F&P 25 Years: Långelid / von Brömssen On Making Wondrous Wallpaper

We always base our designs on our interests and preferences, creating patterns we like, rather than trying to predict what a potential customer might want. Our patterns become unique and individual by approaching the design process in an exploratory and personal way.

We use traditional printing techniques because we believe they are more beautiful. They create a texture and finish on the wallpaper that we love and cannot achieve with digital printing. It’s worth it!

We describe our style as timeless-playful, bringing a fresh spirit to modernism and classicism. Everything we create is rooted in design history. But by breaking rules and daring to mix styles from different periods, we aim to create something new and playful. Ideas for new collections can come from anywhere: other cultures, a film, an exhibition, animals and nature. Anything can inspire new patterns.

As a child, Emma heard many fairy tales, which can be seen in several of her patterns. Birds and animals become like characters in plays and stories. They blend into their surroundings.

For Daniel, historical interiors are always a major source of inspiration. He can’t create something new without incorporating elements from the past. That’s probably why he struggles with modernism as a concept. Daniel feels that discarding all previous aesthetics and craftsmanship just to break with the past didn’t turn out well. However, there’s certainly a lot of great modern design, too.

Our homes are important to us Swedes, but the interior styling tends to be rather samey. Everyone wants the same thing: bright, fresh and colourless. Moreover, practicality is so prioritised that any sense of cosiness is often lost. In England, we feel you take interior design more seriously. You understand the value of surrounding yourself with beautiful things much better than we do in Sweden.

Daniel’s current favourite design is Coral as he is proud of the pleasing rhythm he’s managed to create in that pattern. Usually, Daniel’s favourite is the most recent one he has worked on, so he will probably change his mind when the next collection comes out. Emma struggles to choose her favourite; maybe Hares in Hiding because she found it such fun to draw, and it turned out to have quite a unique expression.

Wallpaper is such a fun product. It adds so much to an interior. But wallpaper design is by far the most challenging aspect of pattern creation. A large, flat surface reveals everything, so you must be precise to achieve a good rhythm in the pattern.

As designers, it’s a dream to create patterns entirely based on our ideas, and having our brand allows us to do this. After many years in the industry, we finally dared to take the leap. The most enjoyable part has been building something new from scratch. And, of course, working together.

The challenge is that you never know if you’re making the right decisions when you are new to running your own business. At the outset, you don’t want to incur too many costs, so you must think strategically. It’s important to build the brand slowly and methodically, even though it’s tempting to want quick results.

We are most proud of British designer Pandora Taylor’s interior, where both walls and ceilings are wallpapered with our Artichoke pattern. It is a clear favourite. We also love London’s Studio Peake’s design, where they wallpapered a small toilet with our large Palm House pattern. It’s striking to use large patterns in small spaces.

"In England, we feel you take interior design more seriously. You understand the value of surrounding yourself with beautiful things much better than we do in Sweden"

As we celebrate our 25th anniversary in 2025, we look back at how Emma Vans Agnew started out building her pioneering online design business from her garden shed to a company championing more than 120 independent artisan brands.

Discover all about Långelid / von Brömssen's irresistible wallpapers, how this Swedish duo are driven by a shared passion for true craftsmanship and a firm belief that a beautifully decorated space enhances our wellbeing.