An Inspired Chat with Steve Zwillinger of Noe Valley, San Francisco

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Steve Zwillinger. Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Steve, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Absolutely. San Francisco has developed a wonderful neighborhood night market initiative, where the last Tuesday of every month, streets close down and local restaurants and retail establishments set up booths. It has become a powerful rebound strategy for our community and economy, bringing neighborhoods together in a way that feels genuine and truly needed.

For Zwilly Prints, these markets have been transformative. Getting directly in front of my audience, seeing their reactions in real-time, the response has been incredibly satisfying.
However, what truly makes me proud is that my 11-year-old daughter works the booth with me, and she has become an exceptional salesperson. She has this natural ability to connect with people and communicate what makes our prints special.

Watching her confidence grow, seeing her learn entrepreneurship firsthand while we build something together — those moments mean everything to me. These Tuesday nights have become about more than business; they’re about sharing my passion with both my daughter and our community simultaneously.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Steve Zwillinger, founder of Zwilly Prints, and my mission is simple: making walls and mailboxes happy. I create vibrant prints and greeting cards that transform ordinary spaces into colorful windows of joy and adventure.

What makes Zwilly Prints different is my creative process — I begin with a base photo and an idea. When something catches my eye — a distinctive doorway, an interesting building, a breathtaking tree—I capture it, but that’s just the beginning. I don’t simply present what exists; I reimagine these fragments in conversation with each other. Structures that stand apart in reality might become neighbors in my compositions. I intensify colors, transform skies to brilliant blue or dramatic sunsets, and carefully select human elements that bring everything to life: a couple in animated discussion, friends toasting a win, a child absorbed in homework while a parent steals a quiet moment with their phone.

I’m creating a story—a moment in time that captures life not as it simply appears, but as it feels when the world reveals its magic. Currently, I’m particularly excited about my new Argentina Collection—eleven prints that capture the heartbeat of Buenos Aires, having spent two months immersed in its magic. And those night markets I mentioned? They’ve become the perfect venue to share this work directly with our San Francisco community.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
Without question, my father, David Zwillinger. He was an advertising commercial artist and one of the finest fine artists I’ve ever known.

What I learned from him went far beyond technique. His passion was infectious — you couldn’t be around him while he was working and not feel drawn into what he was creating. But it was his relentless attention to detail that really shaped how I approach my own work. He had this unwavering commitment to capturing the personality and essence of his scenes and portraits. He wouldn’t settle until he got it right, until the piece truly conveyed what he saw and felt.

And his work ethic? Unending. He showed me that if you’re going to put your name on something, if you’re going to share your vision with the world, you owe it to yourself and your audience to give it everything. That dedication, that refusal to compromise on quality—that’s the foundation of everything I do with Zwilly Prints. I’m still chasing the standard he set.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Absolutely. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it. Social media can be incredibly discouraging—you pour your heart into your work, share it online, and the response rates are often disheartening. Building an audience in that digital space can sometimes feel like shouting into a void, and those algorithms certainly aren’t doing independent artists any favors.

But what changed everything for me was getting my art directly in front of real people in real time. The night markets have been transformative in that way. When someone stops at your booth, picks up a print, and you see their face light up, and their in-depth interest in my process — that’s tangible validation you can’t get from social media metrics.

I’ve also started selling in some local stores now, and seeing my work on actual shelves, knowing people are choosing it for their homes, that makes the marketability real in a way that likes and follows never could.

Those in-person connections reminded me why I started this in the first place. It’s not about the algorithm—it’s about creating moments of joy and beauty that resonate with actual people. That’s why I am in it.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I’m absolutely committed to becoming a long-term hospitality art resource for a hotel chain or hotel interior design firm, regardless of the time it takes.

My concept addresses a fundamental problem in the hospitality industry: every hotel location is unique, yet much of the hotel art is cookie-cutter and generic. One-size-fits-all artwork fails to honor what makes each destination unique and special. My approach is to immerse myself in a hotel’s specific location—whether it’s Birmingham, Chicago, Santa Cruz, or anywhere else—and create custom, location-based artwork that captures the soul of that place. From the energy of local street life to the character of neighborhood landmarks, I create pieces that are truly exclusive to that property.

I understand that the hospitality space can be challenging to break into. The established relationships, the procurement processes, the long sales cycles—I get it. But I believe in this concept deeply. Hotels have the opportunity to offer guests something meaningful—art that connects them to their actual surroundings, rather than generic pieces they could see in any property anywhere. That authentic connection matters.

So I’m playing the long game. I’m continuing to build my portfolio, refining my process, and making the right connections. This isn’t about quick wins; it’s about proving the value of location-specific art in creating memorable guest experiences. However long it takes, I’m committed to making this happen.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. When do you feel most at peace?
When I am head down creating.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.zwillyprints.com
• Instagram: zwilly_prints
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zwilly-prints
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zwillyprints/