Everything we make must pass the forest test before it is completed. Interview for Romanian Jewelry Week with Papier Langackerhäusl

Slow living in Langackerhäusl means growing your own vegetables, baking bread, gathering firewood and spending time in the forest, as natural as making things by hand. Far from the pace and distractions of city life, Ralf Stauss and Edward Richardson have built a life where living and creating naturally come together.

Bringing backgrounds in costume design, tailoring, graphic design and visual styling, they found in their home in the Austrian countryside a place to live and a space to create. For Papier Langackerhäusl, this slower way of living is closely connected to the way they work, giving them the time and space to observe, experiment and let ideas take shape.


Your backgrounds span costume design, tailoring, graphic design and visual styling. Tell us more about your story and background. How were your lives before? How did the two of you meet and how did your creative paths come together? 
In the early 90's, with basic schooling thankfully behind us, we both began adulthood eager for new experiences. Although obsolete by contemporary standards, we're so grateful for these years, learning hands-on techniques which we still utilize today.

Upon meeting in Paris in 1999, we instantly recognized our shared appreciation of beauty and design and relocated to Los Angeles for the next decade. Emerging technology and creative collaborations with photographers, models, hair and make-up artists made these years especially busy and fulfilling. Yet, we could already foresee the need to break from the incessant pace of daily life.


Ralf Stauss and Edward Richardson, founders of Papier Langackerhäusl.


What brought you to this particular village and to the house you now call Langackerhäusl? Was it a conscious choice, or did the place somehow choose you?
By 2007, our search to escape the city expanded from Southern California back to Europe, with the final property on our list located in rural Austria. Built in 1885, with its own well, adequate land and a kilometre-long forest road to reach it, we immediately knew this old farmhouse needed us as much as we needed it.

Shortly after our move in 2009, we were faced with a huge pile of used shipping boxes, begging for a creative transformation. Intuitively, we started shredding the cardboard and mixing it with water to make new paper sheets. While crafting these into bowls, lampshades and various art pieces, we simultaneously discovered our house had the name Langackerhäusl (long acre house) and felt the name should apply to whatever we create there. 17 years later, the name is as difficult to pronounce as ever, but totally unique and appropriate.


Papier Langackerhäusl (Ralf Stauss & Edward Richardson). Sculptures and clock: Cocoon, Paralell, Adobe, Column clock, 2023.


Could you take us through a typical day at your Langackerhäusl? What does your daily rhythm look like, and how do living and working in the same place shape your creativity and relationship with each other?
A typical day here involves a mixture of creative endeavors, domestic responsibilities and property upkeep, each offering its own sense of accomplishment. Growing our own vegetables, baking our own bread and sourcing our own firewood are welcome distractions that remind us of why and how we run our business. Since we both have our own workspace, we're able to proceed independently, meeting up for meals to compare ideas, review progress and give feedback. Teamwork is absolutely crucial for a balanced live/work environment, and although we are never really off, loving what you do and where you live make it all worthwhile.


Paper is often perceived as fragile, temporary and delicate. How did you come to choose paper as your primary material? What first drew you to exploring its strength, durability and potential as a jewelry material?
Experimenting with our shipping boxes was fundamental in discovering our affinity for working with paper. Available in a multitude of variations, each offering new possibilities, it soon became our medium of choice. Additionally, the idea of saving the world from another trash pile motivated us to take paper completely out of its typical, mundane context and transform it into something beautiful and desirable. For this reason, we consider our work as both decorative and functional art.


Papier Langackerhäusl (Ralf Stauss & Edward Richardson). Drop (bag) and IO (jewelry), 2024.
Bag: Paper, linen. Jewelry: Paper.


Papier Langackerhäusl (Ralf Stauss & Edward Richardson). Bag: Karavan, 2023. Paper, linen.


You mention that some ideas survive a contemplative walk through the forest and move forward into production. Can you tell us about a particular idea or piece that emerged from this relationship between walking, observing and creating?
Living and working amongst nature is both inspiring and humbling. Its majesty and resilience guide our creativity and give us perspective on how to proceed with a project- or, if we should proceed with it at all. Essentially, everything we make must pass the forest test before it is completed.


How does working with Kurotani Washi paper, created by Hatano Wataru, influence your creative process? What makes this particular material special for Fossil? What sparked the idea behind this collection, and what did you want people to feel when encountering these pieces?
Among the various papers we use, Kurotani Washi paper is held in especially high regard. Made by expert paper maker Hatano Wataru, we were able to travel to Japan and join him in his atelier near Kyoto, to oversee the impressive, centuries-old production process. Incredibly smooth and thin yet surprisingly durable, its ivory color and subtle shine resemble lightly polished bone. Rather than disguise this fact, we imagined an earthen tapestry where fossils present themselves as nature's heirlooms. Fashioned into jewelry, these pieces invite the wearer into a unique realm where accessory, art piece and artifact merge.


Papier Langackerhäusl (Ralf Stauss & Edward Richardson). Necklace & bracelet: Kugel, 2025. Paper.


Papier Langackerhäusl (Ralf Stauss & Edward Richardson). Bag: Porter, 2026. Paper, leather.


Your practice is rooted in an analog, zero-waste approach, with each piece made by hand and remaining in your workspace throughout its creation. How does this level of involvement influence the character and individuality of your jewelry?
Initially, our reluctance to use technology was purely from a financial standpoint. Years later, we still remain without smartphones and severely limit our digital interaction to keep the noise out and better focus on our own ideas. Ultimately, beauty is subjective and having the confidence to express and share your visions thoroughly is the artist's own reward.


What are the greatest challenges of working exclusively with natural materials and traditional, hand-based techniques, and how do these limitations become part of your creative language?
All materials have their limitations, but natural materials present the challenge of fulfilling a specific function, yet remaining organic. Water resistance, for example, is a logical concern regarding paper. Fortunately, for every natural problem, there is a natural solution. Our jewelry and handbags maintain their remarkable durability thanks to paper made from a mixture of cellulose and latex. While this does not ensure indestructibility, it presents a chemical-free alternative to those who would show respect for any element of nature.


Papier Langackerhäusl (Ralf Stauss & Edward Richardson). Necklace and earrings: Pollen, 2026. Paper.


If your jewelry could come from a future museum 500 years from now, what story would you want archaeologists to tell about it?
It would please us tremendously if, somehow, future generations were able to decipher our ideology and techniques from one of our pieces and be subsequently inspired to explore their own creativity.


A day in the life of Langackerhäusl
I wake up just before sunrise, regardless of the season.
The first thing I do in the morning is get some physical exercise, such as running or yoga.
Sometimes I miss the ocean.
My guilty pleasure is having cake every day.
My favorite jewelry designers is Alexander Calder and Elsa Peretti
At 6 PM, I am usually preparing something delicious for dinner.
The piece of jewelry I never take off is a strand of cotton yarn tied on my arm by a Buddhist monk in Thailand.
If I weren't working with paper, I would be working with other natural materials such as linen, wood or leather.
My favorite place in the village is the outskirts where my house sits.
The best thing about living at Langackerhäusl is the inspiration.
One thing I couldn't live without is the peace and quiet.
The piece from the Fossil collection that feels most personal to me is the cuffs, which I used my own wrist to create.


Ralf Stauss and Edward Richardson's rural home in Austria.


From September 30 to October 4, 2026, Bucharest will host the seventh edition of Romanian Jewelry Week, Romania’s largest international event dedicated to contemporary jewellery.
More than 300 designers from over 50 countries will bring a diverse range of perspectives, practices and sensibilities from the international contemporary jewellery scene to the Romanian capital.

For the full programme, visit www.romanianjewelryweek.com.

 

About the Interviewee

Papier Langackerhäusl is a creative studio founded by Ralf Stauss and Edward Richardson, who work from their rural home in Austria. Their diverse backgrounds in costume design, tailoring, graphic design and visual styling inform a practice centred on paper, from functional objects to sculptural and decorative works. Their work combines traditional craftsmanship with an interest in nature, simplicity and sustainable ways of working.

Website: langackerhaeusl.at
Instagram: @langackerhaeusl

About the author

Alexandra Bujenita is the PR manager of Romanian Jewelry Week team, Art developer of Creative team of Imbold Cultural Foundation, PR account at Hello Menthol.