de Gournay hand painted Amazonia Chinoiserie wallpaper on Pink Painted Xuan Paper © Mariam Medvedeva


used in bookbinding – eventually the squares were glued together in a long sheet and rolled up. As technology developed patterns began to imitate tapestries and brocatelles, and Chinese designs became very popular and were imported. Their beautifully painted birds, trees, pagodas and often figures in whimsical landscapes became known as Chinoiserie – a French word that means ‘after the Chinese taste’ – and these papers started to be seen in grand palaces, chateaus and manor houses, with artists over here beginning to copy these Chinese designs.


WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING A BESPOKE HAND-PAINTED DESIGN OVER WALLPAPER? There are numerous benefits, but the main one is that you are commissioning a one-off ‘piece of art’ that is unique to you and no one else. It’s not the same as having a mural painted directly onto a wall, as bespoke wall coverings are created off site onto specific paper. Your design will come in panels, each piece meticulously crafted, and the painting can


take up 100 hours to complete, with delicately painted birds, flowers and trees lovingly coloured to suit your scheme. The exquisite panels will also be carefully designed to fit your space so it works seamlessly around windows, doors, bathroom fittings or a headboard in a bedroom. Long term, you have a stunning piece of work on your walls designed for you that will be an investment, and one that will have its own sense of history in your home. de Gournay’s wall coverings are in fact backed with a very fine layer of painting silk so in the case of a house move/natural disaster the panels can be de-installed, then re-fitted (dimensions depending) within a new space.


WHICH ROOMS DO THEY WORK BEST IN? Chinoiserie can work in any room, but more often than not it works well in bedrooms, bathrooms and drawing rooms. Allyson Mcdermott, Historic Interiors Consultant and Wallpaper Maker, explains, ‘The two rooms that suit hand-painted wallpaper are firstly the drawing room – usually a well-lit and elegant


space which lends itself to classical designs that are sumptuous, individual yet restrained. Secondly, the master bedroom where beautiful hand-painted Chinoiserie design can turn the room into an inspirational and very private, magical Kingdom.’


WHAT DESIGNS WORK BEST FOR A GEORGIAN PROPERTY? Chinoiserie and scenic papers are the most popular amongst my clients. Originally brought to the UK from the Far East and particularly popular in the 17th and 18th centuries they look spectacular in the scale and proportions of a Georgian property. There are also some stunning contemporary designs that offer an updated take on Chinoiserie for clients that would like something with a different take on the classic.


Continued >>


Listed Heritage Magazine September/October 2018 85


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