De Gournay

Even if you don't know the name, chances are you'll have at some point seen De Gournay's fabulous wallpapers. Perhaps it was as a striking backdrop in some glossy fashion shoot; in the luxury penthouses of some of the world's most high-end hotels; or maybe inside impeccably designed boutiques around the globe; or, if you're really well connected, in Washington's White House, London's 10 Downing Street, or furnishing the homes of the rich and famous.

Since it's founding back in 1986, De Gournay's exquisite wallpapers have been hand painted in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. Last year, though, the English company came full circle, so to speak, by opening a showroom in Shanghai, its first in China. Katy Schnetler, Design and Projects Director explains, "We were starting to sell to lots of the big hotels here, so we felt the time was right to explore the market here. We plan to open a shop in Beijing fairly soon too"

The company specialize in creating wallpapers inspired by 18th century Chinoiserie, all adhering to traditional methods. Literally meaning 'Chinese-esque', the style was popular in Europe and was a true fusion of East and West: designers would create their own interpretations of Chinese compositions, and stately homes, palaces and castles across Europe would invariably have at least one room entirely decked out with Chinese mirrors, lacquer furniture, and, of course, wallpaper. Many examples survive, and De Gournay's researchers scour through the legacies of the bygone trend, refining, modifying and often simplifying original designs to fit contemporary environs – hence, Temple Newsam, all flowers and birds and named after the northern England home where the original is found; or the wending, climbing design of Chatsworth, also named after a British stately home.





Similarly, inspiration for the 'Japanese and Korean' collection comes from silk screens, kimonos and paintings. Sourcing designs is not, however, simply a case of copying, and Katy and her team have learned first hand the importance of thorough research into patterns. "We can't take old designs without fully understanding the symbolism behind them. One of our wallpapers is a willow pattern, for example, and the original painting it was taken from had a big crane flying through the middle. We felt it wouldn't match Western tastes so removed the bird, but then discovered that the willow means death and the crane represents happiness – but of course we'd taken it out! It's very pretty, but doesn't really sell in Asia!"

The latest collection, 'Eclectic', is by far the most fun: Matthew Williamson's London boutique features the whimsical Butterflies; Jenny Packham's the graphical Windswept Blossom against a striking bronze backdrop; and Art Deco Monkeys apparently looks great in bathrooms.









Most of the wallpapers are customized to clients' specification – a strength of the brand and one that is proving popular here in China: one customer wants one of De Gournay's 'Papiers Peints Panoramiques' – vast vistas of ancient Italy, forested landscapes or meandering rivers – modified to feature portraits of his entire family; another has asked specifically for Romeo and Juliet's balcony scene. Sales and Marketing Director, Signe Cheung Torsleff explains that in addition to the almost limitless choices the company currently offer, designers are currently busily researching patterns to appeal specifically to Chinese consumers: cue dreamy mountainscapes, pagodas perched in blossomy landscapes and arching, aged trees.

An impressive range of materials is available: silk, India tea paper or Xuan rice paper, to name but a few. The wallpaper is first treated with traditional pork bone glue, as it was some 300 years ago, before spending around five weeks in the background department where the papers are dyed or gilded with shimmering 22carat gold leaf, depending on clients' choice.









After that, details are hand-painted on in a traditional block print style, mimicking the large blocks of wood that were carved and then stamped onto papers in the 18th century. The resulting effect means colours can't be blended and that realistic details are lost, but the finished products appear strikingly authentic.

After some five weeks being hand-painted, the wallpapers are ready for hanging – a challenge in itself, and one that De Gournay regularly flies professional fitters across the globe to manage. A trained fine artist, Katy often finds herself, paintbrush in hand, ensuring each sheet matches seamlessly. Indeed, from commission to installation could take up to six months, and papers will pass through some 30 different and highly skilled sets of hands. "A big part of our business is service – even after installation and if there's a problem, our service is til the end – we want the paper looking amazing, we want De Gournay to be the best", Katy explains.





The company have long produced porcelain in China's ceramics capital, Jingdezhen, and two years ago set up a factory in Weifang producing replica antique furniture. All hand-carved, hand-gilded and hand-upholstered, it's all beautiful and in the right sort of home would shine. They can also paint their gorgeous designs on to curtains, blinds, upholstery fabric - just about anything, as demonstrated by British fashion designer, Jenny Packham who recently combined De Gournay's designs into one of her collections.

As you'd expect, this stuff doesn't come cheap, and imitators abound. But, as Signe explains, "There's so much history behind what De Gournay do. Of course it's frustrating when people copy our designs, but there really is so much heritage to each of our wallpapers which for our customers is very valuable in itself". From inspiration to process, right through to installation, the story of a De Gournay paper is a fascinating one, and one that's sure to intrigue in China. To take a closer look at some of the beautiful work, check out their website here. A word of warning, though: grubby walls in rented apartments will never, ever feel adequate again.

De Gournay Bldg A7, 351 Wuyi Lu, near Dingxi Lu