Hidden Gems: Meet Sian Zeng of Sian Zeng

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sian Zeng.

Hi Sian, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started my career shortly after graduating from Central Saint Martins in textile design in 2009. For my degree show, I created a magnetic wallpaper that allowed people to move little magnetic characters around a printed landscape and create their own stories on the wall. It received a lot of press attention, and that was the first time I thought it might become a real product one day.

After graduating, I was freelancing, teaching Photoshop and printing small homewares that I could sell. Setting up as a sole trader was quite straightforward, so I registered my company soon after finishing my degree. About a year later, Hilary Duff’s interior designer, Jane Hallworth, got in touch to order my magnetic wallpaper. At the time, it was still only a prototype, but I said yes and quickly began working with a wallpaper manufacturer to figure out how to turn it into a finished product. That order really kickstarted my wallpaper business.

Since then, the brand has grown gradually and organically into a collection of wallpapers and mural wallpapers based on hand-painted designs, often inspired by storytelling, nature and my multicultural upbringing. I was born in China, raised in Hungary and now live in London, and people have often commented that there is a real east meets west feeling in my designs. Over the years, my work has been recognised through awards such as Elle Decoration Hungary’s Young Designer of the Year and the Grand Prize in the Etsy Design Awards, which helped bring the brand to a wider audience.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road. I started the business quite soon after graduating, so there was a lot I had to learn as I went along. In the beginning, it was hard to know which investments would really help the business grow, which services would add value and which opportunities were worth saying yes to.

When you are running a small creative business, it can be tempting to try everything. Every opportunity can feel important, especially when you are still building confidence and trying to understand what works. But over time, I realised that saying yes to too many things can quickly lead to burnout, and it can also take you away from the work that made you start the business in the first place.

The last two years have been a period of refocusing for me. I have been putting my energy back into designing wallpapers that genuinely excite me, developing collections that feel meaningful and creating bespoke wallpapers for homes and hospitality spaces. It has reminded me how important it is to protect time for creativity, not just the day to day running of the business.

So although the journey has had its challenges, I think those moments have helped me understand the brand more clearly. I have learnt that growth does not always mean doing more. Sometimes it means being more selective, working with more intention and returning to the creative ideas that bring me joy.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My business creates wallpapers and murals from original hand painted designs for homes, children’s rooms and hospitality spaces. We are known for imaginative, detailed designs that feel like artwork for the walls, often inspired by nature, storytelling and the mix of Eastern and Western influences from my own background.

Every collection begins as an original painting, created on a very large scale so that the final wallpaper still carries the texture, brushstrokes and small imperfections of the artwork. We work with a cutting-edge printing company that really understands how to reproduce our original artwork, so the finished wallpaper keeps the depth and quality of the hand painted piece. The inks we use are water based and eco friendly, and our paper is sourced from sustainable forests.

Our designs often include dreamlike landscapes, animals, botanical details and hidden moments that invite people to look closer. I like the idea that a room can feel calm and beautiful, but also full of imagination. Many of our customers choose our wallpapers for nurseries and children’s rooms, but they are also used in living spaces, boutique hotels, restaurants and other hospitality interiors.

In recent years, our bespoke work has become a part of the business I’m especially proud of. We can adapt existing designs to fit unusual wall sizes, tall ceilings or architectural details, and we can also create completely bespoke designs for a particular home, project or hospitality space. We can prepare mockups to help clients visualise how the wallpaper will work in their space, which makes the whole process feel more personal and considered.

Brand-wise, I’m most proud that I have stayed close to the way I learnt to design at Central Saint Martins. I still believe in taking the time to build a beautiful mood board, experiment with materials and finishes, and develop each collection with care and intention before it is launched. We paint our artworks at 100 percent scale, with most of the painting done by me, so there is no pixelation and the final wallpaper keeps the quality and detail of the original artwork. It does mean our collections take longer to create, but I think that slower process is what allows us to make wallpapers that feel unique, detailed, and full of character.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Most people might not know that before studying textile design at Central Saint Martins, I actually completed a degree in Economics. My parents encouraged me to study economics because they felt it would offer more stability and better career prospects.

I have always been much more drawn to art and design though, and over time I realised that creativity was the path I really wanted to follow. Changing direction was not the most obvious or practical choice at the time, but it felt much more true to who I was. In a way, I think that mix of experiences has shaped how I work today. I still lead with creativity, but running a business has also taught me to think practically and make thoughtful decisions for the brand.

Pricing:

• Mural wallpapers: $327 per 3 panel set

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sianzeng.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sianzeng/