Wrapping the Walls with Disney for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

“Why not?” thought Katrina Periman when a fellow small business owner told her that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was looking for a digital printing firm to assist with a home makeover in nearby Pekin, Illinois. “We’ve always liked the show. I figured we should try to get the job!”

Family-owned and operated since 2003, Katrina and Kevin Periman’s company, Moon River Designs, started as a mobile fabricating and maintenance service business focused on the commercial and agricultural marketplace. In 2006, they expanded into signage and identity products. Their production environment features a state-of-the-art Roland DG SOLJET Pro III XC-540 54” digital printer/cutter, which allows them to offer their clients full-color printing for vehicle wraps, banners, floor graphics, cut decals, fine art and wall coverings.

Katrina and Kevin used VersaWorks to load and RIP each of the files, finishing around 5 p.m. on Friday. Then they began a 30-hour printing marathon.Things moved quickly after Moon River Designs’ application was selected by the show’s producers.“We got the call on Thursday, and the artwork files were sent to us on Friday,” said Katrina.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition wanted Katrina and Kevin to produce and install custom wall covering and fine art panels for team leader Ty Pennington’s secret project room. Since the room was being designed for a young Disney fan, Ty created a Warhol-inspired Mickey Mouse print for the wall covering. The producers asked that the graphic files for the wall covering be digitally printed in several color combinations so the designers would have maximum flexibility at the home site.

“Throughout the process, we were incredibly impressed with our SOLJET. It printed continuously for 30 hours, and it was ready for more!”

Katrina and Kevin used VersaWorks to load and RIP each of the files, finishing around 5 p.m. on Friday. Then they began a 30-hour printing marathon. The custom designed wall covering was printed on Oracal’s Orajet 3621 media and coated with Oraguard 210 matte laminate. Each panel measured 48 _” x 10,’ and was run through the laminator and hand-trimmed.

The art for the framed wall pieces was printed on the new Roland DG solvent satin fine art canvas. “The designers usually use regular vinyl or wallpaper and stick it to a backing, but we thought the satin canvas would give the prints a better texture,” said Katrina. “They were really pleased with the look of the finished prints.”

The project consumed approximately 2000 square feet of vinyl and 135 feet of satin canvas, and an entire set of ECO-SOL MAX inks. To offset the costs, Roland DGA donated the inkset for the project and Oracal donated the material. Other suppliers pitched in to provide storage and transportation. “The colors came out perfectly _ without any banding or pixellation,” said Katrina. “With the tight turnaround, we had to have it right the first time.”

The Perimans then drove to the home site, arriving about noon on Sunday. The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team members spent several hours assessing the best color combinations for the room and determining the placement of the fine art panels. At 7:00 p.m. that evening, Katrina and Kevin and eight volunteers began the installation, working until 1 a.m. Monday morning. The finished product dazzled the family and delighted the little boy. “The wall covering came out beautifully, and really set the tone for the room,” said Katrina. “Several people from the show, including the general contractor, asked us, ‘where do you buy this wallpaper?’”

For Kevin and Katrina, the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition experience was exhausting but exhilarating. “We really enjoyed helping a very deserving family fulfill their dream of a new home,” said Katrina. “Throughout the process, we were incredibly impressed with our SOLJET. It printed continuously for 30 hours, and it was ready for more!”