Swedish designer Lisa Bengtsson loves large-format wallpaper patterns. In an interview with Robin Kreide, she shares tips on how the iconic wallpapers from her brand Studio Lisa Bengtsson can be perfectly integrated into a room.
Robin Kreide: Lisa Bengtsson, how would you describe your approach to design?
Lisa Bengtsson: I like the unexpected, the unique. I think I do not create designs for everyone, but for people who want to be brave when decorating their rooms or add a touch of humour to their living space.
"My ideas come spontaneously.’"
Robin: Where do the ideas for the patterns come from?
Lisa: My inspirations come from everyday life. They can come from my children or from any other situation. That's why my ideas are very spontaneous.
Hippo wallpaper by Studio Lisa Bengtsson
Robin: How did your well-known pattern Hippo come about, for example?
Lisa: I was in Kenya at the time and was completely overwhelmed by the country's nature and all the wonderful characters, both animals and plants, that live in it. Like the hippos. As a graphic designer, I think a lot in terms of compositions. With the hippos, I wondered what would happen if I let them climb on top of one another. That's how the idea for the hippo pattern came about.
Robin: Scandinavia and Sweden in particular have a long tradition of wallpaper design. One of the fundamental concepts of this tradition is to develop designs that work in as many rooms as possible and appeal equally to as many different people as possible. Where would you see yourself in this tradition?
Lisa: I am probably the exact opposite of all that (laughs). In fact, at the beginning of my career, I was often told that I was not a typical Swedish designer. It's not that I dislike many aspects of the Scandinavian approach to design. But I always felt that there was a lot more out there for me to work with. There are so many creative possibilities for me as a designer if I follow the ideas that I personally like.
"Colour is very important to me."
And then there is the issue of colour in contemporary Scandinavian design. Looking back, we had very colourful Swedish designs with the designs of the legendary historical brand Svenskt Tenn, which were created between 1920 and 1950. These designs are still iconic today, but nevertheless, most Swedes currently want rooms with white walls and restrained colours, and the Swedish design scene is responding to this. In my opinion, this trend began around twenty years ago and continues to this day. I personally find this astonishing, since we here in the north have so little sun during the year due to our long winters, but we still use so few colours in our rooms to brighten them up a little during the dark months and make them more joyful. For me, colour is very important; it is a central element of my work.
Wallpaper Rock On by Studio Lisa Bengtsson
Robin: Is your design process rather fast or slow?
Lisa: A bit of both. I am very fast with my first drafts. This is because my inspirations are usually spontaneous. I use this first phase to test whether an idea works. If I then come to the conclusion that it works, I start working on the details and slow down the process.
Robin: How do you go about choosing the colours?
Lisa: I spend a considerable amount of time choosing the colours for my designs. I find it more important to have a few ideal colour combinations than to have ten or fifteen where some work better than others. I am always looking for colour combinations that work as perfectly as possible with the pattern. I also always use colour to add warmth to my patterns.
"II use colour to add warmth to my patterns."
I also always try to find the sweet spot between too much and not enough colour. This is very important when it comes to wallpaper. Since I also design fabrics, I can compare the two: a very colourful cushion on a sofa is perfectly acceptable. The same colour intensity on a wall can be too much.
Wallpaper Dodo by Studio Lisa Bengtsson
Wallpaper Sunflower Purple by Studio Lisa Bengtsson
Robin: What is the next step?
Lisa: When I feel that I have completed all my work on the new pattern, I take it to Ulricehamns Tapetfabrik, who manufacture my wallpapers. Their colour master Thomas Johannsson has been working with colour for over 30 years, and together we go through each shade and fine-tune it. This is a very important step for me before the production of a new wallpaper begins.
"For me, wallpaper is the dress of a room.’
Robin: You work with wallpaper as well as fabric. What is your favourite material?
Lisa: I started with wallpaper and I still mainly design wallpaper today. I really like this medium. For me, wallpaper is the dress of a room. Of course, as a designer, wallpapers have their very own limitations due to the repeat. In fact, working with the repeat can sometimes be tricky. But I like this challenge and always try to get as much out of the pattern as possible and make the elements of the design as large as possible.
Wallpaper Hippo Beige by Studio Lisa Bengtsson
Robin: Many people think that large patterns can be a challenge when decorating a room.
Lisa: It can indeed be easier to apply small patterns to a room. But I always think that there are already enough small patterns (laughs). Besides, I personally just really like large patterns. You shouldn't be afraid to use them in your room. What I would advise, though, is to combine them with other patterns. If you only paper one wall and leave the rest of the room in plain white, a large patterned wallpaper will immediately catch the eye and can be a bit overwhelming. It can feel like the pattern does not belong to the room. However, if you add other patterned objects, large or small, such as cushions, curtains or rugs, the wallpaper will begin to blend into the room. I call this concept ‘harmonising the wallpaper pattern’ by arranging other patterns throughout the room.
"I just really like large patterns."
Robin: What advice would you give to someone who is about to choose wallpaper for a room?
Lisa: The first step is to find out what you really like. You should take a look at Instagram or Pinterest and find out what your personal style is and which colours appeal to you.
You shouldn't be afraid of patterns either. What I hear a lot is: bold patterns make a room darker. But if you have several light sources, and I am talking about at least five or six here, distributed throughout the room, the room is no longer dark. Instead, the pattern makes it cosy.
Swan Lake wallpaper by Studio Lisa Bengtsson
"It's always a good idea to hang various objects on a wallpapered wall."
Robin: Modern houses often have a lot of window space to let in light and few interior walls to create an open-plan living and kitchen area. As a result, the space for wallpapering has become quite limited.
Lisa: My advice here is not to use the last free squared wall for wallpaper. Instead, apply the wallpaper around the windows and in the window niches or use the small wall space next to the doors and above the doors for it. This way, the wallpaper becomes the dress of the room. Otherwise, it often remains just an interesting pattern that does not really belong in the room. In addition, it is always a good idea to hang various objects on a wallpapered wall: pictures, small bookshelves, whatever you like. That way, the room begins to blend in with the pattern.
Robin: Our customers like to combine wallpaper with matching wall colours. Do you have any colour recommendations for some of your wallpapers? Our colour consultant Kai is always happy to get new inspiration.
Lisa: Of course, I'm happy to do that.
Robin: Thank you for the interview.
Picture Source : Studio Lisa Bengtsson