Pattern on the walls eliminate a need for framed art
Because it functions decoratively on its own, wallpaper always bounces back. And one design considered to be frumpy and old-fashioned at least since the 1960s, (when my Mom had it in her bedroom and bath) has been looking fresh again: 18th-century Chinoiserie or Chinese-style flowers, birds and leaves.
Creating a wallpaper “picture” is a smart treatment, especially when it’s as costly as de Gourney’s ultra historical papers. One of their timeless Chinoiseries [top] was turned into a 14-foot by 9-foot framed panel for this dining room, taking on the scale of a modern painting. The mix seems really unusual and stunning with a mid-century sideboard and table by Jean Prouvé and Robsjohn-Gibbings chairs.
A similar paper with silver background is used in a more conventional mix by L.A. designer Ruthie Chapman Sommers, who placed it behind a Louis XVI-style settee, as it should be done for the tradition-minded.
A more modernized take on the same motif shows well in this knockout bedroom by NY designer Sara Story. While this pattern is blockier, it is no less effective in a bedroom based on a mid-century palette and it looks modern to me rather than vintage.
To see how far we’ve come — or not — in terms of design, I offer this detail of a Chinese wallpaper panel delivered in 1753 for a room in a chateau in France with its cherry blossoms, birds, butterflies and branches.
