Pattern Stories

Annabelle

With Pattern Stories, we want to embrace a specific wallpaper design and tell the story behind the pattern. We want to show the craftsmanship that leads to the finished wallpaper. We call it Swedish Wallpaper Art.

Annabelle

This time we want to tell the story of Annabelle, a wallpaper inspired by the garden of an abandoned stone chateau in France and named after its rescuer’s daughter, Annabelle.

The bold scale of this floral exudes softness, warmth, and romanticism. The delicate pansies are symbolic of thoughtfulness. Pansies derive their name from the French word penser, to think. The fragrant peony symbolizes love, happiness, romance, and prosperity.

Shop Annabelle

Le Village

The pattern Annabelle is part of the collection Le Village that pays homage to the Béarn region and a petit stone château in the village Montfort. Home to the talented writer, photographer, and interior designer Sara Silm.

Béarn is also where King Carl XVI Gustaf’s ancestor Jean Bernadotte was born. The collection celebrates the connection between the Swedish royal family, the region, and Sandberg as a purveyor to the royal court. A love story between Sweden and France.

The Story of Annabelle

Sara Silm and her French chateau have inspired this collection, and Sara has also helped curate the collection, which has been carefully hand-painted by Sandberg’s talented designers.

Sara Bergqvist Head of Design Sandberg Wallpaper:

"I wanted to create a large organic and embracing wallpaper. The design features free interpretations of cornflowers, tulips, forget-me-nots, roses, peonies, and some fantasy flowers as well. The pattern is painted in gouache."

Let us hear Sara Silm tell us the story behind our beloved wallpaper Annabelle:

How did the design Annabelle spring to life?
One of the things I love most about Sandberg designs is that they are still hand-painted. I remember walking in the garden with Sara and Karolina on one of their visits to the chateau. There was a lot of shared enthusiasm for color and pattern, lots of chatter over tea and cake, and finally, before my very eyes, the Annabelle design was being hand-painted at the kitchen table. There was a terrible mishap with the luggage at the airport, and the bag with the painting equipment was lost. Suddenly I remembered an old gauche paint kit I once used when teaching color theory many years ago. It was at the back of my garden shed covered with cobwebs but miraculously, with just a little water, the paint came alive, and so too, the initial sketches for this beautiful design. I think serendipity played a big part in the creation of Annabelle. Not only was it inspired by the garden, but it was also actually born from the back of my garden shed, thanks to this old paint set, the skill of a steady hand and a beautiful vision.

Why did you name this pattern after your daughter?
Annabelle is the rose between two thorns in our family. I have just one daughter and two beautiful boys, who, I must say, really do protect their sister like thorns on a rose bush! The inspiration for this feminine design came from the chateau garden. It was in a terrible state when we became the new custodians, but as a family, we gradually released it from its cage of brambles and reclaimed the original bones of the old garden beds with a patchwork of color and soft English-style plantings that have become a bit of an obsession on my part. Today, there’s a rich tapestry of heritage roses and perennials such as verbena, iris, echinacea, peonies, dahlias, and aquilegia. One of Annabelle’s favorite flowers is the peony, which is the flower of November, the month she was born. Its soft blousy blooms and rich, spicy fragrance suits her perfectly.

How would you style a room with Annabelle?
Annabelle is a fairly large design, so it’s wonderful in larger rooms, especially those with a little extra height. The deep blue colorway I chose to use in Annabelle’s bedroom creates intimacy. It can envelop you in a soft flowing pattern that is dynamic but not overpowering. French organic hemp Upholstery and bed linen contrast with the feminine design, bringing an earthy element of countryside texture into the mix, as does natural sisal rugs on the floor. I love a good geometric print to add a bit of structure, so I inevitably work in a few boldly striped cushions or checked lamp shades when using florals.

The lighter colorways in this design transform the visual impact it brings to a room, creating a far softer pattern that seamlessly blends into the space. Annabelle is a bit like the little black dress of wallpaper designs; thanks to its varied colorways, it’s equally at home in the living room or hallway as it is in the bedroom. It’s simply up to you to decide where!

Shop Annabelle