Styling

Villalobos Desio - 1st dibs

A stunning Chinese secretary is styled with a collection of vintage books and ceramics.

Pink by Ann Getty

Think pink can't be sophisticated? Think again. This room by Ann Getty is absolute Chinoiserie perfection. Check out the pink and white toile curtains and those rods, the seagrass rug, the Chinoiserie chair in red, pink, and gold, and that stunning red lacquer Chinoiserie secretary. I cant get enough of combining pink, red, and Chinoiserie.

Ann Getty

Ann Getty is a fascinating and very talented interior designer who also has a penchant for Chinoiserie. Daughter in law of J. Paul Getty, oil magnate and collector, she is worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $2 billion (but perhaps those were pre-recession numbers). In spite of her wealth, she decided to follow her passion for interior design and in 1995 she launched her interior design business, based of course in San Francisco. She developed and launched her furniture collection in 2003. Many of the pieces were inspired by the Getty Collection. These photos from her home, her design work, and her collection have gorgeous examples of Chinoiserie including fretwork, lacquerware, pagodas, porcelain, antique textiles, and hand painted wallpaper. What I especially love is her use of color and pattern. So many designers today fall into two camps, neither of which I like-white and beige monochromatic rooms-what Tony Duquette called "the refrigerator door syndrome" or bold, bright, clear colors that I find jarring. To see more of her work and her collection, click here.

A Chinoiserie Living Room