Green & White

Brunschwig & Fils

This room's wallpaper and fabrics are from Brunschwig & Fils' Majorelle Collection—a lush homage to the iconic gardens of Marrakech once owned by Yves Saint Laurent. Rich botanicals, vibrant hues, and intricate patterning bring the romance of faraway places home.

Blue and White

Jennifer Muirhead Interiors

 

This lovely blue and white vignette features one of my favorite wallpapers - Brunschwig & Fils' Bird and Thistle. This classic iconic wallpaper works well in virtually any room of the house. It is available in lots of colorways. This one is Aqua.

Blue and White

Brunschwig & Fils

The coastal look has definitely taken over interior design by storm. Everything is styled with blue and white, palm trees, wicker and such. No complaints here - I can't get enough. This is Brunschwig & Fils' Majorelle Collection. I don't use a lot of yellow, but I like it in a breakfast room with blue and white - very French Provence. The same with buffalo checks - a little goes a long way, but it's quite charming in blue and white in small doses.

Bird and Thistle

Amie Corley Interiors

 

This charming breakfast room features a favorite wallpaper of mine, Brunschwig & Fils Bird and Thistle. This classic yet contemporary pattern is available in many colorways and works in virtually any room of the house. It's a wallpaper that pairs beautifully with chinoiserie, as you will see. It is also available in a cotton fabric covering the cushions and pillows above.

The Chinoiserie Entryway

Brunschwig & Fils

 

I love a beautiful foyer and this is a lovely example. The color palette is a bit unexpected with a sophisticated palette of aqua, teal and canary. The wallpaper and fabric are from Brunshwig & Fils' new Manoir Collection.

Framing Textiles

Brunschwig & Fils Remnant

 

I especially like framing textiles. I have framed antique silk chinoiserie pieces and a silk scarf - people frame baby clothes, athletic jerseys, flags, Hermès scarves, doilies, coasters, all sorts of things. When framing textiles the piece is lightly sewn to the mat before framing.

Classic Chinoiserie

J. Joern Cunningham

A wonderful work/study area has been created in the corner of this room.

The wallpaper is the classic Brunschwig & Fils Bird and Thistle. Although not a chinoiserie wallpaper, it is a very popular classic paper that works beautifully with chinoiserie, like the black Chinese Chippendale chair and blue and white Chinese porcelain on the mantel.

Sky High Blue and White

Les Ensembliers - Veranda Magazine

I am absolutely in love with this stunning blue and white space overlooking one of my favorite cities Montreal. The duplex is at the top of a former convent with views across the St. Lawrence River to the U.S. border and even views of the mountains of Vermont. Belonging to former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his wife, blue and white anchors the space with blue and white Chinese porcelain. The Alexander Calder mobile takes center stage. Calder pieces are among the most valuable and most important art of the 20th century.

Ikat & Chinoiserie

Brunschwig & Fils

 

This is so pretty and so many favorites here - ikat, gorgeous trim on the sofa, my favorite chinoiserie fabric Xian, a tortoiseshell coffee table, and the beautiful palette of blue and green. I love mixing patterns and ikat and chinoiserie are such a winning combination.

The Banquette

Barry Benson - Luxe Magazine

 I know we all love white Chinese Chippendale chairs, but black is a chic alternative, upholstered here in Brunschwig & Fils suzani. I wish the banquette seat was in the same fabric.

I have been debating a banquette for my own breakfast room, but I am not crazy about it blocking windows like it is here. I think it would look awful from the outside as well. Hmmmm.

The Chinoiserie Powder Room

Grace Brackman Design

 This is THE powder room for the lover of chinoiserie. The walls are covered in Brunschwig & Fils Xian, a favorite classic chinoiserie pattern. There is a faux bamboo vanity, a faux bamboo pagoda mirror, and even a tiny blue and white Chinese porcelain vase. 

Chinoiserie & Color

Pinterest

These showed up in my Pinterest feed and they are both such lovely examples of the beautiful colors of chinoiserie. The fabric above is a favorite of mine - Brunschwig & Fils Xian. These are the colors I love to live with.

Pinterest

 

Reflections

I asked a couple of weeks ago for ideas on raising the height of these counter stools and determined it really is not feasible. I've been using them as is and have decided they are great just the way they are. And they are sort of symbolic of my life right now and how far I have come.

I bought the stools years ago at Ballard Designs. I was fortunate to find on eBay Brunschwig & Fils Xian fabric that had been plasticized by an interior designer for a project and had a yard or so left over. Plasticizing is quite expensive to have done and requires a several yard minimum, but it makes the fabric impervious to spills and soil and the cushions last forever. I had them in Alexandria for years and almost did not bring them to Florida because the Sarasota house required four counter stools.

I had this feeling I should hang on to them. So if you recall, I had them safely stored in the Sarasota house and discovered that Sandbagger had purposefully piled on top of them old crates and junk and almost ruined them.

When I showed him how he had crushed and creased the cushions he told me it was completely my fault that he has no respect for my things. I was able to rescue them. If you look very closely, there is slight damage to the cushions, but nobody would notice but me.

So I've decided to leave them just as they are. I have always loved them and they are a great reminder that like the stools, Sandbagger tried to crush and ruin me, and if you look closely I have been damaged by him, but I am happy and safe in my new home away from him.

Progress Report

Draza Stamenich - DC Design House 2009

Yesterday could not have gone better.

1. The plumber arrived right on time and installed the new hot water heater in the garage. He commented that it is the nicest garage he has ever seen. I will have to post pictures but it is really nice. It was just painted by the seller in crisp white with a gray floor, built in white cabinets, and white plantation shutters on the window. It is absolutely pristine. My car will be very happy in there.

2. My painters arrived and we had a great time playing with the Samplize paint color samples. They were unaware of Samplize and very impressed. I will take photos today and reveal the winners.

3. Two trips with the car loaded with breakables. My garage looks like a blue and white Chinese porcelain store. Or the home of a ginger jar hoarder.

4. I realized today I need a lighting fixture for the laundry room. As you might recall, I have enough of the Brunschwig& Fils "Ironing Bored" left over from my previous laundry room to have it wallpapered. Yeah!!!!!!

Above is the inspiration board for my Alexandria, Virginia laundry room which was massive. It was about 225 square feet. Mine here is small, but I will make it really pretty.

Brunschwig & Fils Ironing Bored wallpaper

The photo up top is from the DC Design House back in 2009. Excuse the grainy photo. It was the smallest room in the house and my favorite. I had never before seen a laundry room with such attention to detail - Gracie wallpaper, a Neirmann Weeks chandelier, garden antiques, aviary wire on the cabinets, a travertine counter. This will serve as inspiration for my laundry room.

I especially like the lantern lighting fixture. I'm thinking this would be nice. Navy and pewter. An open cage design.

Leighton Cage Pendant

Well, I am off for the first run of breakables over to the house and to see what the painters are up to. Have a great day everyone. I will post tomorrow on the Dyson vacuum and the lobster rope door mat. And I need some sleep. All this adrenaline has me going 24/7.

News to Share

Venice, Florida

Big news. I am house hunting. Again. I have decided on Venice, Florida, about 30 minutes south. Although I love the house here, a great house is not enough. A house in not a home. I will leave it at that. The good news is that I will have a new house and will share the house hunting, renovating, decorating, and all of it here. I am really looking forward to this next chapter. If any of you know Venice and have ideas for me, let me know, please. Trying to narrow down neighborhoods. This weekend the puppies and I will take a long drive and explore more by car - so far I have just been looking online. I have a wonderful agent down here who I worked with on this house, so that's good.

Venice is chic, low key, historic, great restaurants and beaches, really nice vibe. I'm very excited to go "full on" Palm Beach/Chinoiserie/Florida/Tropical in my new house. My daughter wants a Tiki Bar in the lanai. I have extra rolls of wallpaper from my laundry room and dining room in Virginia that I hope to use, especially the Brunschwig & Fils laundry room paper "Ironing Bored" that was a Palm Beach favorite before it was discontinued.

Venice Fishing Pier

Downtown Venice

Grand Palm - one community I am considering

Chinoiserie Gone Wrong - No - It's Fabulous!

Oscar de la Renta's Dining Room - circa 1969

Last Monday, my Chinoiserie Gone Wrong post featured this photo below and everyone agreed this lamp looked ridiculous on the Chinese garden stool.

Chinoiserie Gone Wrong

I have always loved seeing pictures of Oscar de la Renta's homes and when I found this I just had to share. The dining room is wonderful, but he has a pair of Chinese lamps on garden stools. LOL! He gets a pass, the room is gorgeous, but I thought it would be fun to share. Here is another shot of it - note the animal print Chinoiserie on the ceiling, table, and chairs. The lampshades are different colors in the two photos as well. I prefer the white, but doesn't it look like they still have the cellophane wrap on them?

The fabric on the ceiling, chairs, and table is Brunschwig & Fils Chinese Leopard Toile.

 Here's my Margot on her miniature chaise that was originally in my daughter Kate's nursery. It is upholstered in a vintage Brunschwig & Fils fabric from their Winterthur Collection circa 1974 "English Leopard" - it reminds me a bit of this room's style.

My Japanese Chin Margot

A Happy and safe Easter to all. Stay tuned for a really unbelievable Chinoiserie Gone Wrong tomorrow.

The Blue and White Laundry Room

Jonathan Rachman

A lovely blue and white Chinoiserie laundry room by Jonathan Rachman. The tiles are amazing as well as wonderful Chinoiserie wallpaper and styling. I miss my old laundry room, but I still have lots of the Brunschwig & Fils "Ironing Bored" wallpaper left and may wallpaper my current laundry room.

Brunschwig & Fils "Ironing Bored"

The Chinoiserie Bathroom

Brunschwig & Fils Xian

One of my favorite Chinoiserie patterns of all time - Brunschwig & Fils Xian. I have a pair of curtains in this fabric and a pair of Chinese Chippendale counter stools covered in it - looking for spots in the house for them. This bathroom is darling -  the gold mirror, the vanity, and the shelves are all wonderful. I wonder why they left the shelves bare though??? But with a pattern as dramatic as this, one can go pretty minimalist.

On a side note, does anyone have a favorite source for rare/unusual plants? I have a landscape degree and am a master gardener and I'm getting really getting into horticulture down here in Florida - I have been to three botanical gardens in the past two weeks. But of course what I fall in love with are obscure hard to find plants. Would love any favorite sources you might share.

The Chinoiserie Bedroom

House Beautiful

This bedroom features beautiful Brunschwig & Fils fabrics, but for me the focal point is the Chinoiserie lamp.

Saturday Inspiration

Pinterest

Wonderful combination of blue and white Chinese porcelain, lucite, Brunschwig & Fils Les Touches fabric on the chairs, blue and white Chinoiserie framed panels, and pops of pink.