Bottom feeding

Remember the dreadful wallpaper borders of the '80s and '90s along the tops of walls?  Maybe you are not as old as I and have no recollection whatsoever.  Lucky you.  I confess, I was a border owner but only one room one time. 

Now on to the anti border...

This article, interview and photo-set at Style Saloniste really intrigued me. The photos are a chinoiserie dream!

The decorative art of Michael Dute is some of the finest in the world but it is the fretwork along the bottom of the walls that really piqued my interest. 

Perhaps it is that I have too much to hang on the wall that keeps me from a massive mural like this but along the base of the walls I could do fabulous things. 

I went to Stencil-library and found a few borders that would do the trick.

 

This fretwork pattern is far and away my favorite.

 

This one is perhaps a bit to lacy and feminine for my taste but still would make an extraordinary addition to a wall.

 

I can envision this one with furniture that I do not own and it is perfection just not for me, maybe.

I think this would be a fabulous way to add interest to a room in a spot that the eye normally discounts during the initial once over. 

It is like adding architecture without an obvious and literal faux treatment.

Have you stenciled anything lately?

Chinoiserie shopping fun

If you don't often stop here, you might not notice that I am not only an art fiend but crazy about chinoiserie.

Here are a few of my picks:

This Bergere chair in a pagoda fabric is not for everyone but I like it. HERE

If the chair is too pricey these shakers are a darling use for $8.

HERE

This is great. HERE

Gump's of San Francisco is having a sale and a girl could go nuts over all of the great decorative items.

At $599 it is not exactly a bargain but lovely nevertheless. HERE

Hard to resist HERE

I find these figures so charming. Check out all of Gump's Asian inspired decor in this section.

Founding Father's Chinoiserie

Gunston Hall is an 18th-century Georgian mansion near the Potomac river in Virginia. It is the home of founding father George Mason.

It's Chinese room offers a unique look at 18 th century fashion and taste that is a close cousin of current Chinoiserie fashion.

 

The Federal style dentil molding is coupled with Chinese-esque motifs.

Note the pagoda shapes around the room.

It is particularly interesting to me that we were taught through films and other history lessons to think of colonial American decoration in terms of staid, conservative colors when in fact very vibrant colors were the norm.

Lack of differentiation between paints on the walls and molding and the absence of softs, i.e. curtains and carpet, are the most noticeable details that set it apart from contemporary rooms.

The lemony yellow color works nicely with the blue and white china.

 

I'd kill to have a dining room like this, wouldn't you?

Chinoiserie score!

I came across this Brunschwig and Fils fabric on eBay a few weeks ago while searching for "Le Lac"  to make a few throw pillows. There were basically scraps totaling a bit over two yards and for $20 I got high end fabric. I was planning to use it for a valance in my kitchen.

When it arrived my heart sunk as it really fought with the nearby curtain..

I looked at the fabric again and realized that the ivory silk stripe that I was planning on buying to recover these dining chairs would no longer be needed.

 I also scored these six pristine, vintage Henckel-Harris dining chairs for $700.

There are two smallish vignettes on the fabric and I have enough for three of each on chairs and will get a few pillows made for the living room from the remainder.

I even managed to knock out a few 4" x 4" coasters out of this too. If that's not a $20 deal I don't know what is!

crazy about chinoiserie

I have been, at first tempted, then hungry for, and now have an insatiable craving for anything chinoiserie.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with the term, " Chinoiserie is a French term, signifying "Chinese-esque", refers to a recurring theme in European artistic styles since the seventeenth century, which reflect Chinese artistic influences. It is characterized by the use of fanciful imagery of an imaginary China, by asymmetry in format and whimsical contrasts of scale, and by the attempts to imitate Chinese porcelain and the use of lacquer like materials and decoration." , and I love it.

Thibaut has some fabulous wallpapers and fabrics that fit the bill.

Iconic images that they include are

pagodas...

birds in blossoming trees and

figural depictions of romanticized Chinese life.

After reading a recent post at Cote de Texas

I am more convinced than ever that I should wallpaper a ceiling or more specifically my dining room ceiling.

Since the top half of the walls will be a Benjamin-Moore Moroccan Red and the wainscoting below a simple white, I was leaning towards the Thibaut above called Cantonese in the aqua colorway.

Its a tough choice.

How would you incorporate a Chinese styled item into your home? Would you go  all in like these Thibaut rooms or add a piece or two as you find them?