Avid readers of This is Glamorous will know how much we love hand painted and Chinoiserie wallpaper in favourite shades of blush pink, ‘Dior’ grey and gold, amongst others.
Chinoiserie patterns first started appearing in decorative schemes in Europe during the 17th Century, becoming even more popular in the 18th Century. The exotic patterns were inspired by Chinese art and included the motifs we still see today, including birds, branches in blossom, pagodas, flowers, leaves and tendrils.
While a whole wall or room covered in these delightful wallpapers is glorious, we also love the idea of using these elegant patterns framed and on panels. This gives a different effect and can elevate the patterns to pieces of art in their own right. Use one dramatic panel or use multiple panels depending on the look you wish to achieve. . .
Martha Stewart Living’s Kevin Sharkey used a pair of framed Chinese paper panels to great effect in his New York dining room.
Hand painted and Chinoiserie panels also work particularly well in bedrooms, either behind a bed or as a piece of bedside art.
I love how designer Birgit Israel has propped large scale pieces of framed wallpaper against the wall in her boutique hotel, Chateau de Massillan, near Avignon in France. It’s a brilliant idea to borrow for a rented property where you can’t fix things to the wall.
Whether dramatic in gold or framed in gold, these panels make an endlessly elegant statement. . .
And for the ultimate in chinoiserie chic, how about using gilded bamboo as a frame? —Louise
Images – 1 via Lonny | 2 via C Home | 3 via Windsor Smith Room in a Box | 4 via New York Cottages & Gardens | 5 via Cameron Mac Neil | 6 via Pinterest | 7 via Martha Stewart Living | 8 via Neptune | 9 via Pinterest | 10 via Brabourne Farm | 11 via Pinterest | 12 via Timorous Beasties | 13 via My Domaine | 14 via Martha Stewart Living | 15 via Laura Tutun | 16 via This is Glamorous | 17 via This is Glamorous
