Chinoiserie in DC

Pamela Black and Don Love - Veranda

 

I had to share this fabulous chinoiserie filled apartment in Foggy Bottom in DC. Foggy Bottom is home to the Watergate, the Kennedy Center, the State Department, and George Washington University. I went to GW for law school, my late husband was living in Foggy Bottom when we met and until we married, and we were members of the Kennedy Center for decades.

Citrus Prints & Chinoiserie

James T. Farmer

 

Citrus prints are everywhere - in home decor and in fashion. This is a wonderful example of how well they play with chinoiserie. Here the very classic Schumacher Citrus Garden is joined with chinoiserie touches like a pair of Chinese garden stools and a vintage ceramic elephant loaded with lemons. Darling ideas for al fresco dining or setting the summer table. 

The Blue & White Chinoiserie Bedroom

Jonathan Adler - Elle Decor

 

This is a bedroom with so many ideas to inspire. I love the seating area at the foot of the bed with the pair of wicker elephants as side tables and the pair of side tables as a coffee table. The sofa is divine - stried, tufted, and bullion fringe. The pair of rattan bar carts as bedside tables is another favorite. Perhaps my favorite is the two different Quadrille chinoiserie patterns - Lyford Diamond Bamboo wallpaper and Paradise Background as a headboard. And as an aside, I am so delighted my house came with plantation shutters - simple, classic, private, easy, perfect for a tropical climate. 

The Blue and White Living Room

Jorge Elias

 A stunningly beautiful blue and white living room with so much inspiration - lots of blue and white Chinese porcelain, a mini bar, those elephants, orchids, a white slipcovered sofa, books, and gorgeous art. 

When I was in law school, I lived in a very grand house in Georgetown. So grand that it was rented by Joe and Rose Kennedy to house the Kennedy clan for JFK's inauguration. When I was living there, every spring the owners would take up all the oriental rugs and replace them with jute and seagrass and slipcover all the sofas and chairs in white cotton duck. The windows were all washed, silk drapes removed, and a spring house cleaning was done including the garden and pool.

I learned lots about running a house and still love the ritual of spring cleaning. Yesterday I hand washed all the screens in my lanai indoors and out! It looks wonderful. When I finished, I made an Old Fashioned and sat in the lanai at sunset. This is the life.

Palm Beach Style

Emily Painter Interiors

My favorite purchase for my new house was definitely my canvas palm tree from The Canvas Nursery here in Florida. Palm Beach interior designer Emily Painter, formerly senior designer for Amanda Lindroth, uses a pair in her blue and white Worth Avenue apartment. 

Note the elephants, blue and white ginger jars, Amanda Lindroth island tray, rattan bar cart, and seashells - all faves of mine. A seagrass squares rug is a super economical way to dress up a floor, especially in a rental like this. You can buy the squares and stitch them together to form any size you require.

My Favorite Living Room

Bunny Williams & John Rosselli

I have posted hundreds of living rooms in the years I have been doing Chinoiserie Chic, but none do I love more than this one, Bunny Williams and John Rosselli's Punta Cana home. I would love to share more photos of this room.

There are so many elements here I will use in my living room and home in general. Lots of blue and white Chinese porcelain including Chinese garden stools, ginger jars, vases, lamps, and cachepots. Pagodas. Elephants. Palm fronds as floral arrangements. Potted orchids. Painted ceilings. Neutral walls and floors. Books. British Colonial style. Ceiling fans. Sea shells. Slipper chairs. Animal decor. Tropical. Collections. Timeless.

This room makes me happy. I believe Mark Sikes said this is the most beautiful living room in the world. I must agree. It certainly embraces the style I would love to capture in my new tropical Chinoiserie home. What do you think?

Elephants

Traditional Home

A colorful room with a pair of elephant garden stools, Lily Pulitzer Chinoiserie fabric on the ottoman, and Greek key trim on the roman shade.

Chinoiserie Chic Trends 2018

Amanda Lindroth

Another design trend for 2018 will be using wood, but in unexpected places. Here Amanda Lindroth uses mahogany kitchen countertops in a Chinoiserie infused kitchen with palm wallpaper and elephant accessories. The simple organic element of wood is a wonderful contrast to Chinoiserie. Here is another beautiful example of wood kitchen countertops with blue and white Chinese porcelain.

Amie Corley

A wood beamed ceiling is a great juxtaposition in this living room filled with blue and white Chinese porcelain.

Summer Thornton

Chinoiserie Christmas

Michelle Nussbaumer

A stunning combination of colors and textures that would be lovely for the holidays - I love the elephant!

The Chinoiserie Kitchen

Mark D. Sikes - 2017 Coastal Living Idea House

A lovely blue and white kitchen that combines blue and white striped wallpaper, blue cabinets, blue and white elephant wallpaper, blue woodwork, and even a blue and white ceiling.

The Gray Chinoiserie Nursery

Julia Rafflenbeul Interiors

Our series on gray and Chinoiserie continues today with a wonderful nursery that combines gender neutral gray with Chinoiserie - Fromental wallpaper with elephants. Such a sophisticated choice.

A Fabulous Chinoiserie DIY

This wicker elephant table sold this week on One Kings Lane for $355. As you can see, the wicker is damaged on top at one spot. I just bought the exact same one on eBay for $42 in natural wicker in perfect condition that is going in my One Room Challenge Chinoiserie Man Cave. I have seen painted ones listed on One Kings Lane as high as $450. The color on these is not original; they are newly painted.

This is a no brainer. Find one on eBay, Etsy, CL, an estate sale, or wherever and spray paint it yourself and save hundreds of $$$. I do think it's fun and functional that this one above has a glass top which of course makes it more practical for drinks.

Here is some color inspiration. In the bottom photo is one in natural wicker styled by Jamie Meares that looks exactly like the one I just scored.

Jamie Meares

Inspiration Board and Surprise Finds

This very sophisticated living room I have designed includes an antique Coromandel screen, a pair of Barcelona chairs, a zebra rug, and a pair of Dorothy Draper chests. I have accessorized with two beaded elephant lamps and a wicker elephant to hold magazines. I love the elephant accessories.

Now let's see if you can guess where I found these elephants before you click on the links -

A. Anthropologie
B. Z Gallerie
C. CB2
D. Furbish
E. West Elm

Beaded Elephant Lamp

Wicker Storage Elephant

The correct answer is none of the above - they are both from Pottery Barn Kids and they are both on sale! And they are both going to find a home in my home. They could be used anywhere in the house - definitely not just for kids' rooms! The elephant lamp would be great as an accent lamp or on a bedside table. The wicker elephant could be used on a desk, in a bathroom, on a dresser, to hold mail, to hold magazines, or in a nursery or child's room.

Styling

Probably the most common request I receive from interior design clients is styling bookcases and coffee tables. Accordingly, I am always on the lookout for chic, unique, and whimsical pieces. I happened upon this darling black and gold Kate Spade lion in HomeGoods over the weekend and he is very happy on my own coffee table. Also in the KS collection are a giraffe, a zebra, and an elephant. I like them all! You can find them on the Kate Spade website and discounted on various online stores like here.

I have Pinterest boards on -
*Styling your bookcase
*Styling your coffee table
*Elephants
*Zebras
for even more ideas.

My Daughter's Chinoiserie Apartment - The Dining Room

This is the dining room in my daughter's DC apartment. She has furnished it with lots of great finds from Target, Ikea, HomeGoods, Pier One Imports, Anthropologie, and T. J. Maxx. It is actually called the porch in this apartment's floor plan. It has four large windows, brick walls, and overlooks one of the prettiest streets in Georgetown. In keeping with this "porch" feel, she has used a blue and white color scheme with pops of color in the table settings she chooses. Here it is set last night for a dinner date. As you can see, we both love elephants and Chinoiserie.

Elephant Lamps High/Low

I love elephants as you might have guessed from my blog banner. This pair of vintage elephant head lamps above at LIV Vintage are wonderful. I think I would use black lacquered drum lampshades for a very Hollywood Regency/Mary McDonald vibe. The brass pair below at 1st dibs is priced at $2800. The LIV Vintage pair are $300. Please be sure to check out all her finds - she is one of the best sources for vintage Chinoiserie and Hollywood Regency and her prices are great!

The Chinoiserie Nursery

Wouldn't this elephant fabric - Parade by LuLu DK Child for Schumacher be the cutest for a Chinoiserie nursery, child's bedroom, or playroom?

Setting the Chinoiserie Table - The Pink Pagoda

Could your dining room sideboard use some sprucing up for the upcoming holidays? Look how gorgeous and and easy it can be with Chinoiserie giclees from The Pink Pagoda and some Chinoiserie. Here Jennifer has put together four of her yellow giclees featuring elephants and ginger jars with a pair of yellow foo dogs and a pair of blanc de Chine lamps. With her wide selection of colors, you can choose whatever colors work best in your own dining room.