Robin Sprong: Wallpaper Trends

WORDS Stefanie Jason PORTRAIT Dylan Culhane

What will be trending in wallpaper design this year? Robin Sprong gives us the inside scoop.

Surface design company Robin Sprong Wallpaper (#RSWallpaper) had an epic 2015. “We stitched 250 maps for an enormous wallpaper for a Cattle Baron restaurant, redid Investec’s offices on Greyston Drive in Johannesburg, decorated Vice magazine’s new offices in Toronto, Canada, and we were represented at Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven by Exposize, our new partners there,” says Robin. The company’s bold and quirky designs were also highlighted at 100 % Design.

Robin shares some of his insights into trends for 2016.

What inspires new wallpaper designs?

Trend follows fashion, and we keep an eye on that. I believe South Africa is firmly on top of current international design trends and it’s easy for us to move around in that space, as we are an eclectic, cosmopolitan country. A lot of our wallpaper inspiration comes from the diversity and spirit of our nation, but we also like to look at international trends. I am quite interested in the design of African fabric print and look for ways that I can put together a collection that is fresh.

Which trends will dominate this year?

We will continue to see large floral leaf and botanical designs in blues and emerald greens. Marble and stone textures are going to be big, as are playful geometric designs in bold 1980s-inspired colourways.

What can we look forward to from Robin Sprong Wallpaper in 2016?

We will continue to grow into our new markets, such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain and the USA. You will also see us focus more on the artists represented by RSWallpaper and on developing artwork.