Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the growing trade market within East Asia caused imaginative interpretations by Europeans of Chinese styles. Embellished tales of Chinese life illustrated in the design of interiors, furniture, textiles, art, gardens and ceramics. The style featured “the exotic” interpreted with gilding and lacquering, blue and white ceramics, carvings and Asian themes. Today we still see these details in beautiful antique bits and considerate reproductions.

There are lots of approaches to include chinoiserie in your design strategy. My favorite way is to pair this style with sudden bits, textures and colors. The result is luscious, layered detail plus a well-traveled vibe which could be pulled off in conventional or transitional settings.

Tucker & Marks

Coromandel screens were produced in Northern China and central China during the Kangxi period (1661–1722). The screens featured incised black or brown lacquer with gold foliage that depicted scenes of Chinese life and landscapes. These bits are breathtaking and have to be viewed in person to fully appreciate the workmanship that went to them. For that reason, a perfect way to showcase one of those screens is to layer it behind a couch, where guests can appreciate it as a glorious backdrop.

Branca, Inc..

The art in this office is brightly contrasted from a vibrant reddish wall. French and English pieces are layered to get a global mix. Attempt Benjamin Moore’s Ladybug Red 1322 for a similar colour in your house.

Cecilie Starin Design Inc..

This photograph, one of my favorites on , reveals a masterful mix of layers. The chinoiserie bits (the nightstand and screen) complement a side desk, a zebra rug and a classic English chaise. The success comes from the mixing of textures and the consistency of colour, in addition to the exceptional provenance of each piece.

Hillary Thomas Designs

This whimsical entry vignette features lamps created out of antique roof tiles. Notice the rounded base where they utilize to sit ornamentation on Chinese buildings. The Chinese bamboo table is further layered with Chinese-inspired footstools.

Hint: Look for tables 5 to 6 feet long and 33 to 35 inches high. These are perfect dimensions for tucking small footstools and ottomans beneath — a terrific way to hide electrical cords.

Rikki Snyder

A gorgeous black lacquered screen is shown at a semifolded fashion to conceal an architectural element within this city bedroom, improving its view.

Tucker & Marks

This gorgeous bedroom offers an excellent example of how to layer components of chinoiserie. The details here start with the wallpaper as the foundation and include classic Chinese portraits with a chinoiserie mirror, lamp and desk. All these bits pair very well with English-style upholstered chairs.

Rachel Oliver Design, LLC

F. Schumacher’s Shantung Silhouette wallpaper produces a headboard illusion within this whimsical darkened guest bedroom. The chinoiserie wallpaper feels fresh because of its two-color palette, which will interpret as transitional in style. Grosgrain ribbon simulates crown molding.

This European-inspired guest bedroom is bedazzled with metallic chinoiserie wallpaper. Inset in wall molding, the newspaper features a typical motif of cherry blossoms, birds and flowers. It is perfectly paired with antique French caned furniture so the room illustrates a European mix of styles.

Branca, Inc..

This is what I call a “money piece,” since it makes any room look like a million bucks. This attractively adorned red lacquer pub cupboard is just as pretty open since it’s closed. More contemporary and pragmatic, it attracts a sassy glow into a library, a living area or guest quarters. Antique brass hardware punctuates the chinoiserie motif on the outside.

Period Homes, Inc..

The striking overscale pattern of this DeGournay wallpaper is hand painted on silk. The colors are the perfect backdrop for the double-faced secretary in black and red. Within an otherwise very conventional dining room, the scale of the wallpaper gives the room a transitional element.

Griffin and Wong Ltd

Hand-painted wallpaper from Griffin and Wong, framed and hung as art, offers an inventive means to introduce a layer of chinoiserie to your walls. This can work in any area, and depending on the style of the frame can feel transitional or contemporary. Try a white lacquered horizontal frame for a modern appearance.

Cravotta Interiors

I wouldn’t ever want to come from this guest bedroom, with its superbly showcased chinoiserie secretary. These types of pieces commonly feature secret drawers and compartments for jewelry, documents and money.

Anthony Como of Luxe Interiors

The feeling of this room is informal, regardless of the detailed ornamentation of the classic mirror. Try this appearance with a similar mirror and punchy wall color for a great layered look. Other things for wall screen with a similar mirror may comprise plates and tiny pieces of art.

House of L Interior Design

A powder room is a great area for wallpaper. These spaces tend to be modest, and daring detail could be featured in tiny amounts. The walls here are bathed in metallic chinoiserie wallpaper, layered with sconces and a stunning bone mirror. The detail of the pattern could be valued up close in the tight quarters of this space.

Hint: Bold patterns can actually expand the walls of a small room.

Tucker & Marks

This 18th-century secretary houses a exceptional collection of small busts. One of the hallmarks of a classic secretary like it is that the patina of the lacquer. The texture on those bits has a subtle ripple; modern reproductions usually have a flat surface.

Can you adore chinoiserie? Tell us how you utilize it in your decor.

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