From fine art to home decor – with Badgers of Bohemia

If you were giving this wallpaper a casual glance from a distance, you’d be forgiven for thinking it might be a bright, pretty, contemporary floral pattern, with maybe the odd bird or two in amongst there as well. Come closer, though, and further inspection reveals a menagerie of gorgeous, fantastical creatures frolicking amongst the tropical foliage. You’ll find armadillos, blue faced monkeys, foxes, fish, toucans, and anteaters, to name just a few; some of them are bejeweled and bedecked in gold and precious stones, others are smoking a shisha pipe or carrying an umbrella. And why not?  Welcome to the strange and wondrous patterns of Badgers of Bohemia – even the name is marvelously bonkers, in the best possible way.

Badgers of Bohemia was founded by Emily Jayne Cant who paints beautifully detailed oil paintings and then turns them into wallpaper and fabric using the very latest digital printing technology.  I’ve seen these papers close up and can vouch for the exquisite detail and colour reproduction in the finished papers – it definitely is like having art on your walls, literally – as in the entire wall.

Emily previously worked as a designer for House of Hackney before striking out on her own; her unique designs are, she says:

“a rebellion from minimalism, drawing upon the opulence of the past to influence and inspire contemporary designs.”

The design above is from the Bohemian Palms collection; slightly more serene, but no less striking, is the Egrets collection, with a repeat damask-style pattern formed from varying sizes of these rather stern looking birds.

The Jellyfish collection, pictured below, features detailed renderings of these ethereal sea creatures whilst the graduated colour of the background recreates the effect of light diffusing through the open waters of the sea.

Emily’s work, which has appeared in Vogue and Harpers Bazaar, can currently be seen in Liberty’s and Selfridges in London; more details and pictures of all the collections can be found at Badgers of Bohemia, where products can also be bought online.