have anywhere from eight to two employees on contract depending on the projects they have.
They said they would like to have more permanent positions but want to make sure they can pay those employees a good livable wage.