Chinoiserie In Interior Design
By Ana Zuravliova
Chinoiserie is an elegant, sophisticated style that is also exciting and intricate. This design style has a long and glorious history that comes from greater trade between Europe and Asia that started in the 16th century, but really started to influence design in the 18th. While timeless, there has been an increase in interest in chinoiserie, and today we’ll be exploring some great tips for adding this beautiful style into your interior design.
Chinoiserie design
One of the most popular interpretations of chinoiserie design came in the form of furniture. Ornately carved chairs, wavy cabinets and curvaceous table legs were all inspired by the fascination of artefacts and items from the far east. That said, pattern was, and remains, a big part of chinoiserie.
Chinoiserie patterns
Chinoiserie patterns vary in colour and style, but they all feature frequently occurring motifs. From fantastic florals to exotic pavilions, chinoiserie offers great flexibility! Beyond landscapes, Chinoiserie patterns will often include colourful birds and beasts native to the Asian continent. Some even feature fantastical creatures!
Patterns on soft fabrics
Historically, many chinoiserie patterns would have been presented on wallpaper or hand painted murals, but today, it’s more popular to use these patterns on soft fabrics. These include sofas, cushions, curtains, blinds and even lamp shades. Since chinoiserie is synonymous with luxury and quality, one of the best fabrics to use is velvet. Velvet holds colour better than many fabrics, it interacts beautifully with light, and it adds an overall high quality finish to any space. That said, velvet isn’t the only fabric that works well within a chinoiserie space. Linen style fabrics are equally excellent, especially for showcasing the lighter colours and patterns popular in this trend!
Chinoiserie and window furnishings
Finally, one of the best ways to maximise the quality chinoiserie effect, is by selecting made to measure window furnishings. When a blind or curtain perfectly fits the recess, it showcases the selected pattern, and the tailor-made effect captures the high calibre finish you’re seeking.
Chinoiserie colours
Any chinoiserie inspired space will need to make fantastic and daring use of colour.
Shades of yellow and chinoiserie patterns
With patterns often showcasing flourishing flowers and powerful plants, colours that contrast well with green are often excellent starting places. One of the most idyllic colours for chinoiserie decors is yellow – particularly golden shades of yellow. Light yet soft shades of yellow won’t only add a stylish finish to a room, they will also add a positive energy making it perfect for living rooms, kitchens, and lounges. If you have a home office, a yellow chinoiserie patterned blind in the window recess will be perfect!
If, however, yellow isn’t to your taste, you can also choose shades of powdery sky blue, very soft shades of purple, or dusky pinks.
Pristine white or darker shades
Because these are mostly bold colours, use pristine white to maximise the elegance of the space. White is a great contrast colour for all the shades suitable for chinoiserie. Pristine skirting boards, windowsills and Venetian blinds will help your patterns and statement colours to pop!
For darker shades, many heritage items from the chinoiserie era featured a black lacquer with golden embellishments which remain popular. You can learn more about black and gold in our Black And Gold blog!
Natural woods
Finally, the colours of natural wood are excellent accent details for chinoiserie rooms. Whether it’s in the structure of your furniture or as part of a quality wooden Venetian blind, natural wood will root your space in the power of nature and reflect many of the patterns you may have chosen.
In a world where many of us are spending more time at home, chinoiserie will add a deep feeling of luxury, elegance and timeless appeal to your living space like no other style. Capturing a potent combination of cosy yet fresh, chinoiserie will provide you with a home you’ll love to be in!
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