Thursday, June 24, 2010
Shop Like a Design Blogger: Chinoiserie Chic
Today I'm honored to welcome Beth of Chinoiserie Chic (and Style Redux) for another installment of my Shop like a Design Blogger series. Beth is perhaps the first friend I made through blogging. We both started our blogs at about the same time and it's been so much fun to watch each other's blogs grow and evlove. She's been a great source of inspiration, support and encouragement for me since day 1. If you haven't explored both of her fantastic blogs yet (and shame on you then!), you simply must check them out.
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My blog is Chinoiserie Chic. In my daily postings, I indulge my passion and enthusiasm for all things Chinoiserie. The term "Chinoiserie" refers to Western interpretations of Chinese style in architecture, interiors, art, furniture, pottery, textiles, and gardens. It originated in Europe in the 17th century and is enjoying a resurgence today. This wonderful look works with literally any style of decorating. There is no house anywhere that would not be enhanced by some well chosen Chinoiserie. It works beautifully with French, English, Hollywood Regency, modern, you name it. Chinoiserie is fresh, whimsical, playful, and flexible, yet adds elegance, sophistication, and character to any room. I have no magical sources for Chinoiserie-it can be found anywhere! Start at 1stdibs. Whether or not you can afford to buy there, educate your eye. Then study the work of interior designers you love and who love Chinoiserie like Charlotte Moss, Alessandra Branca, Meg Braff, Ruthie Sommers, Mary McDonald, Miles Redd, Michael Smith, and many others. See how they use Chinoiserie. Learn about the style and decide what you like. Then go out and explore.
Here are my top ten tips for adding Chinoiserie to your home. Any of these ideas will add Chinoiserie flair to your home and can be found from budget to luxury:
Great Sources for Chinoiserie:
1. Farrow & Ball paint -- whether you need a Chinese red, a Chinese blue, a celadon, or an imperial yellow, the best paint money can buy.
2. Fromental, de Gournay, Gracie, Osborne & Little, Clarence House, Scalamandre, Designers Guild, Thibaut, and Phillip Jeffries for wallpaper.
3. Pigtown Design on Etsy (and Meg is a lovely fellow blogger) for pillows.
4. Quadrille/China Seas, Brunschwig & Fils, Thibaut, Schumacher, Cowtan and Tout, and Scalamandre for fabric. Check The Designer's Attic (another wonderful fellow blogger Shannon from Pink Wallpaper) daily for incredible deals on high end fabrics.
5. Caspari for paper products, chargers, lacquer trays.6. iomoi for stationery, desk and home items.
7. Gump's, Horchow, Williams Sonoma Home, The Well Appointed House, and 1stdibs for high end online.
8. Etsy, eBay, One Kings Lane, and Craigslist for amazing finds online for everything.9. Flea markets, thrifts stores, HomeGoods, and Tuesday Morning for great in person shopping.
10. My number one tip and source is to make eBay your friend. Can't afford Schumacher Chiang Mai Dragon, but love it? Keep checking on eBay and you will find it, especially if you are looking for just a yard or two of fabric. Many interior designers sell their designer samples and leftover fabric on eBay. I recently bought 7 yards of brand new Brunschwig & Fils Le Lac that retails for $390 a yard for $14 a yard because the seller didn't put down the name of the fabric and I spotted it. Be patient and what you are looking for will show up. My home is filled with fabulous finds from eBay.
Use what I have listed here as search terms on eBay and you will be delighted by what you will find. Happy Chinoiserie hunting!
Beth of Chinoiserie Chic
Next Week's Guest Blogger: Sarah from Haute Design.
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39 comments:
This was a lot of fun. Foo dogs and bamboo are two design faves for me right now.
Great post Beth. Full of good tips and info. No one does Chinoiserie like you, hands-down!
Thank you ~
Blogger just seriously spazzed out on me, so no idea if my prior comment went thru? Anyway, loving bamboo and Foo dogs at the moment, so appreciate these great tips!
The perfect formula for chinoiserie!!! Congrats Beth!
I am hyperventilating over this post!!!!! Janell
I'm drawn to all these things !
LOVE this post! I am really into chinoiserie right now! Love those chippendale chairs!
Great post Beth! You certainly covered it all. I follow many blogs but read yours daily. It's always beautiful!
Averill-Thanks so much for inviting me to participate and for the wonderful job you did of putting my post together-it is visually stunning. All the best-Beth of Chinoiserie Chic
These are great tips and it was interesting to learn about the history of Chinoiserie as well. So far I only have a garden stool, but really like the idea of incorporating some blue & white porcelain pieces and fabric.
I've been a fan of chinoiserie for a long time!!
Beth really did a fabulous job on how to shop for classic chinoiserie elements that won't break the bank but will inject an exotic element into your design scheme!!
What a wonderful guest post - really makes me want to hit etsy and ebay hard for some new Chinoiserie accents for my home!!!
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing! I'm collecting blue and white china right now. :)
So many of my favorites in one post! Love all of your suggestions Beth!
Wow, great tips and education. Makes me realize I need to be more patient with ebay/craigslist, etc.....vs. my usual need for instant gratification.
Beth, I have found some amazing chinoiserie pieces at my local thrift stores. Score!
$14 a yard for Le Lac? You are the luckiest person on the planet, possibly the universe. I heart everything you posted!
I see I have quite a few blanks to fill in my aspirations to create the look , just will take me a while as it is all on a very tiny budget, but will get there...thanks for always inspiring!
No surprise this is a great post by Beth! and I love your series Averill!!
xx
Kit
Love the bamboo and foo dogs!
hi beth,
as a new lover of chinoiserie you know i just ate this post up. what great ideas, thank you very much.
~janet
oooh, i'm officially on the lookout for a chinese chippendale chair (or two!) — gorgeous guest post!
I read your blog everyday & these tips are terrific. Happy to have found Odi Et Amo too!
Best,
Colleen
This was such a great post! What wonderful tips!
Thank you, Beth, for sharing all your trade secrets with those of us who love Chinoiserie as much as you do.
Beth, I loved it how you started out sending us to 1stDibs to educate our eyes. Great advice! I think I might own most of the things on your list. Is that an overdo? If it is I don't care because I love them all.
Averill, awesome series. You are so creative. Kudos!
Great post. I think Foo Dogs are my next purchase.
gorgeous! i looooooove beth. that is my home-gal! she really gives me the best inspiration. :)
Great sources!
I love rooms with a hint of Asian influence in them. It helps that my fiance is from Sri Lanka too, because we get a ton of authentic stuff from his family :)
This is a style I admire very much. Some beautiful examples of elements that you could add to get the Chinoiserie feel.
Thanks for the entry, and thanks for including Gracie. I just posted a link to this on our Facebook page! By the way, we'd love to have you join us there:
http://www.facebook.com/graciestudio
Have a great weekend!
Love that drum! Have a lovely weekend xx
two of my favorite bloggers together... heaven! ♥
My mother (my style icon) always says that it is good luck to have at least one Asian piece in every room. Maybe that's the reason I'm so unlucky, I need to buy more!!! :)
Love the garden seats, love the foo dogs, love it all darling!
I thought I had posted a thank you for the mention of Pigtown Design!
THANK YOU!!!
Wow this is a good list!
Averill and Beth love this post. Beth I always have loved your blog and design aesthetics you have such a flare about you. These are all great ways to add a touch of Chinoiserie to a room in our home. I seem to gravitate towards all of the above except the poor little foo dogs they scare me,hehe. Great post!! Kathysue
Chinese design is the most detailed if we are talking about designs. They pattern is very hard to follow. But the product is all the best and has a very high quality.
I'm sure that everyone realises it but I thought I'd remind people that Designers Guild fabric is much cheaper to purchase in the UK. So if you are coming here on business or vacation, bring an empty suitcase!
If you are after some of the pricier fabrics (e.g the beautiful Royal collection), what you save on fabric may cover much of the cost of your flight!
If you need UK stockists just search the Designers Guild website or Google for "Designers Guild" + fabric + UK
Stevie
These are all great ways to add a touch of Chinoiserie to a room in our home. What a great post!
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