If your interiors need an injection of the exotic......fantastical oriental scenes and sinuous, stylized flower and bird motifs, then you might consider a redo using Chinese wallpaper. Chinoiserie, from chinois, the French word for “Chinese”, is a interior style that has witnessed a recent surge in popularity and stunning walls of Chinese inspired wallpaper will create the perfect backdrop for rooms filled with beautiful and exotic furnishings, fabrics, and porcelain imports.
Heavily influenced by the Orient, Chinoiserie style made its way into Europe in the 18th Century, were it has been prominent ever since. The Chinese wallpaper was then called “painted paper”, and had become extremely popular with the aristocracy. Chinese hand painted wallpapers and murals were expensive with orders for custom designs taking as long as 18 months to receive. The French and English rapidly embraced the style after trade routes between Europe and Asia became more accessible. By the late 1700's Chinese wallpapers, started to be exported to the West where the style became a great part of the Gilded Age.
Still crafted today this painstaking process and level of artistry and work can take 20 hours to create one panel and you can imagine the number of Chinoiserie panels needed for a medium-sized room. This is why hand painted Chinese wallpaper remains a luxury. However, there are affordable alternatives so don't think your walls can't have the "wow" factor papered with some of the lovely Chinese wallpapers available today.
I hope you enjoy the images I have gathered to help inspire you beginning with old world interiors and ending with modern traditional rooms. The common factor......a touch of exotica!!
Chinoiserie was embraced in the palaces and chateaus of France.
Here in the Château de Haroué, as well as many others Chinese wallpapers played a pivotal role in their beauty.
France and England, in order to capitalize on the trend, began to produce Chinese inspired wallpapers. Even these imitations could not satisfy the large demand for Chinese wallpaper from the wealthy nobles in Europe.
England won the battle for design preeminence with the display of Chinese wallpapered interiors in a great many of the grand manor houses of the English aristocracy. Even here in the dining room of Buckingham Palace wonderfully detailed birds, flowers, trees, and scenes of Chinese life were an immediate hit........
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as these beautiful Chinese wallpapers still remain even today, some centuries later.
Here at Chatsworth, as with many of the great houses of Britain, a Chinoiserie room was usually enveloped in beautiful Chinese wallpaper or murals. Chinese wallpaper actually became a defining feature of the British country house interior.
One thinks of exotic florals and birds when considering Chinese wallpaper. This style paper tends to add a romantic softness to a design that works particularly well in bedrooms such as this one found at
Brocket Hall, one of England’s finest stately homes.
However, in addition to floral, there were many scenes depicting everyday life...... figures presented in landscapes of mountains, trees and water, engaged in agriculture and industry. Many times the scenes would show buildings, gardens and even festivals.
(@anglophileclub) on Instagram
Chinese wallpaper is still produced in much the same way as it has been for centuries with every piece featuring hand-painted designs. Tempera or gouache is used to paint the intricate incredibly rich and vibrant designs on 100% silk material. Silk gives the luxurious appearance and since the wallpaper also features rice paper backing, the acoustics of a room is also softened. Also rice paper helps to slow deterioration. Today you can still have custom wallpapers made the same way.
Via Pinterest
Chinese culture attaches certain values to colors and there are several colors used over and over as a base in the design of Chinese wallpapers. Let's take a look at some popular colors. Green is considered the color that sends the idea of health, purity and cleanliness. It is also the color that represents the spring season, the season when everything comes back to life.
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Here a green base is used to support a stunning and detailed pattern of graceful roses, flower, and exotic birds. Since green is the color of nature it seems the best background for these designs. Chinese wallpapers with green backgrounds were (and still are) extremely popular.
Source: instagram.com/maureenme
Designer, Edward Bulmer
via Pinterest
Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire
Yellow is another favorite base color for Chinese patterned wallpaper. Yellow is viewed as the color of the earth and a symbol of it's treasures. It is the color of late summer and stands for empathy, stability, warmth, and good faith.
The Chinese Windsor room in Belton House, named after Edward VIII and wallpapered in soft golden yellow tones. The real prize was that it was expensive hand painted wallpaper that only the rich could afford.
More important in Chinese culture, brighter yellow is considered a royal color and symbolizes majesty, power, and prosperity. This image is of Queen Victoria's apartment at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.
Chinoiserie bedroom at Cliveden House with it's yellow Chinese wallpaper and pagoda inspired fireplace.
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I love this beautiful Chinese wallpaper with orange base color. The ancient Chinese associated the color with harvests, happiness, wealth, and abundance. Who would have thought that your wall color choice could usher in such good fortune. Might make you want to think twice about decorating with orange!
Source: www.instagram.com/maureenme
During the 18th century, many of the rooms designed in the Chinese taste were considered the feminine rooms in the house, like bedrooms, dressing rooms, and boudoirs. This image is of the newly decorated Howard Bedroom at Belvoir Castle, with handpainted de Gournay Belvoir Chinoiserie wallpaper in soft peachy orange tones.
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In Chinese culture brown represents the earth and is therefore associated with being grounded, fertile, and industrious. Rooms papered in brown chinoiserie patterns are so elegant, rich, and warm!
Designer, Charlotte Moss
Home of Laura Sartori Rimini of AD100 Studio Peregalli
Chinese wallpaper can effortlessly be combined with design elements (such as furniture and accessories) from other periods and styles. I believe this is one reason for it's ongoing popularity.
Nicky Haslam, designer via houseandgarden.co.uk
The color gold symbolizes wealth and riches in Chinese culture. Many Chinese wallpapers have a gold foil base which certainly lends to the idea of opulence.
Even Chinese wallpaper with painted gold background gives the feeling of luxury to a space.
Another plus! Since Chinese wallpapers create a mural effect that has a non- repeating pattern it is easier to paper gracefully around windows and doors. Plus the fact that it does not repeat means every inch of your wall is totally unique.
via Pinterest
If you want to incorporate the look into your interiors but don't like the idea of a room saturated in Chinese wallpaper, here is a way you can still use the wallpapers and ride the Chinoiserie wave.
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Try using some framed wallpaper panels to inject Chinoiserie exotic beauty into your home. It will be less expensive yet will give you the look of murals.
Image Source: Mark D Sikes
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Renvy Graves Pittman's estate via veranda.com
You might also try a Chinese style wallpaper that lends more to fretwork than florals. Even though the walls are entirely covered it will feel less saturated and more open and airy.
Chinese wallpaper is the kind of luxurious wall covering that looks chic and sophisticated in your foyer, living room, bedroom, or even a stylish bathroom.
Though it is an old world style of interior design, the look and feel of today's Chinese wallcoverings lend themselves to both classic and modern interiors.
Photography: Natalie Dinham for elle.com
The beautiful London apartment of Hannah Cecil Gurney, director of the de Gournay wallpaper company, proves that if your style is bold, colorful, and eclectic, Chinoiserie will fit right in.
Today's Chinese inspired wallpaper will add a sense of history to a modern traditional interior.
And what a great way to add drama to an otherwise neutral room.
The dining room is a perfect space to redecorate in Chinoiserie style.
Here the richness these Chinese wallpapers bring to a room is evident.
And of course bedrooms are as beautiful papered in Chinese wallpaper today as they were centuries ago.
Chinoiserie And Chintz on Instagram
Love, love, love this bedroom! The fabulous wallpaper sets the stage for a lovely supporting cast.
coveteur.com
Remember that Chinese inspired wallpapers today need not be used to set a "themed" room the way it was routinely done in the 18th century. You can pair Chinese paper with unexpected colors and accessories that instantly modernize a space.
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If you only want a bit of Chinoiserie wallpaper you can't go wrong with a bathroom makeover.
Chinese wallpaper will update and add a romantic and glamorous appeal to you bathroom.
Chinese wallpapers tend to be muted and softer in colors. However, if your style favors more boldness you are in luck. There is a new generation of artists and designers out there bringing with them unexpected patterns and bold coloring.
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Although historically associated with the old world, Chinese wallpapers are being used in bolder ways in modern traditional style homes. Chinoiserie is being embraced once again. It can be elegant and even whimsical.....have fun with it!!
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This blog post was published by Lisa Farmer
In the event that I have not credited the correct source of an image, please contact me at lisafarmerdesigns46@yahoo.com and I will be glad to correct it.
