This is quite a cheerful and colorful dining room! The dragon upholstery on the lacquered bamboo chairs, the wallpaper, the pink pagoda chandelier, and the ceramics on the mantel are all Chinoiserie features.
Chinoiserie Inspired Rooms
I love Chinoiserie–but some of you may have no idea what I am talking about, so, at the risk of boring you to tears, let me explain (and maybe I will convince you to love it as much as I do!). Chinoiserie comes from the French word “Chinois” which means Chinese. It was a popular decorative arts style in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries. During that time, trade was booming between Europe and Asia, and the Europeans were interested in Asian culture and began to produce their own Asian-inspired art and furnishings. Chinoiserie is still very popular in decorating today, and many traditional-style rooms use Chinoiserie inspired elements.
Asian elements often used in decorating Chinoiserie themed rooms include pagodas, sculptures of foo dogs (those fierce looking lions that are used for protection), bamboo furnishings, blue and white Chinese ceramics like ginger jars, scenes from gardens and nature, images of birds, exotic animals and dragons, scenes from everyday life, and lacquered wood furniture.