The Art of Gracie

The Art of Gracie: Handpainted Wallpapers, Timeless Rooms

 

The ultimate in chinoiserie decor is a room done in hand-painted silk chinoiserie wallcovering like those by Gracie. This new book that will be released on Tuesday takes you into this gorgeous world. So many of my favorite chinoiserie rooms include Gracie wallcovering. I am so looking forward to this book.

Styling the China Kitchen Cabinet

de Gournay

I love a beautifully styled kitchen cabinet filled with fine china and glassware. This is a stunning example above. Often there is wallpaper backing the cabinet like this exquisite de Gournay above. Nowadays, there is lots of great peel and stick wallpaper available making this a fairly easy project to tackle.

Figs

de Gournay

This gorgeous wallcovering by de Gournay features a fig tree in a blue and white cachepot. I love figs and have a favorite recipe with figs to share that is great for entertaining. It is wonderful with Champagne. 

Judging A Book By Its (Chinoiserie) Cover

Ruthie Sommers - de Gournay

This picture was my very first post on Chinoiserie Chic (turning 14 this Spring) of a stunning room wallpapered in de Gournay. Many of us would love to have a room papered in hand-painted chinoiserie wallcovering, but the cost is not for the faint of heart. 

Pink & Green

Alessandra Branca

I definitely love pink and green as much as I do blue and white. And not surprisingly, these are the four colors that fill my home and my closet. The wallcovering is de Gournay. My home in Alexandria was filled with striped silk taffeta curtains like these.

A Dream Chinoiserie Bathroom

Laney LA

 

This is absolutely my dream bathroom featuring de Gournay Amazonia wallpaper. Amazonia is a contemporary interpretation of an 18th Century chinoiserie design. The motif updates more traditional compositions of birds and flowers for a vivid tropical verdant rain forest variation, created in collaboration with Edgardo Osorio, founder and creative director of luxury footwear brand Aquazzura.

Chinoiserie Chic Chaussures

Aquazzura x de Gournay

A few years back there was a fabulous footwear collaboration between Aquazzura and de Gournay. These are long gone, but I have rounded up some great current choices for shoes with some chinoiserie flair.

 

de Gournay Book

de Gournay Book

 Do any of you have this book?  I was lucky to score a new copy locally and am going to pick it up today. My perfect coffee table book.

Palm Beach/Palm Springs

Colony Palm Beach

 A beautiful vignette featuring de Gournay Colony wallpaper created for the hotel, a fabulous wicker chair in mint green, and an elephant desk. I love the monkey. And below another Slim Aarons I am using at CCC. He was Palm Springs and environs as opposed to Palm Beach, but a perfect aesthetic for my home.

Slim Aarons

A New Chinoiserie Gone Wrong

de Gournay

I received a great response to my new series on Chinoiserie Gone Wrong. Lots of comments, lots of emails, and some great ideas for upcoming posts. Thank you!

I am a huge fan of de Gournay wallpaper. My first post when I created Chinoiserie Chic more than 11 years ago below is of de Gournay wallcovering - a room by Ruthie Sommers. I still love this.

Ruthie Sommers - de Gournay

I had never seen a de Gournay wallcovering I have not liked. Until now. Yikes. Check out the green blobs.

Can you guess what this is supposed to be?

1. Melons?
2. Avocados?
3. Breasts?
4. Alien pods?
5. Green rainbows?
6. Rocks?
7. Exotic eggs?
8. Some strange fruit?

And the correct answer is Kiso Mountains. Wow. And the scale of those flowering trees? Some are as tall as the mountains. I cannot imagine decorating a room with this or living with it. I don't find anything aesthetically pleasing about this at all. Perhaps in a commercial space like a restaurant. Otherwise a hard pass.

Love it? Hate it? Thoughts?

The Blue and White Laundry Room

Dina Bandman - San Francisco Decorator Showcase

Such a wonderful room - this laundry room has de Gournay wallpaper (in a decorator show house where it is being donated). Love the dog wash station. My two puppies are so tiny that it is more convenient for me to use the laundry sink. BTW, there is nothing keeping me more grounded right now that my two puppy angels Harper and Margot. They are so happy, hanging out with me 24/7 and just enjoying life.

You might have seen this shot above before, but here are more photos to really see all the detailing in this fabulous room with custom cabinetry, navy subway tiles, and so much more.

I think this has motivated me to do some more styling in my own laundry room today.

My pups practicing social distancing.

Pink Flamingos

Sara Gilbane - House Beautiful

Flamingos are so Florida but can be kitschy if not downright tacky, but can they be chic? I think these examples are gorgeous.

de Gournay

Pinterest

And how about a pool full?

The Chinoiserie Bathroom

Architectural Digest

The ultimate bathroom - papered in de Gournay.

The Chinoiserie Living Room

Archicterural Digest

One wall has de Gournay Chinoiserie wallpaper, the opposite wall a piece of art by my favorite artist Elliott Puckette.

Pink de Gournay

de Gournay

These gorgeous pastels have me in the mood for spring. Although I adore blue and white, I also love pink, yellow, and green.

Mixology - Miles Redd

Miles Redd - House Beautiful

So refreshing to find interior designers who use traditional Chinoiserie wallpaper like de Gournay and Gracie and Scalamandre with a fresh and modern approach like Miles Redd.

A Chinoiserie Christmas - Day 27

Emily Sullivan - Traditional Home

Green de Gournay wallpaper takes center stage in this dining rom all decked out for the holidays.

The Chinoiserie Dressing Room

Fiona Kotur - Architectural Digest

This dressing room in the Hong Kong home of Fiona Kotur boasts walls covered in hand painted silk and an ottoman in green velvet by Lee Jofa. The dressing room is such a great spot for Chinoiserie wallpaper,  here are some other favorites of mine.

Aerin Lauder - House Beautiful - Gracie

Jeffrey Bilhuber - Elle Decor - de Gournay

Steve Gambrel -  Architectural Digest - Gracie

Charlotte Moss

The Chinoiserie Bedroom

Lucas Allen - House & Garden U.K. - de Gournay wallpaper

The Chinoiserie Powder Room

Suzanne Kasler - Veranda