Chinoiserie: a short history of the most romantic wallpaper style
From 18th-century painted silks to modern feature walls – where chinoiserie came from and how to use it today.
In the early 1700s, hand-painted papers and silks arrived in Europe via trading ships. Their birds, flowering branches and garden scenes caused a sensation, and European workshops began creating their own imaginative versions – a style that became known as chinoiserie.
What defines chinoiserie?
Look for flowering branches, birds in flight, rocky outcrops, pagodas and a painterly, airy composition. Traditionally the designs were panoramic and ran continuously around a room.
Using it today
Chinoiserie still works best when it envelops: a dining room or bedroom papered on all four walls feels like stepping into a painted garden. For a lighter touch, try a pale ground with blossom branches behind a bed.
Our approach
Every Wallpaper Kingdom chinoiserie-style design is drawn as an original artwork. Explore the collection, or recolour any design in Design Your Own.