House Beautiful Next up on our tour of the essentials for a beautiful home is the Chinese folding screen. Whether in a living room, dining room, bedroom, or study, it becomes an instant focal point. Here is more inspiration. Michael S. Smith Ashley Goforth Petr Durham Peter Frank
how to add chinoiserie decor to your home
Scott Snyder This is quite a kitchen. The Chinese Chippendale table and chairs and the Greek key floor are incredible. And a preemptive strike against the inevitable comments about how this is not practical. Not everyone has little kids and/or spends their days cooking. Many people carry out or order in or eat out. Many people buy prepared foods and microwave. Many people have outdoor kitchens like here in Florida. A growing trend is a wet and a dry kitchen. Many people today including baby boomers and empty nesters want a kitchen that looks like the rest of their home. I don't cook. Been there/done that. I use my range once in a blue moon. And I know this is weird, but I have never liked hot food. I love sushi, salads, poke, sandwiches, cold soups, cheese = especially here in South Florida. This designer is based in Palm Beach BTW. If I redo my kitchen, it will have marble countertops and chinoiserie wallpaper panels and glass and brass shelving. I wonder what the floor is? Tiled? Painted concrete? Another view.
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Chinoiserie encorporates Chinese design in Western art, furniture and architecture. See how interior designers have used this classical style in decor.
The last word in opulence
These stunning murals and decorative painting are the work of Irish artist Michael Dillon. His commissions include fantasy murals, historical decorations, trompe l'oeil, furniture, and luxury packaging. He has done commissions around the world including North America, the West Indies, Africa, France, Spain, England, and Ireland. If you have been to London, you may have seen his work at the Fountain Restaurant and Food Hall at Fortnum & Mason. He particularly enjoys combining people, animals, landscapes, and architecture in "Excursions into Fantasy."I of course am especially drawn to his Chinoiserie work some of which is pictured here. Learn more about him here.
This storied country house, where everything is beautifully of one style, challenges the modern idea that eclecticism is the way to go with décor
Some of you may recall this cover from Veranda with a dining room in one of the homes of Furlow Gatewood. It is a great favorite of mine. A new book on Furlow Gatewood by Julia Reed called One Man's Folly is at the top of my book list. One Man's Folly Here are some photos of the wonderful homes of Furlow Gatewood filled with dogs, peacocks, and Chinoiserie. Thanks so much for all of the emails and comments I received on yesterday's post about the death of my dearest friend. They mean so much to me.
Chinoiserie encorporates Chinese design in Western art, furniture and architecture. See how interior designers have used this classical style in decor.
Wallpaper material: 100% dyed silk. Wallpaper pattern: hand-painted Price: List price for 1 panel, 3ft * 8t Sample : in stock can arrange shipping immediately: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1089625475/12-16-sample-in-stock-for-chinoiserie?click_key=3916a5e60269728aef2b7c263ed71c17f97c73dc%3A1089625475&click_sum=0370dd06&ref=shop_home_active_31&frs=1 Custom design work: Custom size, color and design are available. Designs may be adjusted to fit any wall space or configuration, based on customer supplied wall elevations or dimensions. Designs may be adjusted to fit around doors and windows, up stairway walls and also singular, self contained panels appropriate for framing within wall. Order Process If you want to order one standard panel of 3 by 6 ft to be framed as artwork, you can just order through this listing. If you want to order for a custom project, please enquiry us before ordering, we will be happy to make the whole process a mutual artistic experience for both sides. Wallpaper Price The listed price is for a standard panel of 3 by 6 ft and that is promotion price after discounts. For custom project, please enquiry us. Contact Us or send inquiry to our sales (www.chinoiseriedecor.com) for we can reply it within 12 hours. If you are interested in any of those patterns, please send us message. We are here at your disposal.
Victoria Press - Vogue UK Isn't this a wonderful example of how to incorporate Chinoiserie in your office, study, or library? A beautiful Chinoiserie desk and a collection of blue and white Chinese po
This Week: The Artist to Watch Now, The Photographers to Know Artist Michael Duté Spent More than Six Years Creating His Dream-world Studio and Home in Berlin. Magical Realism Adorns Each Room. Every brushstroke is his. Michael Duté's residence was photographed by leading European photographers, David Hiepler and Fritz Brunier whose daring world-wide photographic exploits include massive cargo ships at sea, terrifying industrial complexes, Capri island escapes and romantic landscapes. Their everyday goal: to photograph projects of bravery, boldness and imagination. (Read their biographies, and see their portraits below.) Please pour yourself cold glass of handcrafted German beer, or make a bracing pot of Assam tea—or fix some strawberry lemonade. It’s a long detailed post (an artist’s biography, really) and I want you to take it all in. This week we are celebrating six years of writing/editing/producing THE STYLE SALONISTE. Each week’s post from Day One is crafted exclusively by a team of two. I’m the editor, the writer, the photo editor, the fact-checker, the copy editor (sorry for errors), and burner of the midnight oil. The brilliant Brian Dittmar is art director. Watch next week for more about ‘SIX YEARS OF THE STYLE SALONISTE’. Both Brian and I thank our fantastic readers, our followers and passionate fans. It has been a grand and great adventure, global and far-reaching and at the same time very intimate. For more than six, seven years, decorative artist (and fine art painter) Michael Duté has been transforming the walls and ceilings of his Berlin cottage into realms of his imagination. I’ve shown you earlier versions of this work in progress on THE STYLE SALONISTE over the years. Now it is almost complete. You are seeing it here first. The living room became a Schloss, his studio a temple of Chinoiserie, with each world and narrative and architecture detail finely hand-detailed. Images of wit and charm—and drama—spiral and leap and dance across each surface. He awakes and he’s in Imperial China, or Catherine the Great’s retreat, or Ludwig’s Bavaria. “I say hooray! Kinda can't believe it. Then again, running off to Berlin has been soooo inspiring. My apartment is far beyond what I had imagined, and my paintings are a direct result of all things new and challenging and amazing.” “I’m willing to put in years of effort to make these paintings exceptional and timeless. This way of working is very fulfilling. I never tire of these paintings. There’s always a detail, a color, or scene or an implied interaction that captures my attention.”—Michael Duté Painting for hours a day, and often for weekends at a stretch, Dute executes his murals, ceilings and painted woodwork in the minutest detail, down to the frothy waves on lively seascapes, the belts and ornamentation on Chinese robes. “My vision is to suggest the residence of an 18th-century French or Italian philosopher/scientist who was crazy for the idea of China or Paris ,” said Dute. “He had never actually been to China or France or the Veneto. But he’d seen paintings and porcelains. They were the inspiration.”—Michael Duté At Home with Michael Duté Come with me for a chat, the inside scoop on his work, his life in Berlin, his wit and charm. And for my many readers who have stacks of my books on their shelves…please check the pages of ‘California Country’ and ‘San Francisco Interiors’ and others (Chronicle Books) for earlier summer tents, apartments and Michael’s painted worlds. DDS: Michael—it is great to chat at such an exciting time in your life. I’ve known you for…can it be twenty years…and you’ve never been happier. You are so successful in Berlin, and you’re a European TV star and magazine star, and so admired. Let's look back several years. You were a decorative artist in San Francisco, and all the top designers loved your work. And suddenly you split. Berlin. And you didn’t speak a word of German. MD: Thanks Diane! Yeah, lots happening for me in Berlin right now. I scored my Euro-digs house in 2008, thinking I'd spilt my time between San Francisco and the German capital. My original goal was to simply enjoy a bit of the European lifestyle, to expand my horizons, play American artist abroad, that kind of thing. Before I knew it however, I was hooked! Hayes Valley in San Francisco had lost its edgy artsy appeal and the craving to shake things up a bit took hold. I wanted action and adventure, found myself bouncing off my beautifully painted walls, decided to take drastic measures. So in August 2009 I got rid of everything I owned, hopped on a plane, and jetted off to start a new life in a new city. Amazing to think back. Wow. New life indeed! It has been a fantastic experience and just keeps getting better. DDS: You found a house in a garden neighborhood. Was it the bare walls that were calling you? MD: I now reside quite happily in Wilmersdorf, central Berlin, in the former West. I found an apartment in a straightforward German Wohnhaus, which is painted a sunny yellow, built at the turn of the last century. I was drawn to the place immediately. Outside charming, inside as simple as simple could be. Bare white walls, massive windows, not a stick of molding to hinder my artistic efforts. It was perfect for painting. Lucky me. I have a beautiful balcony overlooking a charming Kleingartenkolonie (little garden colony) right on the Volkspark. My neighborhood is basically one giant garden. The constant chorus of songbirds is an added delight. It's old school, nice and quiet, the opposite of trendy. I paint away happily there with my big sky view. It's the ideal European hideaway. My home is modest in size...66 Quadratmeter. I've no idea what that is in square footage as I've gone metric by now. (DDS: It’s 710 square feet approx.) Fourth floor, though you would say fifth. Nearest landmark is Rathaus Schöneberg where John F. Kennedy gave his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech. Looking north from my balcony I can see the broken spire of the Gedächtniskirche and the rotating Mercedes Stern (star) on Kurfürstendamm in Charlottenburg, the bustling heart of former West Berlin. I’m just a quick bike ride away or three stops on the U-Bahn. I bike everywhere in Berlin. It's one of the reasons I love living here. DDS: You set to work to transform your dwelling into your own fantasy. Day and night you are painting. The dream comes to life. MD: You said it...transformation...turn a modest, stripped down apartment into a fabulous eighteenth-century folly. I wanted to take it a step up from my place in San Francisco. I wanted to put my skills to the test, to see what I was capable of. I started with blue. I didn't have a blue room in SF. Seemed logical, especially as I was influenced by the light and the colors of the European sky. I started with my blue & white ceiling...simple, fresh, and the floral motif a nod to the Gartenkolonie below. Then I moved on to Chinoiserie. Hmmm, I'm not sure if that was before or after I started studying German, but things were getting more complex, a bit more intense, I was going for it. Turns out I was a terrible student but my painting skills sure had improved. Something to do with brainpower, acquiring knowledge, discipline. While attending the Goethe Institute, I coined the phrase "In einem Gemälde zu leben", to live inside a painting. For that I felt accomplished and called an end to my formal studies. It was time to focus on my art and enjoy meine Freiheit, my freedom. DDS: And you were becoming, indeed, ‘a Berliner’. MD: Berlin has so much to offer...a vibrant art and cultural scene, a mind- boggling history, a slew of mostly reconstructed Palaces, nightlife. Wow. As I got to know the city and really get the hang of things (the language included) its influence grew on me. My artwork took on more depth, acquired more layers, as if to reflect the complexities of this fascinating place. I had to paint more and more...more intricate details, then faster, simpler, and as simple as possible even...a series of autobiographical paintings. In them, amusing, often anguished characters tell the story of my new life, of getting rid of everything I owned and running off to Berlin, of making new friends, of language and love, the highs and lows of everything I experienced outside of my (four) walls. Quite funny. Quite the opposite of my hard-core interiors. I’ve been mixing it up lately. DDS: In the living room you created a masterpiece. MD: Thank you. It’s one giant painting, absurdly complex and finally coming together. I started with a much simpler scheme but Berlin got me all hopped up, brought out my best, my desire to not just succeed but to excel. I decided to go for Baroque. I started painting over the simple architectural elements that I had laid in previously. Swirling purple marble columns were suddenly in order. Then they had to be taller, everything taller in order to emphasize the high ceilings. I elongated the wall panels and marbleized the dark Tiergarten green, added curvy inlays, accentuated them with brightly colored shields and semi-precious stones. Gilded palms and obelisks, romantic landscapes and the “Green Scene” followed. Though I insist on saying no to faux, there was no way around it, everything had to be marbleized...the heroic crown molding, bold red door and window surrounds, massive corner brackets that will one day support costumed figures...so much still to be done. As work progressed, everything came into balance...the scale, the rhythm, the architecture and the colors. The grisaille door-surround and handsome troll opposite provide a bit of relief from the saturated palette. When I removed the door to the entry hall to paint around it I immediately realized that it had to go. I constructed a delicate frame and added mirrors to transition into the Chinoiserie...a neat trick. The room is far more ambitious than I had ever imagined it to be. I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve toiled away on these four walls or how many more I will have to dedicate in order to see it through to completion. For now though I’m satisfied. The room has power, mystery, romance and reads as fairly complete. Also important to me is it that it seems authentic, an actual treasure of a room from the eighteenth- century. It has become my Denkmal (monument/tribute) to the lost architectural treasures of Berlin. DDS: Tell us about the materials you use. Your colors of the beautiful Chinoiserie murals and the soft palette as well as the drama—just magical. MD: I use artist’s acrylics. I mix them with high-quality wall paints. Nothing fancy, just a matter of manipulation, of getting the paints to do what I want them to do. DDS: You have great delicacy and technique for the finest details. Leaves, faces, pagodas, up-close, the refinement of your paintings is glorious. MD: Again, thanks. I think it’s just a matter of practice make perfect. I’ve always had a pretty good grip on concept and color, of architecture and composition...the basics. Over the years my detail work has gotten much more refined. I try to keep it loose. I obsess. I loosen it up again. Figures and faces as simple as possible. They need personality of course, as much as I can endow with a few brushstrokes. I alternate washes and solid applications of color for landscapes. Fantasy buildings, easy. Leaves...every stroke counts! Techniques, I keep as simple as possible. Styles, inspiration...anything eighteenth-century, kooky Baroque. DDS: Then there is the woodland fantasy. It looks as if you're living in a country chateau (or Schloss, since you are in Germany). MD: Germany offers lots of inspiration. Folly, pleasure pavilion, little hunting lodge in a wooded Prussian park. Mine happens to overlook the Gartenkolonie so I painted flowers on the ceiling, tossed in Prussian domes and an antler or two, then six, eight, twelve, a couple more large ones. I hung a couple of my paintings in there for added fun. Berlin is forested, so green. There are bunnies and foxes and wild boars running loose all over town. DDS: You've spent years and it is all painted directly on the walls. MD: Yes. Well, mainly...layered with works on canvas or wood panels...the furnishings too, all painted. DDS: It's the artist. Your dream and dedication created this beauty. MD: It has taken me six and-a-half, seven years so far. It finally comes together. And now that I have a new painting studio, I’ve gotten my scaffolding, tools, supplies and paints out, replacing them bit by bit with auction house finds...a chest, a chair, a pair of lanterns. I enhance them. I paint them. They become a part of my world adding even more depth to the murals. DDS: You look to Italian Renaissance painters for their technical expertise. Which artists have inspired you with this project and other work? MD: Yes and yes. The Italian Renaissance artists, architects too... unbelievable...I strive. Otherwise I haven’t needed much inspiration for this project. I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to achieve and dove into the work without hesitation. Then it’s up to the work. I just have to pay attention and follow along, see what it calls for, what it needs...and make it bigger, taller, more color, something funny here, there. DDS: What about the Chinoiserie? MD: Must have Chinoiserie. I love it. It’s witty, full of detail, and has its own quirks. So many artists in 18th-century Europe, from France to Sweden to Denmark and Germany and Poland, even Brazil and Ecuador—loved the charm and flourish of Chinoiserie. So influential. DDS: Where else do you look for inspiration? Berlin is full of art. MD: The Berliners...my crazy genius amazing friends here. DDS: When you are not painting what museums do you like to visit. I love the Egyptian collection, and the Altes Museum, and everything on the 'museum island'. MD: Berlin has amazing museums. I like to have cake under the dome of the Bode Museum and I often ride my bike to the Neue National Galerie just to hang out on the terrace of the Mies van der Rohe pavilion, there by the Calder with a view onto the sunken sculpture garden. DDS: You are so lucky to be able to head over to the Pergamon, and other treasuries of art. Which are your favorites? MD: I also love bike rides to palace gardens...to Schloss Charlottenburg in Berlin or out to Gruenewald to the Hunting Schloss on the lake. I dig the grotto room at the New Palace in Potsdam and find Schloss Koepenick perfectly charming...the stuccoed Wappensaal is amazing. DDS: You love to laugh and create wit. And then there are your dog portraits. MD: Right. Life is an adventure, full of surprises, best not to take things too seriously. I include all kinds of amusing details into my wall paintings to delight my more observant guests. There is humor in everything, in the struggles of day-to-day, in language. Words can be hilarious. I love to paint about these things, the funny and the absurd. The dog portraits are from the series ‘Heroes & Strays’ 2009, which chronicles my story of running off to Berlin, of an unsure yet hopeful future in a new city. In 2010 I painted ‘You Can’t Go Wrong’ a dark-humored take on another (more difficult) year in Berlin...so demented. DDS: Artists you admire? MD: Edward Gorey...his Gashleycrumb Tinies especially. You know...A is for Amy who fell down the stairs... love that! Rock music inspires me. I like poetry and in-your-face lyrics. Words play a big part in my recent work, each painting a story. DDS: What are your next plans? I hear you are going to Barcelona, and working on projects in California, having an exhibit at Erin Martin's Martin gallery in St. Helena, California. MD: Wow, 2015 has been a great year so far. I scored my Atelier and got right to work on a new series of paintings. I put quite a bit of effort into my apartment, and had a massive photo shoot documenting all my Berlin work to- date. I’ve appeared on TV (I secretly aspire to become a German Television Personality) and had nifty stories in the Berlin press. I’ll be in AD Germany in October. I kicked off my acting career, playing three roles in a brilliantly twisted art film. Great fun. I am debuting my Berlin Paintings. I brought seven of them to California with me. They now hang at Erin Martin’s oh-so-stylin’ gallery in St Helena. Mark you calendar...I’m having a big show there in September and it’s going to be really good! I’ll be in Berlin for a relaxing summer. I’ll ride my bike and paint in my studio. I do have a couple of collaborations in-store, a photo thing with a Spanish musician friend. I’ll be painting for my show in September at Erin Martin’s. I’m really excited about my new work. The latest series is called Really Off the Guest List! It’s about meeting new people, making new friends (or not). Speaking of friends, it’s always great to have this conversation with you. Thanks, Diane. DDS: Michael, thank you so much. Your work is thrilling and I admire your dedication and artistic expression. Continued success and joy and pleasure with everything. I can’t wait to see what’s next. Portrait of the Artist Michael Dute’s artistry would have done Louis XVI or Gustav III proud. It is all the more impressive to discover that Duté has never formally studied the techniques of fine art. “I arrived in San Francisco in 1989 from Philadelphia and I didn’t even know I wanted to be a painter,” said Dute, who had previously designed fabrics and crafted ceramics. “I answered an advertisement for an ‘artist’s assistant’,” recalled Duté. “I needed a job and knew I could rise to the artistic challenge.” Fortunately for Duté, the artist was the magnanimous Carlo Marchiori, a world-renowned master muralist and decorative artist who lives in Calistoga. I’ve published his work, and Ca’Toga, his famous villa in northern Napa Valley here on THE STYLE SALONISTE. http://www.thestylesaloniste.com/2011/02/fantasy-runs-rampant-artists-fantasy.html “My first assignment was to paint murals in a Las Vegas hotel,” said Duté. “From Carlo, I learned how to render in 3D. It was a crash course and Carlo was a great instructor.” Today, Michael lives in Berlin and works on decorative arts projects around the world. In the summer, he often works on mural/decorative art projects throughout Northern California for top designer Erin Martin. What’s next? “I was able to kick off my acting career as well. Impromptu screen test last summer and I got the part! Recently twelve hours at the theater filming a couple of outrageous scenes for a genius art piece. Amazing,” he said. “All fun and fascinating. Most enjoyable. Berlin. And upcoming in the fall is a painting show of my new work at Martin Gallery, Erin Martin’s great space in St. Helena, Northern California.” CONTACT: [email protected] Photographers David Hiepler and Fritz Brunier PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS: All photography by leading German photographers, Hiepler Bruner, used with express permission of the photographers. www.hiepler-brunier.de/ Fotografie berlin – architekturfotografie, landschaftsfotografie, interiorfotografie industriefotografie werbefotografie interior magazine photography. Landscape photography. Industrial photography. Kreuzbergstraße 30, 10965 Berlin, Germany +49 30 61303370 David Hiepler was born 1969 in Düsseldorf, Germany and raised in Basel, Switzerland. By the influence of his father, a successful creative director and one of the key figures in the early years of German advertising, David got in touch with photography in his early age. When he was 17, David had a year abroad in England, where he bought his first SLR and learned to develop and print in B&W. After his return he started to work as a lightning technician in the well know theater of Basel. Fritz Brunier was born 1972 and raised in a tiny village in Bavaria. After receiving his grandfather’s old camera as a birthday present he was infected by the virus of photography in an instant. He spent the first money he earned during his school holidays as a construction worker for a brand new Nikon-SLR and improved his skills as an photographer from there on. By the age of 16 he was establishing the photographic laboratory at his secondary school. After receiving his A-levels Fritz spend some time working at a small-town photographer's studio were he first came in contact with commercial photography. In 1992 they both moved to Berlin to study photography at the venerable Lette-Verein Academy. As fellow students David and Fritz immediately started to work together on a couple of projects including their first exhibition in a little gallery in Berlin. The cold war had just ended and the city was in radical transition. David and Fritz early recognized the need of highly professional architecture photography. In their personal work they questioned the traditional ways of this field and pushed the borders of architecture photography. After receiving an award at "architekturbild", the European architecture photography awards, they started to do business together as hiepler, brunier, and worked for several architects and some influential magazines. In the following their work has been shown at many galleries, museums and festivals all over Europe. Very quickly their unique and objective style where brought to advertising companies where they were within the first photographers who where specialized in the field of architecture photography. They became competent consultants for architectonic topics of all kinds within advertising. Over the years they have expanded their portfolio with landscape, interior and industrial photography. Also in this segments they remained and even emphasized their unique, laconic, objective, and wittingly constructed handwriting that has influenced many other photographers. Hiepler, brunier, worked for International clients like David Chipperfield Architects, AD Architectural Digest(Germany, France, Russia, China), Vogue, Glamour, Vanity Fair, VW, Audi, Siemens AG and Telekom.
Eddie Lee - House BeautifulThis is it = Gracie Chinoiserie wallpaper, Calcutta Gold marble floor and wainscoting, freestanding tub, brass fitttings, and a vintage round mirror. I am saving this for my
Have your own little zoo A very hot trend in interior design is very cold dead animals. I personally can't get enough of this look. Mounted heads and antlers and real zebra skin rugs have been around for years. But recently, dead peacocks have become a popular look with interior designers. I especially like using dead stuffed animals in the entryway to greet your guests or in the dining room to whet the appetite. Here is a picture gallery to inspire you. I love the dead animals even more when they are dressed up in hats, jewelry, monocles, bows, unicorn horns, even your wedding dress. A brilliant idea is to cut up and sew together dead animals, especially baby ones, to create fantasy dead animals as wall art. So chic!!!! The mounted baby dead animals would be so fabulous in a nursery or child's room - the stuff of dreams. I mentioned last week that flamingos are the next big thing in interior design - I can't wait to see a dead stuffed flamingo in someone's home - so much more tasteful than the plastic yard ones. Make sure to pop over to The Glam Pad today to see my virtual makeover of the living room in the Chinese Village House. My new April Ideabook on Houzz is on Flamingos - please go check it out too. UPDATE - Flamingo in a living room - not sure if this is faux or real Deborah Lloyd's home - a rare albino peacock wearing a Kate Spade necklace For Deborah Lloyd, one dead peacock was not enough Anna Sui's home Elle Decor Jeffrey Bilhuber - Elle Decor Jeffrey Bilhuber - New York Social Diary Alexis and Trevor Traina's home - Vogue Celery Kemble - Lonny Celery Kemble - Lonny Lonny - a peacock on the mantel and a horn or tusk below Interior designer Melanie Turner loves greeting guests with her dead rhea - nothing says welcome to my home like a dead animal The dead rhea looks great with the mongolian lamb stools Greeting guests Melanie Turner's dead rhea apparently walks - here he is in her living room Just say NO to dead animals as decor
House Beautiful Next on the list from House Beautiful's list of must haves for the beautiful home is a butler's pantry. This is a funny choice to me, as I bet not 1% of homes have one. But I included it because I love the room lacquered in Chinese Blue and the Chinoiserie wallpaper in the room beyond. Let's look at some Chinoiserie influenced butler's pantries if you are lucky enough to have one. Kellie Griffin - Cole & Son Aldwych wallpaper House Beautiful - Clarence House Tibet wallpaper Terrat Elms 2013 Hampton Designer Showhouse - Scalamandre Zebras
Chinoiserie style is all about vibrant colors, patterns, and exotic motifs. The vintage style has found its perfect match in the bold and fun-loving souls of the grand millennial.
Take inspiration from the East and add touches of chinoiserie to your dream home, with sumptuous wallpaper and exquisitely detailed china and ceramics
So many wonderful new books were released last fall, and I am still sifting through to share my favorites… One that I found particularly intriguing is Life at the Top: New York’s Most Exceptional Apartment Buildings from Vendome Press. This new book offers a historic overview of Manhattan’s most splendid apartment buildings, chronicling the dramatic shifts in […]
Chinoiserie encorporates Chinese design in Western art, furniture and architecture. See how interior designers have used this classical style in decor.
Andrew Racquet A common conundrum is what patterns combine well with Chinoiserie wallpaper and fabrics. A favorite of mine is faux bois (from the French for false wood). Its subtle organic quality mak
Miles Redd
Source? I would love to know the source, all you smart followers, but I love the indoor garden with cherry blossom branches in a blue and white Chinese porcelain vase and a palm in a blue and white Chinese porcelain planter.
Take note of these tips from your favorite designers.
RU Knitting Blue Willow socks.
Cake Atelier Amsterdam As you might have guessed, I love blue and white Chinese porcelain for my flowers. Here is a stunning arrangement of roses, tulips, ranunculus, and anemones.
Gloria Vanderbilt latterly lived among items with personal freight only. At the heiress’s New York home, her son Anderson Cooper is our guide
This week, I’m introducing the marvelous Russian interior designer, Kirill Istomin. He worked with Parish-Hadley, and you’ll see that Kirill has both the architectural astuteness of Mr. Hadley, and the whimsical, playful style of Mrs. Parish. We visit a charming royal pavilion with a history dating back to 1820. It’s in a royal park near St. Petersburg and now displays delightful interiors Kirill recently designed. The imperial Russian obsession with Chinoiserie has a fascinating history and many plot twists, not to mention destruction and a phoenix-like new beginning. We’re examining Russian Chinoiserie as well. Come with me for a chat with Kirill Istomin about this project. And I have expert information on the Russian obsession with Chinoiserie, from my great friend, Olga Bychek, the top culture and architecture and design guide in St. Petersburg. I was visiting the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg a few years ago with Olga and we first saw the Chinese Village at Tsarskoe Selo, as we walked in Alexander Park. We walked across the newly restored Chinese bridge, and we wondered about the pavilions in the park, which seemed at the time to be deserted. Now we know. They were restored, after many years of neglect, by patrons of Russian architecture and history. One pavilion, a weekend retreat, is in the very accomplished hands of Kirill Istomin. Kirill Istomin, who studied design at Parsons and worked in New York, is one of the top designers in Russia. He has offices in New York and Moscow. If you live in Moscow or St. Petersburg, and are involved in the design, architecture, art, and style worlds there, you would be very familiar with the polished and accomplished interior design by Kirill. He seems to be in every issue of AD Russia and Elle Décoration Russia. He has clients in New York, Kazakhstan, Paris, London, and Portofino and the San Francisco area. A Conversation with Kirill Istomin — Superb Russian Style: For the Love of Chinoiserie DDS: Kirill, I am so happy to be publishing your Chinoiserie-inspired interiors. I am fascinated that in the late eighteenth century, Russian royalty was crazy for Chinese Imperial architecture and art and porcelains. They avidly studied books on the style. KI: I am thrilled to have my project featured on The Style Saloniste. Thank you for having me! Starting from the second quarter of the 18th century Russian royals and aristocracy were fascinated by European fashion of Chinoiserie. The Imperial courts of China were considered to have the ultimate taste and refinement. Russian kings and emperors were particularly influenced by French and Prussian courts. As you know, Catherine the Great was born a German princess herself, so it's was very natural she was very interested in European architecture and decor. At the early years of her reign, Chinoiserie vogue was at its peak. A kind of mania. Embroidered silk textiles, paintings, lacquerwork, fantasy pavilions, porcelains, temples, bridges, statuary, figures, doors, carving, ornament-- her architects worked with them. DDS: I have traveled in St. Petersburg extensively, and have seen that exotic cluster of ‘Chinese Village’ pavilions in the Alexander Park. We wondered who was living there now. It’s your client—with your fantasy interiors. KI: My clients helped to restore the Chinese Village at Tzarskoe Selo after it was ruined during WW II. The village was originally commissioned by Catherine the Great as a series of small guest cottages for visiting nobles. It consists of a Chinese pagoda in the middle and twelve small one-story cottages around - all done in a fairytale imaginary Chinese style. My clients stay in one of the twelve pavilions. Since it's mainly used as their weekend retreat its fancy decor never gets too tiring. DDS: With the new décor, you honor the original concept of this style—but you’ve brought it up to date with no heavy period feeling. KI: No records survived of how rooms looked like before the revolution. I had complete carte blanche from the client, every decorator's dream! The idea was to create fun and happy decor with some references to original historical architecture. Not the exact accurate copy of outside decor but something rather new being inspired by 18th whimsy. I wanted to keep same fairytale ambiance but make it modern and suitable for contemporary living. I hope the empress herself would have been pleased with the final decor if she lived today. DDS: The colors and fabrics create a light-hearted feeling to the rooms. KI: I love color and beautiful fabrics! It's a great tool to transform rooms quickly and doesn't require a big budget. I start working on the interior architecture and furniture layout together with choosing fabrics and textures. It all happens simultaneously. It's just my way of decorating spaces! Pavilion facades are beautifully decorated with Chinese ornaments and different signs based on archival documents which show how cottages looked back in the 18th c. All outside decor is painted so my clients have to freshen it up every two years from Russian winters. I used colors of the facade decor as inspiration for wallpapers and fabrics in the rooms. All walls except study are white which create a perfect background for fun looking antiques, Chinese export porcelain and colorful upholstery; there is nothing very expensive in the decor. We used lots of good-looking vintage and antiques pieces. While working on this project clients and I gathered a nice collection of antique Chinese export porcelain. Our pride is a fun set of antique Chinese teapots from he late Brooke Astor's estate. A set of five large Imari vases in the study is, however, museum quality. Besides this it’s all about good-looking colorful visuals rather than serious pieces. Custom upholstery adds comfort to rooms. DDS: The fabrics and colors refer to the gardens just outside the windows. KI: Yes, it's exactly what the initial idea was. A weekend retreat. Fun, easy and whimsical were the key words of the project! I think we succeeded in this. DDS: I love the Chinoiserie style of the baseboards and the doorways. It’s a witty counterpoint. KI: Painted ornament on baseboards and doorways in the living room was copied from the Chinese study at Peterhof Palace - another royal palace outside St. Petersburg built by Empress Elizabeth, Peter the Great's daughter. The original ornament in Elizabeth's study had touches of gold but here I decided to simplify it and use no gold but cheery colors instead. DDS: Kirill, thank you. It’s a great pleasure to chat and learn about this interesting period in Russian style history. Bravo to you. KI: Thank you very for expressing interest in my work. I hope readers will enjoy the images of the rooms. The photography was done by the great Fritz Von Der Schulenburg. It was a big privilege having him shoot the project. The Fantasy This Chinese Pavilion, with interiors by Kirill Istomin, is set among birch trees and meandering streams and even a highly ornamental Chinese bridge, in Alexander Park. It's adjacent to the Catherine Palace, in Tsarskoe (also spelled Tzarskoe) Selo about half an hour’s drive from St. Petersburg. It was designed by the celebrated Antonio Rinaldi, who had already built for Catherine the superb and legendary Chinese Palace at Oranienbaum. (I've been fortunate to visit that summer pavilion several times...it's the one with bugle-bead embroidered Chinese designs on t he walls.) Simple upturned roofs were homage to Orientalism. The village was one of the first architectural victims of the Nazi invasion, and was completely gutted during the shelling of Pushkin in 1941, as were the Catherine Palace and the Hermitage. The village has been fully restored, and the cottages once again serve as apartments, leased to help raise funds for the restoration of the park. The Chinese Village consists of ten single-storey cottages surrounding an octagonal pagoda-observatory. The Fashion for Chinoiserie Special insight on the Russian passion for Chinoiserie, from my great friend, Olga Bychek, the top St. Petersburg culture guide. Olga—whom I was fortunate to meet on my first tip to St. Petersburg some years ago, recently opened her own specialist guide company, Be Happy Russia. Details about Olga and her company below. I asked Olga about the royal Russian obsession with Chinoiserie. She told me, “From as early as the 17th century) Russian royal leaders saw art and porcelains and architectural studies from China and it became a sign of prestige to copy them. “This love and avid admiration of Chinoiserie in Russia starts at the time of Peter the Great. There was a great interest in Chinese fine porcelain, porcelain ware, porcelain objets de fantaisie (figurines, seashells, fruit), porcelain studies/rooms. During his trip to Europe in 1712-15 the Russian tsar saw how European monarchs competed with each other – saw porcelain studies of the Prussian royal residences and the collection of his ally in the Northern war – king August II of Saxony. Peter I as usual, wanted to exceed Europe in everything. This resulted in having a Lacquer Room (1720-22) designed in Monplaisir Palace in Peterhof (viewable today) and making big orders of Chinese-inspired porcelain in Holland and directly in China to decorate palaces in St. Petersburg. “Chinese architecture, temples, motifs, embroidery, jade, glassware, graphic imagery, lacquer screens, bugle beadwork, jewels, gold, silver, and artistry all inspired Russian as a kind of “Paradise of Enlightment”. Chinese ‘exoticism’ was a mania at the end of 18th century as reflected in Voltaire’s work). And many examples—the Chinese Pavilion at Oranienbaum, and the Chinese Village at Tsarskoe Selo) can be visited today. “It’s interesting to see that the Swedish royal court, and French and English and German monarchs were also obsessed with Chinoiserie in the 18th century. Italians and Portuguese kings as well. None of them actually went to China. But everone wanted the status of Chinese artistry, craft, and style. They did not need to visit China—they studied books, drawings, paintings, and brought specialist artists and architects to copy.” Thank you, Olga. The Chinese Palace at Oranienbaum near St. Petersburg is a fine example of Chinoiserie from the eighteenth century. In particular, the legendary beaded panels of one of the rooms shows bugle beads sewn onto silk with Chinoiserie images of cranes and trees. The billiard toom there has Chinoiserie styles mixed with Russian. I propose: make a plan to visit St. Petersburg and view the Chinese palace. But check with Olga first to make sure it is open. It is often closed for restoration. About the Chinese Pavilions and Village The big “Rotunda” Pavilion seen from a distance makes a compositional center of the village today. “The Rotunda” was restored in 1990s by architect Kalikow with funds from Pushkin Development A/S which leased the Village 25 years ago (in 1991) for 49 years (the longest possible leasing period in Russia). Now there are 28 apartments that can be used as guesthouses. They are private—but can be viewed in the park. About Kirill Istomin Russian interior designer Kirill Istomin worked for Albert Hadley before starting his namesake firm with headquarters in Moscow and NYC. Istomin is known internationally for his colorful and playful high-end designs with contemporary takes on classical European design traditions. His design firm manages projects in France, Italy, Great Britain, Russia and the U.S. Istomin's fine arts degree in interior design is from Parsons, New York. He began his career at the iconic interior design firms, Parish- Hadley. Parish – Hadley afforded Istomin an unparalleled experience collaborating with the patriarch of American design Albert Hadley. In Russia, Istomin writes a column for Elle Decoration, and he has been featured numerous times in AD Russia as one of the top designers in the country. Istomin has received international awards, including twice being awarded by Decorators Club of New York for “Excellence in Interior Design of Residential Architectural and Historical Landmarks” and for “Best Design”. About Olga Bychek Olga Bychek is the top culture, architecture, art and design guide in St. Petersburg with a dazzling international roster of clients. She is the CEO and founder of BeHappyRussia Travel Company, St. Petersburg. I’ve worked with Olga in St. Petersburg. She is an engaging and charming guide. Her English is flawless and she is devoted to creating an in-depth, custom experience for each client. I’ve referred many clients to her, including Sting and Denise Hale and Glenda Bailey and Ralph Rucci and many academics and architects and designers. She has Expert Council on the Guides’ State Accreditation, and is a Committee for Investments and Strategic Projects of St. Petersburg Government, Board Member. She is greeted by name at the entrances of the Hermitage and royal palaces, and she and her guests are welcomed and they enter first. Most importantly for visitors to palaces and museums she is a State-Accredited Guide of St. Petersburg and its suburbs (Top category, License ID #01572 issued by the Committee for Investments and Strategic Projects of St. Petersburg Government, Russia). She engages with groups and individual travelers. Tours she offers: Hermitage, Fabergé Museum, State Russian Museum, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Sts. Peter and Paul Fortress, Church on the Spilled Blood, Yussupov Palace, Peterhof palaces and parks, Faberge Museum, Catherine Palace, Alexander Palace, Pavlovsk, Peter I’s log cabin, Rivers and Canals. In particular she offers exclusive tours on Musical life in St. Petersburg at the time of Nicholai Rimsky-Korsakov; Fashion in St. Petersburg(20th century); Romantic St. Petersburg; Life of Nevsky Prospect (past and present); Art Nouveau in St. Petersburg architecture; Constructivism in Leningrad architecture; History of St. Petersburg Mansions; Memorial places of Peter I, Last Romanovs; Political murders; Bolsheviks and October Revolution. She also offers in-depth tours of architectural styles of St. Petersburg, Parks and Gardens of St. Petersburg and its suburbs, Russian Orthodox Cathedrals, Jewish highlights. Travelers in Russia often engage with her for a week, and may include all of the top sites, with perhaps the Maryinsky Ballet or a performance or musical event in the evening. Olga also engages excellent drivers, arranges restaurants. Be sure to let her know you found her on THE STYLE SALONISTE. OLGA BYCHEK CONTACT: www.behappyrussia.com [email protected] Photography: Photography of Kirill Istomin's interiors by Fritz von der Schulenburg. Contacts: Kirill Istomin, Interior Design & Decoration Moscow +7 495 645 01 36 New York +1 917 453 52 33 For all inquiries: [email protected]
House Beautiful One of today's hottest trends in interior design is combining Chinoiserie and abstract art. Here are some great examples. Artist Susan Brown has a wonderful eye for color and her pieces work beautifully with today's modern approach to Chinoiserie. Imagine one of these original paintings paired with blue and white Chinese porcelain, lacquered walls, a black and gold sideboard, or a white lacquered chest. Visit her Etsy shop here. Apartment Therapy Architectural Digest Raleigh House Tour via Jamie Meares
Antique furniture and objets d’art from Gutfreund's New York abode will be up for auction by Christie's from January 14–29.
de Gournay Chinoiserie Abbotsford design for 16 Queen Anne’s Gate It really goes without saying that Chinoiserie, from the French word for Chinese, or “Chois,” is my favorite time…
Let your kitchen blossom with Kitchen Specialist deVOL's unique new Hand-Painting service for cupboards and walls that's based on traditional chinoiserie.
The house on Vashon Island is jaw-dropping in every room, from the hand-painted murals to the Tiffany-blue dressing room packed with couture gowns.
Therefore, let me stop going on and on, and let's look at some gorgeous room candy filled with Chinoiserie decor, furniture, and more!
Learn how to make decoupage chinoiserie ornaments for your classic holiday Christmas tree. They are quite simple to make with Mod Podge.
The Rinfret Group Today we look at my final Chinoiserie trend for 2014. I enlisted the help of my friends at Charlotte & Ivy, my go-to gals for the the elegant Chinoiserie home as to emerging trends in Chinoiserie. Charlotte & Ivy is the Goldilocks and the Three Bears of home furnishings sources. Some stores are too boring, or too stodgy, or too expensive. Others are too trendy, or too hip, or too cheap. Charlotte & Ivy is just right. They have such a wonderful eye for classic pieces for your home that will never go out of style. Their trend for 2014 is "Classic Chinoiserie." I couldn't agree more. Here are the Chinoiserie trends we have looked at so far - #1 - Mixing Gold, Silver, and Chinoiserie #2 - Mixing African and Chinoiserie #3 - Navy and Chinoiserie #4 - Chinoiserie Chic Color of the Year 2014 - Baby Flamingo Lavender Gray #5 - Gray and Chinoiserie #6 - Bold Greek Key #7 - Brass #8 - Pale Pink as a Neutral #9 - Blue and White Chinese Porcelain I hope that what strikes you about many trends on this list is that this year you will see a very strong and marked return to the iconic, traditional, and timeless classics of Chinoiserie. It may be Chinoiserie used in fresh and modern ways like with lavender or pink walls, oversized Greek key, perhaps a piece of African tribal art, but at its essence it is what you know, love, and likely already have much of in your home. I asked Charlotte & Ivy to create an inspiration board with some of their favorite classic Chinoiserie pieces from Charlotte & Ivy. I was not surprised that it includes many of the pieces on my list of my favorite classic Chinoiserie pieces for your home. Perhaps you have some of these already, handed down from your grandparents or parents so they hold special memories for you. Perhaps, like me, you have started collecting Chinoiserie on your own because something about it resonated with you. When I started adding Chinoiserie to my own home, it truly became my home. Perhaps you are looking to add a special piece or two to your home this year. The Classics - *Blue and White Chinese Porcelain *The Chinese Chippendale Chair *The Pagoda Mirror *Greek Key *The Chinese Garden Stool *Hand Painted Silk Chinoiserie Wallpaper or Panels *Classic Chinoiserie Fabrics and Wallpapers *Ginger Jars *The Gourd Lamp *Black and Gold Lacquered Chinoiserie Furniture *Gilded/Gold Chinoiserie *The Chinese Lantern *The Pagoda Chandelier I hope you have enjoyed my series on my Top Ten Chinoiserie Trends for 2014 and that it may serve as inspiration to you in continuing in 2014 to make your home a place you love.
This lovely home by interior designer Megan Winters relies on a color palette of navy and white. The home is in the Chicago suburb of La...
The Decorator Archives #5 on my list of my top ten Chinoiserie pieces is Chinoiserie panels. Unfortunately, hand painted Chinoiserie panels have always been beyond the budget of most of us. That is about to change. I hope everyone read yesterday's post about the soon to launch The Decorator Archives that will be selling the highest quality Chinoiserie panels and smaller pieces at very affordable prices. Here is a gallery of inspiration of how interior designers use Chinoiserie panels to get you thinking about where they might go in your home. Mary Jane Pool Suzanne Rheinstein Pauline de Rothschild Ruthie Sommers Ruthie Sommers Ruthie Sommers Massucco Warner Miller Eddie Ross de Gournay Atlanta Magazine A framed pastel pair Caitlin Wilson Design Joe Nye Phoebe Howard
how to add chinoiserie decor to your home