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.

Kate Spade, Martinique, and an Inspiration Board

I am so excited about Kate Spade's new Martinique pillow, that I created an inspiration board around it. The pillow is faced with the iconic Martinique Banana Leaf made famous at the Beverly Hills Hotel. It is backed in black and white stripes, inspiring me to wallpaper the room in bold black and white stripes. I have used a yellow Jonathan Adler Lampert sofa with two Kate Spade Martinique pillows and a vintage orange Hermes zebra needlepoint pillow. The coffee table is two orange Chinese garden stools from Lilly Pulitzer Home. I love the three pineapple giclees from The Pink Pagoda. If your budget does not include $148 for a pillow, below are some great alternatives for $40 and under. BTW, the Kate Spade pillow is a limited edition with just a few left.

 Want more banana leaf inspiration? My Pinterest board on banana leaf is here.

Kate Spade Martinique

Etsy - $40

Etsy - $40

Etsy - $37

Dining Room Inspiration Board with Two Chinoiserie Favorites

I came across this photo below of a dining room from the UK's House to Home featuring two of my Chinoiserie favorites. The wall panel and chairs are in Brunschwig & Fils Kanchou available in wallpaper and fabric. The window treatment is done in Scalamandre China Rose. These are two great Chinoiserie classics that are great favorites of mine. Both are available in lovely colorways.

In my inspiration board, I have covered the walls in Brunschwig & Fils Kanchou in Chartreuse. The hot pink beaded chandelier is by Marjorie Skouras. A Dorothy Draper Greek key black and gold cabinet from Charlotte & Ivy holds two vintage Chinoiserie lamps topped with hot pink silk dupioni lampshades and two hot pink vases. Two massive emerald green ginger jars flank the chest. The round table is a vintage silver leaf James Mont. Vintage chairs are lacquered in high gloss white and the seats are covered in Scalamandre China Rose in Pink and Orange on Green.

I have also included other examples of these two wonderful Chinoiserie designs for inspiration.

Trending - Antelope and Inspiration Board

Antelope has gotten hot, hot, hot as an alternative to leopard and zebra. Although some have dismissed it as trendy, I think it a new classic, here to stay, and I love it. The conventional wisdom is that it is best used in neutral (to me, boring) rooms where it takes center stage. No! It is far more neutral than leopard and zebra and they all work beautifully with color and with Chinoiserie.

In my inspiration board, I have paired it with Thibaut's cheetah wallpaper. Are they natural enemies? Not in this chic entryway with its gold leaf Greek key console, pagoda lamps, and gold twig mirror, all beautiful finds from Charlotte & Ivy.

I envision using the antelope as a rug in the foyer and then on the stairs as a runner. It is also wonderful as a rug or as wall to wall in a living room, dining room, hallway, or bedroom. It hides dirt very well. Sources include Stark (above), Karastan, Couristan, and Glen Eden.

Want more inspiration? - here is my Pinterest board on Antelope.

BREAKING NEWS - My Blue and White Chinoiserie Pinterest board is featured this week on Pinterest Weekly. You can follow it here.

Check out these wonderful spaces that combine antelope, color, and Chinoiserie.

Styling The Bar Cart - My Bar Cart, Inspiration Boards, and Great Ideas

A wonderful way to add a whimsical touch to your Chinoiserie bar cart is with an animal motif. I have just added a silver hippo and a tortoiseshell giraffe to mine. The silver hippo picks of all the silver on my bar and the tortoiseshell giraffe mimics the two tortoiseshell decanters. Other great ideas pictured below are an elephant, pig, fox, flamingo, monkey, dog, foo dog, turtle, cockatoo, and raccoon. Just make sure they stay away from the liquor.

Inspiration Board - Summer Look for Less

I love the console vignette below that I posted on here and I have recreated it in easy to find and budget friendly pieces. This is a great look for an entryway, living room or dining room with its mix of Chinoiserie, lucite, and organic elements - perfect for a beach house or any home for the summer. It all adds up to about $1,000.

My look for less -
Have your paint store color match Farrow and Ball Saxon Green
The console table is CB2's Peekaboo Clear Console Table for $379
The Beachcomber Baskets are from Pottery Barn for $129 each
The Classic Jute Rug is from Charlotte & Ivy for $138
The Double Happiness Vases are from The Pink Pagoda for $116 each
Add a pair of little clear glasses of your own with fresh flowers

Kerry Steele Art Exclusive Flash Sale & Inspiration Board

Kerry Steele.com is having a 12 hour flash sale today exclusively for Chinoiserie Chic readers with paintings reduced by up to 50%. The page is KerrySteele.com/sale and is not visible in the main navigation bar. Click on this link to take you there - KerrySteele.com/sale. The painting in the inspiration board above, for example, named "Something Is In The Air," an 18x24 canvas has been reduced from $295 to $150.

The sale will run from 9am-9pm EST today.

To purchase a painting, email the title to art@kerrysteele.com and you will receive a Paypal invoice for the total.

Shipping will be a flat rate of $25 for most paintings and will ship in 2 business days or less.

This is a wonderful opportunity to add a piece of original art to your home by this very talented artist at amazing prices.

Here is a preview of some of the works that will be on sale at dramatic savings.