Chinoiserie vs Toile Wallpaper: What's the Difference?
Chinoiserie: Chinoiserie began in 18th-century Europe as an imaginative response to imported painted silks and porcelain. Toile: Toile de Jouy took its name from the French village where printed cottons with pastoral scenes were produced in the 1700s. In practice: Run it all the way round a dining room or bedroom to create the immersive 'painted room' effect it was invented for. Because toile is monochrome, it is easy to live with in bedrooms and kitchens and works on all four walls. Our range has 156 chinoiserie and 154 toile designs.
Side by side
| Chinoiserie | Toile | |
|---|---|---|
| Designs in our range | 156 | 154 |
| Pattern repeats | 64–91 cm | 53–64 cm |
| Half-drop matched | 70 of 156 | 84 of 154 |
| Most common colours | Dark & Moody, Green, Gold & Yellow | Dark & Moody, Green, Neutral & Beige |
| Most suggested rooms | Hallway, Bedroom, Dining Room | Kitchen, Bedroom, Cloakroom |
| Styling | Lacquer-red, celadon and gold accents suit chinoiserie, as do bamboo-effect furniture and blue-and-white ceramics. | Match the toile ink colour to a stripe or check on cushions and curtains – the classic 'toile and ticking' pairing never fails. |
| From | £44.20/roll | £44.20/roll |
About chinoiserie
Chinoiserie began in 18th-century Europe as an imaginative response to imported painted silks and porcelain. Branches, blossom and birds give walls a hand-painted, collected-over-time feel. Run it all the way round a dining room or bedroom to create the immersive 'painted room' effect it was invented for.
About toile
Toile de Jouy took its name from the French village where printed cottons with pastoral scenes were produced in the 1700s. Single-colour vignettes give rooms a gentle, storybook rhythm. Because toile is monochrome, it is easy to live with in bedrooms and kitchens and works on all four walls.
Figures are counts from the Wallpaper Kingdom range today.
Chinoiserie designs
Kerrigan Garden Birds Wallpaper
Trerice Willow Court Wallpaper
Montacute Garden of Birds Wallpaper
Kelmarsh Peony Bough Wallpaper
Toile designs
Trevose Pastoral Toile Wallpaper
Yardley Garden Toile Wallpaper
Flaxton Garden Toile Wallpaper
Sutton Pastoral Toile Wallpaper
Questions & answers
Can I mix chinoiserie and toile wallpaper?
Yes, in different rooms or zones – link them through a shared colour such as green.
Which is more popular, chinoiserie or toile?
We do not publish sales rankings; in our range there are 156 chinoiserie and 154 toile designs.