Blanc de Chine

For those who love Chinoiserie and are lovers of white, Blanc de Chine is perfect. Blanc de Chine is simply white Chinese porcelain. This tablescape by Ruthie Sommers demonstrates how a collection of white really pops against the background of this dramatic Chinoiserie screen. This lovely room below by Mary McDonald incorporates white foo dogs and Blanc de Chine porcelain pieces for a very subtle and elegant approach. Your Blanc de Chine collection need not be Chinese or even Asian. Just look for pieces with a Chinoiserie flair-places like Z Gallerie, Paper Source, and West Elm are great well priced sources.

Saturday Inspiration - Blanc de Chine

What is a more exquisite example of Chinoiserie than the pure, pristine, sophisticated elegance of Blanc de Chine? It is by far my favorite combination of white and Chinoiserie, so I have featured it in this Saturday Inspiration post. Perhaps you will be motivated to start your own collection of Blanc de Chine. Next we will look at more ways of bringing white Chinoiserie into the home.

Blanc de Chine

Robert Goodwin

Billy Haines

Kevin Sharkey

Mary McDonald

Blanc de Chine Elephants

Ruthie Sommers

Style Court

Ruthie Sommers

Mary McDonald

The Well Appointed House

The Well Appointed House

My Chinoiserie Home

My Chinoiserie Home

My Chinoiserie Home

My Chinoiserie Home

My Chinoiserie Home

My Chinoiserie Home

My Chinoiserie Home

Chinoiserie Lighting - Blanc de Chine

Domino

A wonderful choice in Chinoiserie lighting is blanc de Chine. French for Chinese white, this is the term for white Chinese porcelain. It has been produced in China since the Ming Dynasty, and was exported in large quantities to Europe and Japan. It has been reproduced everywhere. While I am especially drawn to the female figural style, it is also wonderful as monkeys, birds, foo dogs, and in non-figural pierced or decorated designs. The white color of course makes it work easily in any room. Blanc de Chine lamps can be found new, vintage, or antique. Scout Etsy, eBay, Craigslist, flea markets, and estate sales. Another idea is to find one or a pair of blanc de Chine figures and have your local lamp store convert it into a lamp.

Meg Braff

House Beautiful

William Haines

Chinoiserie 2012 - Mantels

Peacock

I hope everyone has been enjoying the new series on Chinoiserie 2012. So far we have looked at one trend - mixing classic Chinoiserie with informal elements for a more modern approach, my Houzz Ideabook on the Chinese year of the dragon, a Chinoiserie DIY, and Pantone's color of the year Tangerine Tango, predicting the continued popularity of orange in interior design. Could your mantel use a sprucing up for 2012? Today we look at how to decorate your mantel with Chinoiserie elements in a modern and eclectic way, and who does that better than Lonny? Can you pick out the Chinoiserie in each?

Mini blanc de Chine vases on Chinese wood stands

Blanc de Chine vases

Turquoise vases

A Chinese calligraphy brush

Grasscloth walls

A pair of large blanc de Chine vases on Chinese stands

A potted orchid

A Buddha

A potted orchid and a pair of Chinese Chippendale chairs

A Chinese garden stool with a potted orchid

A potted orchid

A massive Chinese temple jar