Wildlife themed wallpaper created for RHS Chelsea 2026
Artist Georgette Sunderland explains the process behind creating a bespoke wallpaper for the Rock Bank Café at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show
The biophilic design of the Ponderlings wallpaper has been beautifully painted by artist and eco gardener Georgette (George) Sunderland of Beautiful by George. The paper is based on fractal design, which is reported to reduce stress by up to 60%.
The Ponderlings Design explained
Ponderlings is a vertical, column design featuring the intricate beauty of a wildlife pond. Painted in exquisite detail, we are encouraged to rest and ponder the wonder of broad-bodied chaser dragonflies, damselflies and newts. Beautiful waterlily and frogbit flowers are enhanced by leaves caressed with water droplets, while duckweed adds the final delicate flourish.
Depth is created with carefully layered background colours, reflecting outlines of clouds. Ponderlings is designed to calm and relax you, using elements of fractal design (the patterns in the petals, leaves and wings), a key feature in Biophilic Design, which can help increase feelings of calm and wellness and reduce stress.
Ponderlings is printed sustainably in Lancashire on a substrate that uses recycled plastic bottles in its fibres, making it durable and reducing bottles in landfill. As the detailed design is centred on the paper roll, Ponderlings can be used as a piece of art as well as a wallcovering and will feature in the Rock Bank Café at RHS Chelsea 2026.
Detail from Ponderlings in Still green, by Beautiful by George
All inks used are classed as water-based, which means they are non-toxic and free from VOC’s (volatile organic compounds). All paper and nonwoven substrates are sourced from FSC® certified forests. Surface Print ensure all left over inks and paints are saved, which are then used in the building trade for brick materials. They support surrounding communities by employing local people and are pro-active in college training schemes.
George paints from observations she has made in her own garden and follows eco-gardening and permaculture principles. She is a proud signatory of UK Interior Design Declares Climate & Biodiversity Emergency, where designers and makers pledge their commitment to sustainability and are held accountable to it.
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Detail from Ponderlings in Still green, by Beautiful by George
Detail from Ponderlings in Still green, by Beautiful by George
The imperfect and repeating patterns that we see in nature – for example, in leaf structure, branches, the repeating pattern of a waterlily’s petals, veins on a leaf and the veins on a dragonfly’s wing are called fractal patterns. The irregular, imperfect designs are rarely found in the man-made environment, which is dominated by squares and rectangles, but they’re everywhere in nature.
When we see water, even droplets, we experience feelings of relaxation, reduced stress, and even boosted creativity. Whether it’s a bubbling brook, a waterfall or a vast ocean, the visual stimulation of water can help to clear our mind and inspire thoughts.
In Biophilic Design, colour can also increase feelings of wellness. The obvious colour here is green, but there have been many studies into colour psychology and here the different background colours also contribute to deep feelings of calm.
