Chinoiserie Wallpaper

How to choose a chinoiserie wallpaper

Start with the background colour, because it decides the mood of the room more than the birds and branches do. A pale background in cream, blue or blush keeps a bedroom light and suits a room that gets little sun. A dark background in navy, teal or black makes the branches and birds stand out more strongly, and suits a dining room or powder room. Several designs, including Sandberg's Bloom and Alexa, come in both pale and dark versions, so it is worth sampling one of each before you choose.

Then look at scale. The large scenes, where a single branch can run from skirting board to ceiling, want a wall that can be seen in full: behind a bed, along a dining table, or at the top of a stair. Smaller, scattered designs such as Sandberg's Butterflies work in hallways and small rooms where a big scene would feel crowded. For a very high ceiling, pair Chinoiserie Chic with its plainer companion design, Brushstrokes.

What we stock and how it is sold

Most of the collection is made to measure. You enter the width and height of your wall on the product page and the design is printed to that size, so there is far less waste than with fixed rolls. Several of Sandberg's designs come from its Chinoiserie Garden collection, and some are drawn from 19th-century sources: Seabirds follows a 19th-century silk, and Chinoiserie Garden a Canton silk embroidery. They are US$84 to US$117 per square metre, depending on the print option you choose. Rebel Walls' ten designs are US$84 to US$98 per square metre, and include Chinoiserie Chic and Pine Grove from their collaboration with the illustrator Diane Hill.

The roll designs cover a wider price range. Sandberg's Butterflies is US$167 a roll and Cass Deller's Blue Tropics, printed in Australia and exclusive to Wallpaper Trader, is US$220. Enchanted Butterfly, with black and white marbled butterflies among cherry blossom, is from US$275 a roll. Romo's Euphoria, with poppies, monkeys and pagodas, is US$478. Catherine Martin's designs for Mokum began as gouache paintings: Royal Peacock is US$545 a roll, and Nightbird Symphony is a panoramic design at US$811. Roll width, length and pattern repeat are listed under Product Details on every product. Rolls and murals are printed to order. Delivery to the US takes 2 to 3 weeks standard, or 10 business days by express. US import duties are included in our prices, so there's nothing extra to pay at checkout or on delivery.

The designs our customers order most

Over the last twelve months the chinoiserie ordered most was Catherine Martin's Royal Peacock, which was also the most sampled. Blue Tropics and Nightbird Symphony were the next most sampled.

Before you order

For a made-to-measure design, measure the wall's width and height and enter them on the product page. For a roll design, use the roll calculator, which allows for the pattern repeat, and read how many rolls do I need if the wall has doors or windows. Order a sample and look at it in morning and evening light. If you like the birds and branches but want something looser, see botanical and floral; for a full landscape, see scenic murals.

Questions we are asked about chinoiserie wallpaper

What is chinoiserie wallpaper?

It is wallpaper in the style of the painted papers that were sent from China to Europe in the 18th century: branches, blossom, birds and garden scenes spread across the whole wall rather than repeated in small motifs. The designs in this collection are printed, and several are drawn from historical silks and papers.

Is chinoiserie wallpaper expensive?

It depends on how it is made. Hand-painted chinoiserie panels from the specialist houses are painted to order for a particular room and are priced accordingly. The printed designs in this collection start at US$84 per square metre for made-to-measure murals and US$167 a roll. If you want hand-painted panels, we can source them from de Gournay and Ananbô: email hello@wallpapertrader.com with your wall sizes.

Which room suits chinoiserie?

Dining rooms and bedrooms most often, because a large scene works best on a wall you look at while sitting still. Powder rooms take the dark backgrounds well. In a bathroom, check the product page and read wallpaper in bathrooms and kitchens first.

How long does delivery take?

Delivery to the US takes 2 to 3 weeks standard, or 10 business days by express, because many designer papers are printed to order. US import duties are included in our prices, so there's nothing extra to pay at checkout or on delivery.

Can I get a sample first?

Yes. Samples are US$8 each plus about US$25 postage to the US, sent by letter mail.