Haute Décor: de Gournay’s Hand-painted Wallpapers Are Couture For The Home 綻放牆上的浮華世界
English 英: Deirdre Kelly · Chinese 中：Maggie Ho
de Gournay | Hand painted “Askew” Chinoiserie wallpaper | Photographed by Douglas Friedman
If walls could talk, they might describe an idyllic Chinese landscape, animated by plumed birds, luscious flowers and undulating rice paddy grasses. Attention would also be lavished on the brilliance of the rich blue, green, red and gold colours as well as the intricacy of the hand-painted design, so exquisitely detailed as to seem life-like. But only those walls covered in panels of de Gournay wallpaper would possess the eloquence to do these scenes justice.
Known around the world for its artful reproductions of antique wall coverings, de Gournay speaks the language of luxurious interiors with flair and panache. Its hand-made products are painted and embroidered in China by artists steeped in the time-honoured tradition of Chinoiserie, a design style replicating Chinese motifs in wallpaper and other decorative arts. The Chinoiserie collection is probably de Gournay’s most widely known and best-loved series, a company spokesperson says.
The work is done in de Gournay’s workshops in Wuxi, near Shanghai, using Xuan “slow-spun” rice paperback with silk and divided into 915-mm panels tailored in height to fit any interior. A single panel of Chinoiserie with a dense motif can take up to 100 hours to complete, often with several artists working simultaneously on separate elements such as flowers, branches or birds. A full order can take anywhere from three to six months. The designs correspond to a standard template, but each varies in its individual execution, meaning no two wallpapers are ever the same. Metallic, antiqued and hand-gilded backgrounds, not to mention bespoke embroidery and beading, offer clients enhanced opportunities for customization in addition to wide-ranging design palettes capable of matching the most select of tones.
de Gournay | Hand painted “Coco Coromadnel” Chinoiserie wallpaper
十七、十八世紀以來，絲綢之路開通了歐亞之間的文化經貿往來，歐洲皇宮貴族對於東方的異國風情趨之若騖，由建築、室內設計、裝潢到家品擺設處處可見細緻、秀麗靈巧的「中國風 chinoiserie」。英國奢華室內設計品牌de Gournay的客製牆紙產品巧奪天工，將中國近乎失傳的傳統手繪絲綢技藝，用於客製牆紙製作，瑰麗堂皇，將這種美學風格再度重現於今日的室內設計中。
Created in the same manner as original “Chinese Papers” still installed within historic properties around the world, de Gournay wallpapers are crafted to be antiques of the future. Each imaginative environment of colour and beauty is backed with a fine layer of silk to make them easily de-installed and moved elsewhere should circumstances dictate. Everything is hand-painted and nothing is printed, making de Gournay an anomaly in a technology-dominated world. The art of Chinoiserie takes years to develop, and de Gournay is dedicated to developing new talent to ensure the continuation of the art form.
“Our work is that of painting,” company founder Claud Cecil Gurney has explained. “We paint what clients want, we paint what clients need, and we have to interpret clients’ tastes. Each thing we do is appropriate for the space we put it in.”
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de Gournay | Hand painted “Erdem” Chinoiserie wallpaper created with Erdem Moralıoğlu
四十年前，本身任職於羅兵咸永道會計師事務所的Claud Cecil Gurney 想修復倫敦家中的「中國風」牆紙，遍尋不果，令他發現市場上的一個空缺，同時開始研究並決意保存這門日漸凋零的中國傳統手藝，因此開設de Gournay工作室。
de Gournay的牆紙使用「慢紡」仿布方法製作，夾疊兩層宣紙，並以絲綢托底。為了牆紙易於裝裱，一般會先將裁剪成高度為915毫米的面板，由多位藝術家共同合作繪製，先以鉛筆勾劃構圖、上色、添加細節、刺繡、珠飾甚至手工鍍金，一個複雜圖案的版面可能要花上百多個小時完成，一個完整的訂單從構思、製作至裝裱，一般需要三到六個月的時間。由於每個設計在執行上有所不同，每一幅牆紙都是獨一無二，彌足珍貴的藝術品。
A former economist with the University of Chicago who later worked as an accountant for PricewaterhouseCoopers, Gurney founded the business in 1985 when looking for hand-painted Chinoiserie wallpaper to decorate his own home. When he couldn’t find what he was looking for, he spied a gap in the marketplace and then filled it with a company he called de Gournay, after the original Norman spelling of his family name. “We set up our own studio almost 40 years ago and everyone who paints for us now has only ever worked for de Gournay and is directly employed by us. That is what distinguishes us from the competition.”
The company has since grown exponentially. de Gournay now has showrooms in New York, London, Paris, San Francisco, Beirut and Shanghai. A new Los Angeles location is scheduled to open soon. In addition to China, it also has now operated a studio in India where we are increasingly developing our beading and embroidery techniques. Besides China, the company has a comparatively new studio in India where it develops its beading and embroidery techniques. China remains a large market, however, with notable projects taking place within the hospital industry — Lei Garden Restaurant in Hong Kong, M on the Bund in Shanghai, The Ritz-Carlton in Beijing, and the Tianjin Li Shun De Hotel, to name a few.
de Gournay | Hand painted "St Laurent" Chinoiserie wallpaper, photographed by Brad Knipstein
精密而靈巧的傳統中國工筆技法需要多年的訓練和練習才能夠駕馭。de Gournay的畫師及工匠團隊是經長年累月培養出來的，年資較輕的通常先繪畫樹枝、樹葉等簡單元素開始，隨經驗增長，便會學習更複雜的圖樣。
「所有產品都是人手繪製的，沒有任何印刷。」Claud Cecil Gurney表示：「我們的專業就是按客戶的要求、需要、想像，實現他們心目中的夢想空間。從法國經典文學儒勒《八十日環遊世界》啟發的奇幻世界到著名港口城市的歷史景觀，我們都會盡量滿足他們。」
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Expansion is driven by demand. Customized wallpaper is currently a big trend in interior design, driven in large part by de Gournay’s expansion into pop culture. After the company’s hand-painted Chinoiserie wallpaper appeared in the hit Netflix series Bridgerton, ornate wallpaper surged back into vogue, especially during the COVID-related lockdowns when people, confined to their homes, started to rethink their interiors. After years of minimalism, maximalism was back, along with interest in redecorating with patterned wallpaper. “Without a doubt,” a de Gournay spokesperson says, “we have seen increased sales due to this.”
ELIZABETH METCALFE DESIGN "In the Moore Park area of Toronto, we designed a home using the de Gournay pattern Erdem on 'Adam Grey' dyed silk, which was created by de Gournay in collaboration with fashion designer Erdem Moralioglu. By wrapping the walls in a hand-painted silk wallcovering, we created a romantic botanical garden with fauna, flora and birds perched on elegant branches."
英籍時裝設計師 Erdem Moralıoğlu為 de Gournay設計的手繪絲綢牆紙，裝裱於多倫多市一住宅內。
Image: Doublespace Photography
Image: Doublespace Photography
The company’s ongoing collaborations with leading fashion designers and personalities such as Erdem Moralioglu, Matthew Williamson, and Edgardo Osorio at Italian shoe brand Aquazzura, has also boosted de Gournay’s popularity among design-savvy consumers. These partnerships have typically yielded unique designs which went on to translate onto wallpapers, clothes and shoes. The company’s collaboration with British supermodel Kate Moss, for instance, brought to the fore a new contemporary wallpaper design. A former client, Moss already had an understanding of de Gournay’s creative process before the idea of a custom project came to fruition. Moss worked closely with the design team for almost six months, the result being “Anemones in Light,” a wallpaper which pairs soft floral elements with harder Art Deco-inspired shards of hand-gilded silver leaf in a repeated pattern.
de Gournay 先後與世界各地的時裝設計師合作，如Erdem Moralioglu 、 Matthew Williamson 、 意大利鞋履品牌 Aquazzura等。設計版圖從牆紙擴展至衣物、家品、布藝、瓷器擺設等。2017年，更與英國超模Kate Moss合作，推出名為「微光銀蓮花 Anemones in Light」牆紙設計。本身已是de Gournay客戶的Kate Moss，與設計團隊緊密討論研究了近六個月，以銀蓮花為設計意念，灰、白、黑的剛強色彩，以中國傳統渲染水墨手法呈現，結果設計出一個高貴、神秘、充滿豐富想像的牆紙圖案。
Situated in the countryside, just north of Toronto, sits a magnificent Ontario Farmhouse that meets English Manor Estate. The main living room, fashioned after a historical property in Salisbury, England, is adorned with glorious panels of pale mauve silk de Gournay hand-painted Chinoiserie wallpaper. One endearing feature was the owner’s request to incorporate a Blue Jay, noting their symbolism of luck and good fortune.
坐落多倫多北部小鎮的英國莊園客廳內，裝飾著光彩奪目的de Gournay淡紫色絲綢手繪中國風牆紙。 特點是莊園主人要求設計加入冠藍鳥，因此鳥象徵着財富和好運。Photographed by Storey Wilkins
“We will paint whatever our clients ask us to paint,” the company says, “and we have painted murals inspired by Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days as well as historic views of famous port cities. We are always trying to expand the realm of possible designs that we can paint for our clients.”
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Though modern designs for homes are popular, the company continues to produce traditional papers in Chinese styles. Among the latest is the “Emperor’s Collection,” designed with specific reference to Song Dynasty-era scroll paintings, the prototype of today’s painted wallpapers. With projects like this, de Gournay is keeping the tradition of Chinoiserie alive. The combination of vividly coloured flowers, foliage and birds never ceases to capture people’s imaginations.
de Gournay | Interior Design by Barbara Ostrom | Photographed by Phillip Ennis
品牌於紐約、倫敦、巴黎、三藩市、貝魯特和上海設有陳列室，洛杉磯新店亦快將開幕。除了位於中國無錫，他們在印度開設了一個工作室，逐漸開發珠繡和刺繡技術。個人家居室內設計以外，de Gournay 的客戶更包括不同的酒店、餐飲企業，例如香港利苑酒家、上海外灘五號、北京Ritz-Carlton酒店，以及天津利顺德大飯店等。
近年大眾對美的追求，從衣著穿戴延伸至室內設計及家品擺設。尤其疫情過後，大家留家的時間比以前多了，對居室設計變得更講究。經過多年的簡約主義大行其道，在可見的未來奢華瑰麗風格將會再度回歸。仿如卷軸畫精細的壁飾藝術，可能為大家增添一室閒情逸趣。
As the Year of the Dragon draws to a close, we take a moment to revisit some of the standout designs that captured the essence of the Dragon. From fashion and spirits to accessories and home décor, these creations have made a lasting impression. Which one is your favourite, and what are you most excited about as we welcome the Year of the Snake?