Chinoiserie, with its whimsical contrasts of scale and fanciful imagery, has long been an evocation of Chinese motifs and techniques in Western art, furniture, and architecture. While the style is strongly associated with the 18th century, modern-day rooms continue to embrace this unique blend of East and West. Incorporating idyllic elements favored in the Rococo period, these rooms combine contemporary abstract paintings, sculptures, and geometric furniture that accentuate the intricate and ornamental aspects of this decorative style.
In San Francisco, interior designer Benjamin Dhong used an exquisite, hand-painted wall covering by de Gournay to highlight a Thomas Chippendale-inspired daybed. The luxurious combination of East meets West creates a captivating ambiance that transports you to another time and place.
At Rue Bonaparte residence, Yves Saint Laurent traveled in his imagination, surrounded by a mixture of East meets West curated by Pierre Bergé. The residence perfectly showcases the finest examples of chinoiserie, creating an environment that exudes elegance and sophistication.
Visuals play a crucial role in capturing the essence of chinoiserie. Paul Montgomery's wallpaper murals, for example, combine traditional hand-painting techniques with modern materials and technology. The result is floral and nature vignettes of exceptional quality that bring a touch of romance and beauty to contemporary settings.
Ann Getty's Pacific Heights residence is a testimony to her sophistication and connoisseurship. Every room boasts a collection of exquisite art pieces and antique furniture that perfectly complements the intricate chinoiserie panels and decor. It is a testament to Getty's impeccable taste and eye for detail.
Baroness Pauline de Rothschild's drawing room in her London apartment is a personal expression of self. The room combines contemporary furnishings with traditional chinoiserie elements. The result is a captivating space that speaks to her unique vision and love for color.
Michele Bönan, an interior designer, creates stunning effects by mixing midcentury Italian pieces with antique chinoiserie screens. The Marquis Faubourg Saint-Honoré hotel in Paris beautifully showcases this juxtaposition, resulting in a harmonious blend of old and new.
Chinoiserie can take on various forms, and Lynne Rutter's custom-painted wallpaper is a modern interpretation of this style. The wallpaper creates an airy and open garden feeling, with intense and rich colors contrasting against a subtle curry-yellow field.
Juan Pablo Molyneux, a committed classicist, creates spirited interiors that are rooted in history without being historical re-creations. His Upper East Side salon serves as an ideal stage for the handmade furniture he's been designing for over three decades.
Marjorie Gubelmann's dining room is a testament to her exquisite taste. The room combines chinoiserie motifs with mahogany furniture and Venetian mirrors, creating a space that is both elegant and inviting.
Thad Hayes, a renowned designer, seamlessly blends modern art with traditional chinoiserie in his renovation of a Palm Beach home. The result is a captivating combination of old and new, creating a unique and personal space.
Abbotsford, the beloved home of Sir Walter Scott, reflects the eccentricities and epitomizes the 19th-century Scottish baronial style. The hand-painted chinoiserie wallpaper, a gift from Scott's cousin, adds a touch of exoticism to this historic treasure.
Michael S. Smith's update of a historic Minneapolis mansion beautifully combines traditional chinoiserie with modern art. The result is a harmonious blend of eras that pays homage to old Florida style while creating a contemporary and captivating space.
Chinoiserie continues to captivate and inspire with its intricate details, vivid colors, and timeless appeal. Whether it's through hand-painted wallpapers, antique furniture, or contemporary interpretations, these elegant and exotic rooms showcase the enduring beauty and allure of chinoiserie.
In San Francisco, interior designer Benjamin Dhong used an exquisite, hand-painted wall covering by de Gournay to offset a Thomas Chippendale-inspired daybed.
Pierre Bergé recalls that Yves Saint Laurent "preferred to travel in his imagination," surrounded by the finest of East meets West in Bergé's Rue Bonaparte residence.
Paul Montgomery's wallpaper murals combine time-honored hand-painting techniques with modern materials and technology to create floral and nature vignettes of exceptional quality and enduring impact within refined contemporary settings.
Every room in Ann Getty's Pacific Heights residence testifies to her sophistication and connoisseurship. In the living room, for example, paintings by Gustave Moreau, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Camille Pissarro are complemented by expressive gilt-wood furniture.
The circa-1720 chinoiserie panels in Getty's dining room, made for the king of Poland, are thoughtfully paired with a circa-1740 Italian lacca povera bureau once owned by Pope Pius VI. The table at the front is set with a circa-1820 Canton famille rose dinner service.
Getty founded Ann Getty and Associates, a residential interior design firm in 2002. Here a room in one of her San Francisco residences contains all original pieces, most notably a Kangxi jar sitting on a Louis XIV marquetry chest.
Baroness and tastemaker Pauline de Rothschild's drawing room in her London apartment includes such furnishings as a steel-frame sofa of her own design, retour d'Égypte chairs, and contemporary cube tables.
At the Marquis Faubourg Saint-Honoré hotel in Paris, interior designer Michele Bönan mixed midcentury Italian pieces with an antique chinoiserie screen to stunning effect.
A modern interpretation of a chinoiserie mural, the custom-painted Lynne Rutter wallpaper produces an airy, open garden feeling, particularly evident in the doses of intense, rich color on the subtle curry-yellow field.
A committed classicist, Juan Pablo Molyneux creates spirited interiors that are rooted in history. This Upper East Side salon serves as an ideal stage for the handmade furniture he's been designing for over three decades.
In Marjorie Gubelmann's dining room, an ormolu and cut-glass chandelier is suspended above an antique mahogany table. The pair of Venetian mirrors mounted on Gracie chinoiserie-inspired wallpaper were Paris flea-market finds.
A black and rose needlepoint rug contrasts with the wall motifs in the dining room of Albemarle House, a spectacular 45-room Georgian-style mansion in Virginia's Hunt Country.
A brown Axminster rug with a red floral trellis pattern complements the vividly green and white chinoiserie Gracie wallpaper in the dining room of the same home.
Interior designer Thad Hayes's expertise in mixing design eras is evident in his renovation of the Palm Beach home of Evelyn Lauder and her husband, Leonard. Here the entrance hall showcases modern art alongside traditional chinoiserie.
In the living room of the same home, modern paintings counterbalance an array of antique pieces, creating a harmonious blend of old and new.
In his update of a historic Minneapolis mansion, designer Michael S. Smith drew inspiration from Merchant Ivory films. The entrance hall showcases modern art alongside traditional chinoiserie pieces.
In the living room of the same home, a mix of antique and modern pieces creates a captivating and unique space that reflects the owner's personality.
In the dining room, the Scalamandré fabric of the curtains picks up the Gracie chinoiserie wallpaper's brighter accents, while a Victorian chandelier projects equally brilliant detail.
This bedroom abounds in fine exports. Of particular note are the Chinese wallpaper; the English-made Gillows of Lancaster George III bed; and a 19th-century Portuguese coverlet.
