Red, White, and Blue Chinoiserie

Katie Rosenfeld

A fun but elegant dining room with a sophisticated black lacquered table by Hickory Chair, the  Choate dining table (a favorite table of mine) paired with white Chinese Chippendale chairs in a playful red fabric. The sideboard interestingly has one lamp instead of the usual pair.

Chic Vignette

Katie Rosenfeld

Loving the gold mirrored console, pair of faux bamboo stools, Buddha head, and navy lamp. Do you all remember the JCPenney faux bamboo stool hack from a few year's ago? I wish I had stocked up on them.

JCPenney faux bamboo stool in my dining room

The Chinoiserie Home

Katie Rosenfeld - Traditional Home

The Chinoiserie Entry

Katie Rosenfeld

Perfect for a small entryway - Chinoiserie on the table and underneath too! I can't get enough of orange and blue.

The Chinoiserie Dining Room

A dining room by Katie Rosenfeld that she has entitled "Chinoiserie Chic."

Chinoiserie 2012 - The Dining Room

Katie Rosenfeld

Great Chinoiserie Rooms That Break the Rules in Style

Katie Rosenfeld

I love the drama the ginger jars add to these dining rooms, ignoring the rule not to use tall centerpieces on your dining table. Just invite tall guests.

Katie Rosenfeld

Katie Rosenfeld - A Fresh Look at Chinoiserie

I first discovered the work of Boston based Katie Rosenfeld several months ago, and was immediately drawn to her use of Chinoiserie. I thought she would be a wonderful addition to our series on interior designers. Katie was born and raised in Florida and has lived and worked in New York City, Los Angeles, and Boston. I think you can see in her portfolio the influence of Florida and California in her use of color like blues and greens, the sophistication of New York City, and the tradition of Boston - a wonderful mix. Her look is fresh, clean, bright, comfortable, modern, yet classic. You will see in each of her rooms Chinoiserie elements.

Q - How do you use Chinoiserie?

A - How do I NOT use Chinoiserie; I need to refrain from Chinoiserie-overload!  I am always attracted to Chinese forms and shapes: pagodas, trellis, fretwork, Chinese Chippendale, bamboo, high gloss lacquer.  I use Chinoiserie on each and every project in multiple forms.  

Q - Why do you like to use Chinoiserie?

A - To me, Chinoiserie in all it's iterations - complements any design genre from traditional to uber-modern.  I love adding crusty Chinese case goods or Chinese porcelain or rugs to a clean modern space. Alternatively, a pagoda-inspired console with clean modern lines or a Kang-Legged lacquered linen-wrapped coffee table in a more traditional space gives a fun twist.

Q - What does Chinoiserie add to a room?

A - Depends on the application, it can add geometry/shape, color, history, tradition, anything you need it to add!

Q - What are your favorite Chinoiserie pieces?

A - Hmm, that's really tough.  But, to name a few: Baker's Bamboo Server, Century's Oscar de la Renta Pagoda Cabinet and Asian Buffet, Ellis Side Tables from Furniture Guild, and Bungalow 5 Case Goods. I also LOVE old Chinese figures; I make them into lamps.  And old crusty Chinese armoires and altar tables....

Q - To what do you attribute Chinoiserie’s appeal for centuries and its recent resurgence?

A - I didn't know it ever went "out" of style. Something that is timeless stays in fashion forever - like a little black dress to me!

Oscar de la Renta Pagoda Bar Cabinet

Oscar de la Renta Chinese Credenza

Baker Bamboo Server

Furniture Guild Cocktail Table

Bungalow 5 Jacqui Desk

Scale

We all know that scale is an important element in interior design. In decorating with Chinoiserie, I am especially fond of using oversized ginger jars to great dramatic effect. Here are some excellent examples like the desk with large ginger jar by Benjamin Dhong pictured above.

Katie Rosenfeld

Ashley Whittaker

Mary McDonald

Ruthie Sommers

Charlotte Moss

Carolyne Roehm

Katie Rosenfeld

It sometimes seems that those of us with blogs post the same rooms of the same interior designers. That is why it is such a revelation to come across an interior designer with serious talent whose work I have never seen before. This stuff is dynamite-Chinoiserie that is fresh and colorful, modern but classic. Click here to see her entire portfolio.