I Am Making Hand Painted Artist Murals Easily Available And Customisable (13 Pics)
I have always been captivated by artistic interior design. I am addicted to the magazine Apartamento and I can spend hours looking at cutting-edge interior designers' work on Instagram. As a visual artist trained at art academies in Funen, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden, I spent many years exhibiting my work—ranging from large-scale murals to intricate oil paintings. My passion for transforming spaces through visual art naturally led me to explore more practical was of working with interior design and I started studying interior design. But what truly set my journey in motion was a personal need: I wanted beautiful, unique and interesting wallpaper for my own home.
Like many, I fell in love with designer wallpapers, only to be discouraged by their high prices and impracticality. Hiring a professional wallpaper installer on top of the price of the well-crafted wallpaper didn't allow me to buy many rolls of wallpaper and I ended up with much waste. Traditional wallpaper comes with its fair share of challenges—pattern repeats, complex installations, and worst of all, a huge amount of waste. On top of that, I was already working with large-scale murals and wanted to make my art more accessible to others. So, I thought, why not merge these ideas?
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Hand Painted Butterfly Wall Stickers For DIY Mural
Tonka Papers creates hand painted wall paper for unique DIY murals. They are installed just as wall stickers but made of fine self-adhesive canvas and the paintings are build up - layer by layer - to add texture and beautiful changing colours.
That’s how Tonka Papers was born. I spent years refining the production process in close collaboration with a local Danish manufacturer, ensuring that our wallpapers were not only stunning but also practical and sustainable. One of the biggest issues with traditional wallpaper is waste—up to 40% of material is discarded due to pattern repeats. By working with Canon, we developed methods to reduce waste while still delivering breathtaking designs.
My goal was to create something unique: hand-painted, artisanal wallpapers that are easy to install, remove, and even reuse. I wanted my art to become an integral part of people’s homes, without the stress and mess of traditional wallpapering. The result? A flexible mural concept that blends fine art with interior design, allowing anyone to create an artistic atmosphere in their space. I hand paint self-adhesive textile wallpaper and cut out the motifs by hand. When you buy a mural from Tonka Papers, you receive a set of removable paintings, installed just like wall stickers. In this way, you can make the mural fit into your space and your style. It naturally blends into the walls, especially as the surface, the top layer painted with pearl pigments, reflects light and thus changes colour throughout the day.
Tonka Papers officially launched in 2021, and is based in Copenhagen. The name “Tonka” comes from the exotic tonka bean—a luxurious spice known for its deep, complex fragrance of vanilla, almonds, and cherries. Just like the sensory experience of tonka beans, my wallpapers are designed to evoke emotions and transform interiors into something truly special.
Each piece is carefully crafted through experimentation with different techniques and textures. My inspirations range from feminist surrealism and eccentric interior design to the paper-clippings from my 5-year old boy (we often collaborate on designs), resulting in truly one-of-a-kind wall decorations. Today, Tonka Papers provides practical, removable and reusable! murals for private homes, exhibitions, businesses, and institutions, helping to redefine the way we think about artist murals and wallpaper.
What started as a personal frustration turned into a creative revolution—bringing together sustainability, practicality, and artistic expression. And the best part? My art can now live in homes around the world, making everyday spaces just a little more magical. I hope this inspired you to be a little more creative today and prioritise adding something inspirational to your interiors.
