Don Flood is an accomplished photographer across beauty, fashion, sports and popular culture, with work appearing in publications such as Vanity Fair, In-Style and Esquire just to name a few. He has worked for notable clients including Victoria’s Secret, CoverGirl and Pantene and his celebrity portraits include the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Diane Lane, Naomi Watts, Eva Mendes and Jessica Biel, as well as famous recording artists, Janet Jackson, Snoop Dog, Mary J. Blige and Adam Lambert.
He is also the creator and company owner of an exceptionally provocative and inspiring line of wallpaper, for both residential and commercial spaces, appropriately named Fliepaper—a stunning collection that showcases his iconic photography.
Now, Don’s San Miguel de Allende home is on the market, represented by his partner, Ruben Valerio. The Agency chatted with him to get the inside scoop on this exquisite, stylish offering.
Q: How did your career in wallpaper come to be?
A: Most of my career has been in photography, largely capturing images for beauty, makeup and hair care companies. I created my first wallpaper for my daughter’s bedroom, using a photograph and my own printer at home. From there, I was a closeted wallpaper designer and then started producing it professionally in 2015. It merged some of my favorite things: art, photography and spaces.
In 2018, my Beetle design was taken into the permanent collection of the Cooper Hewitt/ Smithsonian Museum, giving my wallpaper endeavor some great momentum.
Q: What is the story of the home you’re selling, Privada Del Sol 2?
A: Ruben and I bought this home a year and a half ago—we quickly fell in love with it after seeing many other places in San Miguel. We did a full renovation this last year and touched every room in order to accommodate our aggressive art and furniture collection, re-envisioning it to be a fresh, neutral canvas that would make our art shine. We maximized the light in the room by changing out all the windows and doors to steel. There’s a playful spirit to the home, which feeds the artist in me.
San Miguel has had a huge boom in the last few years, it’s at the top of the list for travel. It feels like Milan or Paris—an incredible European city with great food and incredible design. It’s a town dedicated to art. There’s also a wonderful anti-curb appeal approach to architecture here. A lot of facades are just colored walls with a door. You don’t know what you’re getting until you walk in the door. It’s a humble luxury and I love that.
We intended to stay just for the summer, but kept pushing out our return date. In the end, we loved it so much that we decided to be here full time.
Q: What do you love most about the home?
A: One of the most extraordinary things about the home are the views. In many nearby homes, you need a rooftop to capture the gorgeous surroundings, but here you just walk out onto the terrace and the beauty is right in front of you.
Q: Where does your wallpaper shine in the home?
A: We used Fliepaper wallpaper in our primary bedroom—it’s a power wall. It makes the rooms so special and has refreshed the vibe in that room. Sometimes that’s all a house needs. One wall of wallpaper that brings in an elevated ambiance and intrigue.
Q: What advice would you give someone looking to add wallpaper in their home?
A: My suggestion is to be bold. If you’re going to go to the trouble of using wallpaper, make a statement with it. Use part of your art budget for wallpaper. I also love large scale (which you can see from my Fliepaper creations). I like to say that scale is everything. Trust yourself and go for it.
View more Fliepaper creations on Instagram at @fliepaper.
