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Chinoiserie in the Bedroom

enfilade18thc — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:49:56 +0000

John Linnell, Badminton Bed, ca. 1754 (London: V&A)

Today at Style Court, Courtney Barnes addresses four-poster beds, including John Linnell’s exquisite Badminton Bed, ca. 1754, from the collection of the Victoria and Albert. A design blog with a focus on interiors, Style Court regularly covers a variety of artistic topics with an interest in bridging the worlds of the academy and the museum for a wider, general public.

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From the V&A’s website:

The exotic form of this bed was inspired by Chinese pagodas. The design and the pierced fretwork back are similar to garden tea pavilions built in the Chinese style and found in large gardens throughout Britain and Europe from about 1730. Chinese decoration was particularly popular for ladies’ bedrooms and dressing rooms.

Although the payments for the bed and other bedroom furniture were made jointly by the 4th Duke and Duchess of Beaufort, evidence in the Duchess’s private notebooks shows that she was particularly interested in this commission and probably discussed the details with the designer and craftsman John Linnell and his father William Linnell.

The bed hangings had been replaced with scarlet woollen hangings by 1835, although the bedding still included the original 18th-century hair mattress which was acquired with the bed by the Museum in 1921. In addition there was a feather bed, three blankets, a wool mattress, a straw paliasse (another form of mattress) and a Marsella quilt. In 1929 a replica of the bed was made for the Chinese Bedroom at Badminton House by Angell of Bath.

Vorschau auf ein Chinoiserieprojekt

designcat — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:14:07 +0000

ein Projekt, an dem ich zuletzt arbeitete: Chinoiserie contra Illusionsmalerei

Detailaufnahmen dazu

I love Chinoiseries

designcat — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:09:27 +0000

Bezugsquelle: www.fromental.co.uk

Ist diese Chinesische Tapenmalerei nicht unglaublich. Sie kann auch in einer modernen Architektur phantastisch zu Geltung kommen, wie man hier sehen kann. Bezugsquelle: www.paulmontgomery.com

Es gibt einige Lieferanten für chinesische Tapenmalerei vorwiegend in Britain und USA. Chinoiserie Style hat sich im Frankreich des 18. Jh. entwickelt. Eine Verschmelzung von chinesischer Malerei und franz. Geschmack.

was für eine tolle Farbe!

mein persönlicher Favorit

für relativ Begabte gibt es eine tolle Alternative zu den handgemalten chinesischen Tapeten, deren Produktionszeit selten weniger als 1 Jahr beträgt und preislich im Luxussegment anzusiedeln sind. The stencil library bietet auch wunderschöne designs.

das ist doch ein comback des stenceling wert!

MODUS OPERANDI. Opium

M. — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:00:35 +0000

Modus operandi: Opium. Intoxicating, indulgent, somewhat depraved; opium inspires rich colors, languid textures, and Chinoiserie no doubt. The following are a few dreamy implementations of this modus operandi – the modern opiate lifestyle.

Kiki de Montparnasse Muse Robe

Beaute Strass Louboutins

X Perfume for Men by Clive Christian

Although it’s for men, X, with its heavy spiciness, is a very “true” oriental fragrance, and has always been my favorite Clive Christian scent.

Serge Lutens Faux-Semblant Nail Lacquer in Nude and Sang Bleu Nail Lacquer in Dark Red

The perfect duo for the classic mani/pedi.

Marie Antoinette Chandelier designed by Carlo Dal Bianco for Bisazza

Pudong Collection Bedding by Yves Delorme

Chinese Antique Canopy Bed Circa 1900 from Tealan

I’m very partial to antique oriental furniture, Chinese in particular.

Historically trimmed...

Trish — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:39:36 +0000

Suzanne Kasler in Atlanta…

The old ivory toned wall paint greens as it descends into shadows.

The dusty plum accents the neutrals that seem to be pulled

directly out of the painting. While the period painting and

architectural trim establishes the classical mood, I love the

restraint and balance of old and new…

Sage trim and butterscotch toned walls…

Table newly constructed of old wood…

Another view of the living room at top…

Imagine this without the chinoiserie panel

or the patina of the classical console…

Designer Joseph Minton

Voyage en Chine tan and black toile by Old World Weavers…

Antique etching from old Italian vellum book in an Italian gold leaf

frame, pillows made from antique priest’s vestments. A few yards

of historical fabric completely transforms a simple bed…

Tom Landry in New Orleans

Stately, historical entry way

achieved by copious amounts of architectural trim

tone on tone creams against rich black…

Suzanne Kasler

Southern Accents March ‘05

House Beautiful Nov ‘06

Chinoiserie Inspired By 2046

fuschiabird — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:35:11 +0000

Don’t you just love obscure, fashionistah movie references, especially ones based on foreign films? Haha. I don’t know why Asians have to make such heartbreakingly sad movies. They are often masterfully directed with unique art direction but I’m always left with a runny nose, puffy eyes, crying into a pillow and heart crumbling like a shortbread cookie.

2046 (Hong Kong, 2004),a celebrated film directed by Wong Kar Wai is a surreal journey in time narrated from the point of view of a writer played by Tony Leung (from The Lover). The movie centers on a hotel room 2046 and the intertwined stories of lovers that come and go. The plot unfolds yet always keeps you wondering if it is the future or the past. It’s a poignant story, well acted with intense and vivid scenery. The costuming is also awe-inspiring with stunning Asian actresses in sexy, chinoiserie dresses and stylized, period hair and makeup. Plus, I will watch anything with Gong Li. You might cry a river but it’s worth it.

2046: Worth the $5 membership to your local independent movie store.

Setting the Scene

Katy — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:17:52 +0000

I’ve discovered gladioli. I mean they were there before, of course, but I didn’t know I liked them.

They’re tuning into the kind of Whistler Chinoiserie vibe I seem to be in at the moment.

I have a stronger than usual urge to buy a chaise longue (I never thought the urge could get any stronger, to be honest, but wonders never cease) and a lacquered folding screen, and stare into the middle distance with a vase of gladioli on the mantelpiece over my shoulder.

In the meantime, I guess I’ll have to make do with just the gladioli…

Things I Love....

Michelle Workman — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:09:12 +0000

Following are images that I love, some are current some not, they have one thing in common though, they evoke thoughts of beauty and a life extraordinary.

Marie Antoinette (or the idea of her).

Divine Intervention

Chinoiserie.

Epitome of the Chinois ideal

Genius Photographers.

Harpers Bazaar February 2002 by Patrick Demarchelier

John Singer Sargent.

Nonchaloir

I think I am seeing a pattern here.

Idyllic Setting

Perhaps a life of beauty and leisure is what I truly crave. I think that we all wish for that life to some degree or another. Not neccessarily a lazy life – but one of grace and beautiful moments.

Luckily for me I get to work in a world of beauty and translate my cravings into gorgeous interiors, that other people get to enjoy and take their leisure in. I suppose there is a nice symmetry to that.

Douceur de vivre...

Trish — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:23:46 +0000

A glimpse inside a Grimaldi palace bedroom in Monaco. Lovely

gilded French vanity, chairs upholstered and windows draped

in 18th century golden florals…

Golden elements of the bedroom reflected in the rococo

style free standing antique mirror…

A Lit à la Polonaise bowered with swathes of antique fabric…

The chandelier dripping with amber crystal…

A gold framed painting tipping forward on the wall…

The almost terra cotta, apricot tones of the bedding

picking up the tiny floral sprays cast about the

golden yellow silk…

The lacquered flowered commode and simple gilded framed portrait

are 18th century Venetian, Royal Berlin tea service…

In Europe’s courts of the eighteenth century…”they dressed

superbly and conversed brilliantly as they sipped tea or chocolate

from flowered porcelains in the most sybaritic interiors imaginable.

Those too were sometimes lacquered and flowered in emulation of

porcelain. They knew about the ‘douceur de vivre’-the sweetness

of life.”

Tiffany Taste

John Loring

An Itaian influenced colonnaded passageway

in Monaco, with frescoes adorning the coved ceiling

A cozy, candlelit, chinoiserie paneled, French salon gathered

conversationally close to a kilim draped tea table…

Bringing it Home France

Cheryl MacLauchlan

In Monoco again…”le gallerie des Glaces“

Gallery of mirrors. Mounted on pedestals of marble, the

busts of Princes alternate with large Ming vases…

Art and Décoration Magazine

July-August 2009

Slow buds the pink dawn like a rose...

Trish — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:46:30 +0000

18th century French linen chemise

Metropolitan Museum of Art

18th century French “can” style cup decorated with tiny sprigs

of blue flowers called Bleuettes or Cornflowers, which were

the favorite flowers of Marie Antoinette.

Chocolatiètier with wooden handle

verseuse à anse latérale en bois ou chocolatière

en porcelaine de paris

rue thiroux

manufacture la reine 1776 – 1806

Early French porcelain , circa 1775, created in Paris

at the “Fabrique de la Reine” , sometimes also referred

to as the “Manufacture du Comte d’ Artois”, which was

located on rue Thiroux, under the direction of Andre Leboeuf.

The mark of Comte d’ Artois, used in 1775, is found on the

underside. The factory is widely recognized for having

created porcelains for Queen Marie Antoinette.

Personal details on a dressing room screen…

Chinoiserie watercolor and beribboned Watteau sketch…

Silk pagoda canopy and chinoiserie details in bedroom,

inspired by frescoes on the walls of the Tuscan villa

Loire valley 17th century Chateau…

underneath its stone pediment

family pets venture out to start their day…

“Slow buds the pink dawn like a rose

From out night’s gray and cloudy sheath;

Softly and still it grows and grows,

Petal by petal, leaf by leaf.”

The Morning Comes before the Sun

Susan Coolidge

Sources: House and Garden archives, past Ebay items

Mise à plat: Chinoiserie from Icing

Harriet Gausman — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:05:22 +0000

I know this article isn’t brand new on the scene; it was released a few weeks ago, but it is so incredibly beautiful I just had to mention it.

Icing has been around for a loooong time and the creator, Miko Omegamu, always seems to produce the most wonderful dresses and outfits.

I think the Chinoiserie gown is worth a mention because it is so unusual to find a design that not only looks beautiful but moves like a real gown. I am afraid I took rather a lot of angles so you can see how it moves as I move. What’s so amazing is that the train carries on moving after you’ve stopped.

The outfit consists of a top which has an undershirt attached, a skirt and prim train, pants and the sweetest white flower for your hair. If you remove the prim attachment and wear the long pants it makes yet another outfit which is less formal and could be enjoyed whilst you are at an art gallery, exhibition or recital.

The fabric of the dress appears to be two different kinds; the top and skirt appear to be silk in origin whilst the train attachment looks very much like chiffon. It certainly moves like chiffon. I have a real life chiffon dress that moves in exactly the same way.

Miko Omegamu is a seasoned designer in our Second Life^® universe and has brought us many beautiful designs.

I have one small criticism and that on closer inspection, the join between the skirt and top isn’t perfect and for me, detracts somewhat, from the overall beauty of the design.

Other than that this is a very good design with phenomenal texturing and well worth the pennies.

Credits:

Outfit: Chinoiserie from Icing

Hair: Zoe from Maitreya

Skin: Hope from Tuli

N.B. This is not an advertorial but my own views on the design. I have not been paid to review it nor have I been given complimentary copies of the clothing, skin or hair.

New paths

babylonbaroque — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:02:27 +0000

As business has slowed down considerably, I find myself trying to find new, truer, means of expression. When working with a designer or client, so often my outlandish motifs are squashed. I wish to use a tawdry arsenic green, we opt for a tasteful jade.

Little things, nothing earthshaking , but a certain lack of autonomy. I would like to take this down time and explore my loves. One such love is all things Venetian, I love the color, the broad brush strokes, the outlandish marbling, almost crude, almost garish, purples and greens and warm ochres with pink, too much, too beautiful.

I want to try my hand at that, headboards, settles, table tops, and firescreens, perhaps a sweet little puppet theatre.

This is a small little panel, Mars by way of Cathay.

The work is slow going without deadline, money, or most importantly a client’s expectation. But I have a headboard cut, I am almost finished of a tabletop, and i have ideas, lots of ideas.

Finding Asia in Paris

Ashley Bruckbauer — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:05:49 +0000

Fusion of East and West in Paris: 8th arrondissement

Last summer I embarked on a month-long research trip to Paris to study chinoiserie: an 18th century artistic movement begun in France that centers on the accommodation of “Chinese” imagery into European ornamental designs. Chinoiserie is a small subhead under the much larger umbrella of what Edward Said termed orientalism: the reductive ”othering” or “orientalizing” of the “East” by the “West”. Said argues that the exoticized images we see in works such as Ingres’ Odalisque represent a tangible manifestation of the larger discourse of western civilization’s creation of an “other” or an us/them binary.

Orientalism is still alive today as seen in the Japanese screens, happy Buddha statuettes, and other “eastern” objects we use to decorate our homes. You say, “Wait, maybe a knick knack is just that and nothing more!” Unfortunately, in a world where orientalist tendencies have become so ingrained in our culture, a knick knack is rarely just that. Most westerners exoticize Asia as mysterious, traditional, and romantic; eroticize it as tantalizing, sensuous, and lavish; and demoralize it as grotesque, backwards, and incomprehensible. Whether heralding it as a mysterious and intriguing land steeped in ancient tradition or debasing it as a bestial land full of corruption and nepotism, many western views ignore the nuances of Asia and lump it together as one large stagnant and timeless half of the world that can be analyzed, admired, denounced, and most of all orientalized by the “West”.

As an art historian, I am familiar with the many art movements tied to the orientalist discourse: orientalism, Japonisme, chinoiserie, primitivism, and their more contemporary equivalents. However, little did I realize how alive and deeply rooted in Parisien culture orientalism would be when I arrived in 21st century Paris. Almost immediately upon arriving I noticed directly across the street from my apartment a shop that peddles goods from Asia and a Japanese sushi restaurant. Later I would see countless shops dedicated to “authentic” Asian curiosities, hundreds of Asian restaurants, a three-story Chinese pagoda in the middle of a grande boulevard, and a museum exhibition dedicated to terracotta warriors from Xi’an, China.

All in all, I concluded the relationship between France and China is evolving on almost a daily basis. Exoticism and orientalism are still strong forces in France today, however so are the fields of sinology and ethnography.

Food

Thai curry at Mai Tai Restaurant, 3rd arrondissement

In Paris you will find Asian food galore! There are two Chinatowns in Paris but also many restaurants serving excellent Asian cuisine sprinkled throughout most every neighborhood in the city. I have seen restaurant signs for Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, and the list continues. This photo is of a meal at a Thai food restaurant, Mai Thai, in Le Marais. The green curry and mango with sticky rice were fabulous! Though most every city in the world has Asian food restaurants, particularly international cities such as Paris, the prominence and exotic decor of these spots throughout the city speak to Parisiens’ continued love of “the East”.

Art and Architecture

C.T. Cie & Loo Chinese art emporium, 8th arrondissement

The art and architecture of Paris may be the most constant reminder of the city as a key player in the 19th century orientalist discourse, and much of what is seen today reveals just how untarnished the idea of “the exotic Orient” is in the eyes of Paris. Likely the most iconic image of “the East” in Paris is I.M. Pei’s glass pyramid at the Louvre Museum. This modern representation of the ancient Egyptian pyramids juxtaposed against the Renaissance architecture of the Louvre is meant to convey the interconnectedness of past and present and speak to the Louvre’s collection of world art.

Lesser known, but also extremely intriguing, is a three-story pagoda in the middle of the 8th arrondissement’s grandes boulevards. This structure is C.T. Cie & Loo: a Chinese art emporium built in the late 19th century by a Chinese immigrant to France. The building, modeled after a Chinese pagoda, is sharply contrasted by the 18th century French style apartments that surround it on all sides. The survival of the emporium from the 19th century, at the height of China-mania, until today speaks to the continued demand for Chinese “curiosities” and also a growing appreciation for contemporary Chinese art.

I.M. Pei's famous glass pyramid juxtaposed with Renaissance architecture at the Louvre Museum

Outside of the art galleries and many shops dedicated to Chinese “curiosities” are the many Parisien museums dedicated to Asian art. Interestingly, many of these museums were formerly private collections of wealthy Europeans that have now been donated to the city. Prime examples are the Musee Cernuschi (once the extensive collection of Italian Henri Cernuschi), the collection of which is still housed in the renovated mansion of the original collector, the Musee Guimet (an extensive Asian art collection of an avid 19th century collector), and the Musee d’Ennery (nearly 7,000 decorative art objects from Asia also collected by a wealthy couple). Today these are widely visited as “Asian art museums”, but few think about the original owners of these objects and their motivations for amassing such collections.

Painting by Philippe Auge hung in bar, 1st arrondissement

Finally, outside the museum and gallery world, works such as the one here by Philippe Auge are seen decorating restaurants, hotels, and shops.

The “Oriental” feel of these pieces are intended to add an additional layer of ambiance to their surroundings. Again, the exoticism seen in these images serves an ornamental purpose and packages “Eastern” culture as a consumable commodity.

Shopping

: Window front of plastics shop, 6th arrondissement

However, most surprising to see between the modern boutiques and cafes are the antique or curiosity shops claiming to sell “authentic Oriental goods.” These shops are filled with what appear to be centuries old medallions, snuff bottles, and ceramics. Any genuine objects of this age were likely traded on the black market. However, many pieces are in actuality European-made and quite contemporary. The continued patronage of these shops, along with the more commercialized stores such as the plastiques window front seen to the left, illustrate a continued desire for the an exotic and “orientalized” Asia that exists only in the mind and is perpetuated by the centuries old Orientalist discourse.

The relationship between “East” and “West” today is ever complicated, but contemporary Paris provides unique insight into the centuries old connection.

Thoughts? Please comment below!

What do you know about Rococo?

charissec — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:42:10 +0000

The style of Rococo emerged in 18th century in France. The word is a combination of the French rocac

Chinoiserie

kazalovesdesign — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:24:36 +0000

Fabulous Braemore Chinoiserie

In Design School, we had a textile class and were given certain fabrics to research. I was stuck with Ikat and lace—-my two worst styles (I have changed my mind about the Ikat and now love it! —More about that later). I remember seeing the different chinoiserie swatches, being presented in class and dreaming of designing a room based on them. Not just one yummy swatch….but all of them in the same room!

Anthropologies' "Chinoiserie" Bed

I always tend to worry about presenting Chinoiserie to a client, honestly. I have not even carried any of it at the shop. Coming from a french speaking home, I knew how to pronounce it and worried it would sound pretentious. It is the same with Chicken Cordon Bleu, a la carte, Provencal, Mardi Gras, etc (totally off subject-lol). I know how to say it and feel foolish if I force myself to say it with an American accent. The United States is a melting pot of nationalities, yet I think french is the only language that can sound pretentious if said correctly, pensez-vous?

Horchow Chair

According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, Chinoiserie is a “17th- and 18th-century Western style of interior design , pottery, textiles, and garden design that represents fanciful European interpretations of Chinese styles. In the first decades of the 17th century, English and Italian and, later, other craftsmen began to draw freely on decorative forms found on cabinets, porcelain vessels, and embroideries imported from China. The earliest appearance of a major chinoiserie interior scheme was in Louis Le Vau’s Trianon de porcelaine of 1670–71 (subsequently destroyed), built for Louis XIV at Versailles. The fad spread rapidly; indeed, no court residence, especially in Germany, was complete without its Chinese room, which was often, as it had been for Louis, the room for the prince’s mistress (e.g., Lackkabinett, Schloss Ludwigsburg, Württemberg, 1714–22). Chinoiserie, used mainly in conjunction with Baroque and Rococo Styles, featured extensive gilding and lacquering; much use of blue-and-white (e.g., Delftware); asymmetrical forms; disruptions of orthodox perspective; and Oriental figures and motifs. The style—with its lightness and asymmetry and the capriciousness of many of its motifs—also appeared in the fine arts, as in the paintings of the French artists Antoine Watteau and François Boucher”.

According to KAZA, it is plain ‘ol fabulous!

Beautiful Chinoiserie Wallpaper

What I love about Chinoiserie is that it fits such a vast decorating scheme. It can easily be in the most formal of homes to the most chic bohemian style home without feeling displaced. One of the few patterns that can easily make the crossover.

Ballard Design- 95$

Antique Chinoiserie Desk

Pink jo Walker

Seeing the rich colours in Chinoiserie can give us an idea of how important colour was, when this style was created.

antique inkwell

Can you imagine these in a Bohemian, Eclectic Design? GORGEOUS!

Mmmmmm……we really need to do a Chinoiserie Window, at the shop, soon.

Chinoiserie

Harper Beresford — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:12:31 +0000

I stole the name from today’s outfit because it’s so fitting. “Chinoiserie” is French for “Chinese-esque,” and was often applied to precious pieces of European works with Asian influences. Miko Omegamu of Icing has put out this most exquisite dress, a piece of beauty. In true Miko form, every pixel is in place, every prim perfect, the shape of the dress and skirt perfect. Miko is a goddess of good clothing design in SL.

One thing I don’t read a lot about in fashion blogs is proportion. Miko proportions this gown perfectly—the print is just the right size to suit the avatar. The skirt is the right angle and size to balance off the gown. The sleeves fall at the correct part of the upper arm.

Another thing not always addressed is the construction of a piece. Miko has ensured that the seams match on the sides as well as from the top to the skirt. The piping around the top extends down to the skirt perfectly.

Finally, the issue of prims is rarely addressed. Miko is, first of all, a great builder. Every skirt she has ever made has been flawless. Second she knows what she is doing with alphas. Some people don’t know how to control them. But Miko knows just what she is doing with them. By allowing the alphas to do their work, she gave the skirt a shifting diaphanous quality. I see lots of people do this, but that generally means they don’t know what they are up to—you can see a shadow of the body through the alphas and they just don’t look right. However, Miko MEANS to. The skirts shift subtly and with a quality that makes them beautiful. And gosh, how well did she finish the edges?

The killer about all this is this dress is a mere 350L! I have blown three or four times that much on dresses not as beautiful or well-constructed.

I don’t/won’t generally go on and on like this but Miko’s work has to be given it’s due respect. Yes, I know Miko—I guess I could call her a friend. But I bought this dress myself. Even if I didn’t know her, I would go on and on.

One other item I want to mention are Caliah Lyon’s earrings from Muse. The Chinoiserie Crimson and Gold Fan Earrings are an example of her amazing tiny prim work. Me? I let the prims tell me what they want to do. Caliah? She tells ‘em what they’re gonna do. Amazing.

Here’s the facts, Jack:

Hair: ETD Carolyn – Jet by Elikapeka Tiramisu for ETD, Elika Tiramisu Designs

Skin: Pulse Skin-Climax/Valeries T2 Venetian Red Blk F by Lorac Farella for Pulse Skins

Dress (including flowers in hair): * *ICING* Chinoiserie by Miko Omegamu for *ICING*

Earrings: ~Muse~ Chinoiserie Crimson and Gold Fan Earrings by Caliah Lyon for ~Muse~

Sophisticated Sitting Room- Home Away From Home

studioten25 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:49:21 +0000

Stephanie was starting from scratch in her formal sitting room and knew exactly the look she wanted. Her only problem, how to find each of the elements she loved and pull them together. That’s where we come in! Here is her finish board and letter:

Hi Abbe,

I have used an interior designer in the past to help me update and finish a few rooms in my home of 10 years. I have invested a significant amount of savings into the updating and am wanting to finish out my sitting room within budget. I am willing to purchase quality pieces but am excited to have access to your design advice with out all of the design fees stacking up on me. The room I need help with is my front sitting room. It is the first room my guests step into when entering my home and it has been pushed to the side of my “to-do” remodel list for quite some time now. As for my style, I like to start with classic pieces and invest in quality furniture that will still by stylish if I change things down the road. I am attracted to a more feminine Asian Chinoiserie look, pieces with floral touches and even birds. I am in love with de Gournay’s handpainted wallpaper so if you could incorporate anything that has that look in the room I would love it. Regarding colors, I am attracted to jewel tones but also love classic neutrals, traditional woods and art deco pieces. A bit all over the design style map but that is the direction we went with the other rooms I updated. As you can see by the pictures I am attaching of my home, I have warm wood floors and a soft buttery yellow on my walls. I do not want to repaint as I am pleased with the wall color. Thank you for your help and I am looking forward to seeing your idea.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Look for design advice? See our home away from home here….

http://studioten25.wordpress.com/2009/01/21/home-away-from-home/

Singerie - the monkey motif

charissec — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:47:14 +0000

The word singerie (san-jah-ree) is a French word which means monkey trick. The monkey motif genre or

Chinese cabinet with butterflies

lucymclintic — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:34:28 +0000

Where do you think this little chinoiserie gem is from?

Well, it’s not from a dealer of Chinese Antiques. Nor is it from a little Asian furniture boutique in San Francisco. Nor did I pick it up on some exotic travels. It’s from British department store, John Lewis, and it costs $211.

We used to buy our school uniforms from John Lewis! Now this chain of stores is known for great furnishings. But I really like the vintage look of this piece. It also comes in cream and red and a couple of different shapes and sizes. If only I still lived in London…

Bud vases and tea glasses

lucymclintic — Sat, 30 May 2009 22:03:15 +0000

Living in San Francisco, we’re surrounded by excellent Asian restaurants. And where there are Asian restaurants, there are Asian restaurant supply stores. There’s one in particular that I love foraging in. It’s a veritable treasure trove. There are literally hundreds of diminutive bowls, multi-colored dishes, china tea glasses, lacquered boxes, silk-embroidered napkins, chopstick holders…. If I’m planning a party I’ll go there and stock up on plates, knives, forks and glasses for next to nothing.

On my last trip there (for a pre-Memorial Day BBQ party) I picked up a few pieces – the most expensive of which was less than $5. They make a rather attractive display so I thought I’d show you.

These little cups are for green tea, I think. They are chocolate brown on the bottom and the palest pink lustreware on the top. They remind me of shells. No idea what I’ll use them for (serving mini chocolate mousses, perhaps?) but they look nice and, at $1 each, I couldn’t resist! The square plates were $1.50 so I bought 16 of them. I know – when will I ever need 16 little square plates – but they’re perfect as cake plates at a birthday party.

The two bud vases are actually meant for soy sauce. But I think they work really well for single flowers. Each was less than $2 so you could have a whole row of them for an unusual Asian-themed centrepiece. The bowl was $4.50 and has little black flowers all over the inside.

I could fill a whole kitchen with these but I tore myself away eventually. Now I just need to throw another party so I can go back…

Oh, and if you like pretty Asian-inspired designs, check out Chinoiserie Chic – it even has a post about setting the Chinoiserie table.

The Color Butter

colwhitfield — Fri, 22 May 2009 03:07:54 +0000

One of the five bedrooms in the main house at Whitfield Hall has a fireplace. It also has 2 bunkbeds (4 beds) and one twin bed. Laura sewed new curtains for all the bedrooms and Zickie hung them on new curtain rods in November 2007. Next task, get the remaining 4 bedrooms painted, too, to go with the fabrics, as part of their historic redecoration project. A bit of a logistical challenge when the closest paint store is an hour and a half’s drive. As they say in that great Tom Selleck vehicle, High Road to China, “The oxen are slow, but the earth is patient.”

Bedroom before new paint

Flash forward to July 2008: Laura, Chippe, and Loxly are up to their elbows in oil paint rushing to get the room done in one morning. (Thanks Chippe & Loxly!) The paint color is a pale “butter” and the trim, once Spanish brown, is now white. The black and white photographs over the fireplace are of Maureen and Faye Lumsden’s mother and her family.

Bedroom with delicious butter paint

It should also be noted, with gratitude, that Laura’s sister Leigh donated the yellow Chinoiserie fabric (which became the curtains) for use at Whitfield Hall.

This worked out really well because Chinoiserie became a rage among the English — and English colonists like Colonel Whitfield — in the Georgian era. The curtains and color seem to work with the Caribbean Georgian bones of the house, without being overly literal.

Chinoiserie inspired . . .

daisyp — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:26:57 +0000

Artecnica Future Flora Lamp seen on Velocity, DwellStudio Chinoiserie Throw Pillow seen on Velocity, Chinoiserie interior seen on affordable-inteiors, Daisy Princess Paperie, Calling Card and Fab Note Pad

'China Chic' home office

lucymclintic — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:10:06 +0000

Designing a home office often involves finding ways to disguise the essential pieces of technology. But this new HP laptop changes things in ways that even my lovely sleek Apple MacBook Pro can’t. HP partnered with Vivienne Tam to create this masterpiece in Tam’s typical ‘China Chic’ style.

I love peonies. I love red lacquer. I love chinoiserie. I just never thought I’d see them all come together on a laptop! So it got me thinking, what if a home office were to be designed around this laptop? What would it look like?

Well, first there’s the literal interpretation, with red chinoiserie wallpapers and fabrics and Asian-inspired furnishings. This stunning room is from the Betsy Burnham Design web site (as are a couple of other pics in this post).

Or a lighter, airier, more modern version like this one from Livingetc.

Osborne & Little has a beautiful peony wallpaper that would be perfect.

Or you could go with a much lighter look – floral patterns, ladylike furniture, splashes of peony pink and yellow.

Or this more neutral version of ladylike living.

Then there’s the other end of the scale – a dark, dramatic look with deep red, charcoal and metallics. This would work well for a work space incorporated into a living room, dining room or bedroom. This room is from The Rug Company’s web site which has an amazing picture gallery, full of inspiring roomsets.

Or, minus the red…

But I think my favorite option is to go with a monochrome look and let the laptop really stand out on its own.

One Thing

A Fan of the Vamp — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 21:07:37 +0000

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Sunday, March 15, 2009

	Isn’t there just one thing in your house that you would really really hate to see destroyed? Maybe a gift from a loved one, or a family piece you inherited; a gift celebrating a milestone, or some special thing you scrimped and saved for. Perhaps it’s the first piece of furniture you bought as a newlywed, or that first antique settee, or that piece of art that took two years to pay off.
There’s always something, that in the midst of a party you are always a little bit aware of. What if it got ruined or broken? Would you be cool about it? Burst into tears? Throw a fit? Throw everyone out of the party? Would you pretend it’s no biggie until everybody was gone, then spend hours trying to put it back together, or get the stain out of the sea grass rug that weathered years of family use?
	After Hurricane Katrina when we first thought everything was gone, we each had a moment of mourning something that was lost. For Alberto it was our archive, our body of historical research on the Argentine tango, years of collecting music, video clips of orchestras and dancers, books, DVDs, photographs, posters, back issues of the magazine we published for eight years, thousands of CDs, his desktop computer and all the back up hard drives.
For me, well I couldn’t think of one thing among all the beautiful things that I have accumulated and collected over the years that I would really miss.I was numb with shock.
	They say as we grow older that our stuff holds more meaning. We become emotionally attached to it. So over time, these “treasures” are worth more in our emotional bank account than their actual value. They represent pieces of our lives. Even in the midst of the parties we throw, or devastating hurricanes, we can’t help but have one eye on that most precious thing. To lose it is unthinkable. It would be heartbreaking, or would it?
Movers have lost my things, the most regrettable was a box filled with all my family photos. Misfortune has forced me to sell off some very prized possessions. After Katrina I sold tons of my things on eBay, a kind of purging to help me let go of things I thought I had already lost. Of course my heart sank when I thought our house was lost. But I also felt a small relief from the burden of taking care of things. I had Alberto with me. We had our tango shoes and a way to make a living. And I always know I can create a home again.
	I never felt seller’s remorse on eBay. By the time I sold a Chanel jacket, or my entire collection of couture Geoffrey Beene clothes, I was ready to let them go. I had long ago let that part of my life go that required those things.
You know sometimes something I own gets broken, and I always have the reaction, oh well, it will be fun to hunt and gather again, or that I had the thing for as long as it was meant to be. I have never yelled at anyone for breaking anything in my house.	.
	Alberto gets very upset for me and always tries to glue it back together
He is surprised that I can just sweep up the shards and toss them in the trash can.
	As money gets tighter I don’t feel so easy peasy about being able to replace things. I did cringe a little when a visitor was roughing up my Ghost chair (though I wouln’t call the One Thing ha ha).
It was just one of those things I always wanted, and I sold my mother’s bamboo arm chair at the height of the Hollywood Regency craze so I could buy that Ghost chair.
	When the visitor noticed my look he asked why I was so worried about a plastic chair.
When I said that chair cost several hundred dollars, and it would be a hardship to replace it, he laughed and said several hundred for a plastic chair???? One woman’s treasured designer chair is another man’s idea of cheap plastic ha ha.
	So what do you have that would just kill you to lose, or get ruined, or have smashed into a million pieces?

faux finish ideas for accent walls

artistryinfaux — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:39:52 +0000

troweled plaster with glaze

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love this raspberry plaster

Decorati

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plaster embossed with foil and glaze

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troweled plaster with texture and glaze