Living with Dogs

Alex Papachristidis - Teddy

 

My dogs Harper and Margot are my babies. If you live with small dogs, one issue, if they are allowed on furniture (which mine are) is how they get on and off high furniture like beds or sofas without hurting themselves.

Alex Papachristidis' tip for living with a pint-size pup? Give him a leg up by placing stylish step stools around the house. “Small antique and vintage chairs next to beds and sofas help to give your pets access to higher ground while also protecting their backs,” writes Alex. “I often buy Teddy’s miniature furniture from antique stores, pier shows, and auction houses.” (via One Kings Lane)

The Chinese Chippendale Chair

Orange Chinoiserie Bar Stool

My Houzz Ideabook this month is on the Chinese Chippendale chair. A timeless classic, the Chinese Chippendale chair is at home in any setting and deserves a place in the home of all lovers of Chinoiserie. This bar stool above can be used indoors or out and it is a great deal - the regular price is $655 and it is on sale for $261.60.

Check out my Ideabook here with lots of great choices for this iconic chair.

Scale - Using Large Pattern Chinoiserie Fabrics

Home Accents Fabric Cachepot

Our topic today is the wonderful pairing of a chair with a grand Chinoiserie fabric. As you can see here, an oversized Chinoiserie fabric is a magical combination with any chair - large, small, new, vintage, antique, and any style as well. I especially adore a Bergere chair done up in Chinoiserie.

And a reminder that tomorrow at 9 AM ET is the third edition of my new feature Chinoiserie Chic's Fabulous Friday Finds.

Jim Thompson Tea Party

Design Legacy Mandarin Dragons

Scalamandre China Rose

Chair by Pearson/High Point NC

Quadrille/China Seas Lyford Background

Design Legacy Mandarin Dragons

Schumacher Chiang Mai Dragon

Schumacher Chiang Mai Dragon

Lilly Pulitzer Tail Lights

Robert Allen Crystal Lake

Chair by Massoud - fabric not identified

Manuel Canovas

Home Accents Fabric Cachepot

Hazelton House Chinese Garden

Quadrille's Paradise Garden

Hazelton House Chinese Garden

Mia - Calico Corners

Scalamandre Chinoise Exotique

Schumacher Nanjing

Schumacher Chiang Mai Dragon

Brunschwig & Fils Le Lac

Ariadne at Home

Brunschwig & Fils River Song

Mia - Calico Corners

An Inspiration Board - Styling the Chinoiserie Mantel

Your fireplace and mantel are focal points in your home all year long, not only in the winter and at Christmas. I tend to favor symmetry when styling the fireplace and mantel. My favorite approach is a large abstract painting (the bigger, the better) and a pair of blue and white Chinese porcelain ginger jars, vases, or tulipieres, flanked by a great pair of chairs. I have put together a really good Pinterest board on styling the Chinoiserie mantel, with loads of inspiration here. Below are a few favorites.

Canary Yellow Bergere Club Chairs from Charlotte & Ivy
Pair of Slender Blue and White Ginger Jars from The Pink Pagoda
Large Abstract Painting from Kerry Steele

Sullen Gregory

Anna Spiro

Jamie Meares

Melissa Rufty

Thomas Britt

Lacquer Outdoors

I fell in love with these outdoor chairs after seeing them in person at Ikea last week. They have great lines and a high gloss finish reminiscent of lacquered Chinoiserie pieces, but with a very modern flair. These could be used inside as well. A great look at $29.99.

New Series - The Top 10 Chinoiserie Pieces

Red Quan Chair

Elle Decor asked Chinoiserie experts Thomas Jayne and Katie Ridder for their top 10 Chinoiserie pieces. Each day, I will show you one of their picks, then my pick at a MUCH better price. The finale will be my own top ten Chinoiserie pieces. Sound fun?

Piece number one is this Quan Chair by Jinr from Jia Moderne. This acrylic chair is available in red or clear. It costs $3,755 plus $275 shipping for a total of $4,030 in red and $3,480 plus $275 shipping for a total of $3,755 in clear. My pick is the Philippe Starck and Eugeni Quitlet Mi Ming Armchair inspired by the classical Quanyi or horseshoe chair. Philippe Starck is of of course the famous French designer of such iconic pieces as the Louis Ghost chair. It is available for $561 plus free shipping. The armrest or fuschou comes in red, black white, or silver (silver is an additional $57.00). I prefer the elegant lines of my pick and the price!

Clear Quan Chair

Mi Ming Armchair

Chinese Red Chairs

This pair of Chinese red lacquered chairs from LIV Vintage would be fabulous with the seats covered in a Chinoiserie fabric. So many possibilities!

Unbelievable High/Low

Above is a pair of vintage James Mont style black lacquer chairs with brass accents and cushions for $3200 for the pair at 1st dibs. Below is a vintage pair of James Mont style black lacquer chairs with brass accents and raw silk cushions for $325 for the pair at LIV Vintage. I might have to retire my High/Low feature after this because this is going to be tough to top!

Chinoiserie Vignette High/Low

This stunning vignette is from The Style Sourcebook by Judith Miller via Style Court. Want to try copying it? If you are a follower of Chinoiserie Chic, you probably already have an oversized ginger jar. The chair below is a great look alike and only $279.00 at a favorite source of mine, China Furniture Online. The cushion is sold separately and I would prefer it without. This would be a stunning look in a small entry.