Mon amour pour Chinoiserie...

"What's best about wallpaper is when its got shape to it...I love when wallpaper covers every surface, when it goes around the chimney and has a door cut into it. That's when its not a painting, its decoration - no matter how beautiful it is - and that to me is when wallpaper comes to life!" -- Tim Butcher of Fromental (featured in Dec 05 issue of the World of Interiors)


Fromental was formed back in 2005 by Tim Butcher and Lizzie Deshayes, a husband and wife team, on a mission to be the best in handmade wallcovering!!! From what I can tell...they are well on their way! Headed by Tim, a former Creative Director of the world-renowned Chinoiserie House De Goumay, and wife Lizzie a textile designer and decorative artist...as well as an in-house team of artists and a team of over 100 artists working full time in China, where all of their products are manufactured...all I can say is, you better make way for this UK company.










When I spoke with Benjamin from the company he mentioned what in the coming twelve months Fromental will unveil new techniques and stunning designs that will be released on an "extremely bespoke nature." This team is looking at getting into fabrics and fashion as well in the near future..."keeping the idea of one-off individual pieces well and truly alive."

I hope you all enjoy these images! Oh, and check out The Peak of Chic blog for today's post on Chinoiserie prints as well!!

*For more general information on the origins of Chinoiserie check out Wikipedia*

**Thank you Benjamin for providing me with these fantastic images as well as some interesting tid bits about Fromental**

Timorous Beasties, say what?

Huh, you're probably thinking? Well don't be confused, this is just the name of my new design crush...a fantastic wallcovering and textile company out of Scotland. The name is derived from a Robert Burn poem titled "To a Mouse", but Timorous Beasties is much more than a colorful name; a company you are sure to love.

(London Toile)

Founded by two old classmates of Glasgow School of Art in 1990, Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons developed their company by experimenting with both hand printing and machine production wallcoverings and textiles ...creating a ever evolving palette, that ranges from florals and toiles to contemporary graphics...

"Timorous Beasties has defined an iconoclastic style of design once described as “William Morris on acid.” Now with a shop in Glasgow and more on the way, they are soon on to become a household name worldwide.

Here is just a taste of what they have to offer in wallcovering...

(Pheasant)

(McGegan Rose)

(Branch out)

(Thistle)

(Birdcage)

Not only are their wallcoverings fantastic, but you should see their fabrics, like the London Toile below, I just love the simple lines of this chair combined with this busy print. If you are thinking of purchasing fabric to make into pillows, they already beat you to the punch, so check out their website if you're interested. But that's not all...

Recently they started offering their patterns as light fixtures ranging from pendants, seen below, to lamps shades of all different sizes, and...


Now their latest endeavour is carpet and area rugs, like this Thistle rug below...more styles to be added to the site shortly.

Hope you all enjoy these Timorous Beasties...so check out their website!

(Images and information from Timorous Beasties website. For another good read on this company check out decor8's blog archives from September 26, 2006)

No beige walls here...

Do you dare to love this home as much as I do?!?! Straight from my vault of favorites is this Manhattan townhouse, designed by Wayne Nathan and Carol Egan, that showcases a classic royal style, with a twist of modern!

"One of the reasons we chose Wayne and Carol was that unlike some of the other designers we interviewed, they didn't suggest we gut the place and beige it all up"...

and this is certainly the case...owners Lauren Schor, and her husband, have a home now that maintains its existing royal provenance, with a more casual, liveable sense of style!

This home showcases a great collection of contemporary art against a bold and bright backdrop, adding such life to these spaces.

Above, vintage candlesticks designed by Christian Dior (purchased at Galerie Yves Gastou).

Above, a lithograph by Damien Hirst and vinstage candleholders by Georges Jouve.

Just love this antique four-poster in the Master Bedroom!

I only wish my room growing up, was half as fun as this one!

(Featured in Elle Decor/November 2006)

Bare walls no more!

Nama Rococo has won my heart and then some, because these wallcoverings are fantastic! I've seen two articles in different magazines...today alone (more like during lunch: which I consider prime time for flipping pages), featuring great bold and colorful prints. Reminds me of Josef Frank textiles with a hint of Japanese and Bohemian influence. These wallcoverings are hand made by Karen Combs and a group of her family and friends! Love, love...love them all!

(**This was featured in this month's House and Garden magazine**)

And then in the notebook section of California Homes an article about using wallcoverings as art, which showcases Couture "French Dot" in a Chippendale frame from Aedicule Fine Framemaking. These two paired together make a great option for walls in need of some fun!

(**Featured as well on Design * Sponge (5.22.07))