Chinoiserie (Happy) Chic Inspiration Board

Except for the wallpaper (Scalamandre Zebras), every item in this inspiration board is from JCPenney's new Happy Chic Collection by Jonathan Adler. I would never have guessed I could do a Chinoiserie Chic room from JCPenney!

Chinoiserie (Happy) Chic

Have you seen that Jonathan Adler has a new line for JCPenney called Happy Chic? There are lots of great looking Chinoiserie accessories. I have shown you some of my favorites here. This line is supposed to be affordable glamour for your home, and although I find the accessories well priced, I was shocked by some of the furniture prices like a chair for $1,450, a bed for $1,750, and a sofa for $1,850. The furniture seems more like regular Jonathan Adler store prices. But check out the accessories, like Greek key glasses for $5.00. The foo dog lamp above could be painted, the lampshade changed, or Greek key trim added. The fretwork duvet and Greek key napkins could be monogrammed. High end looks at budget prices. And for those non JCPenney types like me, it is all available online. ;-)

A Chic Entry

A follower of Chinoiserie Chic has sent me this photo of her very chic Chinoiserie entry. She was inspired by my post on the JCPenney Cindy Crawford Trellis Foot Stool to buy two of them and cover them in Schumacher Chiang Mai Dragon she won on eBay. Click to enlarge the photo-it's wonderful! I love the white parsons console, the owl umbrella stand, copies of Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People and The Audrey Hepburn Treasures, the malachite box, the rug, the framed piece-really wonderful attention to detail. I do think the stools absolutely make the space-in her words, they take the entryway from drab to fab. I don't agree that it was drab before, but the Chinese Chippendale stools and iconic Chinoiserie fabric do elevate the space dramatically. Thanks so much for sharing!

The JCPenney Bench-A New Look

I love this idea to try on our favorite JCPenney Chinese Chippendale stool. Paint the base in coral, orange, or cinnabar and cover the cushion in leopard. Too fabulous!

The Faux Bamboo Bench

One of my favorite Chinoiserie pieces is the faux bamboo bench. Above is a beautiful example by Hickory Chair. Just below is the JCPenney version I have talked about many times in my own home that I covered in Cowtan & Tout Malabar. A faux bamboo bench is an incredibly decorative and versatile piece that can be used in a living room, bedroom, study, or family room. Below is a great roundup to inspire you. A faux bamboo bench is a must for any lover of Chinoiserie.

I adore this restored vintage piece from V&M with its black accents and black snakeskin leather.

Hickory Chair

Kelly Proxmire

1st dibs

A Pagoda Bench-High/Low

I found this great little Chinoiserie pagoda bench at The Source Collection with a not so little price tag of $1,525. What about taking one of our favorite JCPenney benches at $99.99 or a flea market or eBay find, or perhaps something you already have that could use a makeover? This JCPenney bench might also work well. Then cover the cushion with one of these wonderful pagoda fabrics by Thomas Paul or Michael Devine. If you have or find a bench that can take ferrules (the metal feet), here is an excellent source for them.

Michael Devine Garden Folly

Thomas Paul for Duralee

Kmart I Am So Sorry

My Kmart tray table finally arrived yesterday after my wimpy UPS man took two weeks to get it off his truck because of the snow we've had. But I have to say that my recent purchases from JCPenney and Kmart have been epiphanies. I take back having never set foot in your stores or gone to your websites. The tray table was beautifully packaged, took 5 minutes to put together, and is great. It is heavy, well made, elegant, and looks ten times more expensive than its $69.99 with free shipping. I have set it up in my sun room for tea and scones tomorrow morning using my daughter's childhood china by Mottahedeh. The ginger jar next to it I bought yesterday at HomeGoods for $20. Cute, eh? (A little Canadian Olympics lingo.) BTW, they have restocked the tray table and it is again available. Click on the photo to enlarge it.

Chinoiserie Finds and a Reveal

This is the little JCPenney Trellis Stool I posted on before. I recovered the seat in Cowtan & Tout Malabar I found on eBay. This gorgeous velvet epingle is an animal print with alternating stripes of velvet and epingle. A perfect little perch for toss pillows at night.

The JCPenney bench before.

My latest flea market find-a pair of antique dolls.

My latest eBay find-a Chinoiserie painting with a great pagoda frame. I snagged it for under $40. It is on its way to me now.

I admit that I have never set foot in a Kmart in my life. But after my good experience with the JCPenney Chinoiserie bench and after seeing this featured in the new issue of House Beautiful, I decided to check it out. This darling tray table has a mirrored top, a fretwork frame, and an antique white finish. And wait-it is $69.99 with free shipping. Check it out here. I ordered one and will let you know what I think. It would make a great little bedside table, end table, or mini Chinoiserie bar.