wallpaper removal

Having grown up in Lake Forest, Illinois, its great homes are still to me the most beautiful anywhere. The stage for the 15th biennial Lake Forest Showhouse was an Italian Renaissance 15,000 square foot estate designed in 1916 by famed architect David Adler.

Interior designer Shelley Johnstone Paschke designed the lounge and powder room. The lounge walls are lacquered in Farrow and Ball Saxon Green and are trimmed in gold. The ceiling is painted in faux malachite. Note the ivory silk curtains trimmed in Samuel and Sons Greek key, the Oscar de la Renta Zeus chair with tiger silk velvet, the sisal carpet, rustic baskets, lucite console, and antique Chinese export jars.

In the powder room area, she has papered the walls in Farrow & Ball Acanthus. I love the lucite stand with the blue and white Chinese jar and the starburst chandelier. All in all, a wonderful mix of many of my favorite elements.

Photos courtesy of Veranda.

This coming Saturday, May 4, 2013 is my four year blog anniversary - with well over 2,000 posts. I plan to celebrate with a whole week of inspiration boards for each room of my fantasy Chinoiserie Chic house and the announcement of my blogiversary giveaway on Friday that you will not want to miss.

The Chinoiserie wallpaper is by Griffin & Wong "Song Sassoon" in a beautiful blue. The large circular table is silver leaf by James Mont circa 1940s. Six Frances Elkins loop chairs will surround the table. They are lacquered in white with gray leather seats. The faux malachite painted console table has gilded edges. For some fun, the console table will have a pair of Jonathan Adler Georgia breast lamps -  check it out here. A Marjorie Skouras chandelier is a wonderful focal point. A pair of antique Famille Rose Chinese garden stools will be tucked next to the dining table. My go to curtains, interlined silk taffeta, here in my favorite coral pink, will hang at the windows.

Now pop over to The Glam Pad to see my virtual makeover of the backyard of the Chinese Village House for inspiration on bringing Chinoiserie outdoors.

Malachite is popping up everywhere, from beautiful antiques to wallpaper, faux painted walls, DIY furniture and boxes, and in fabric on pillows, chair seats, and upholstery. The mineral malachite has been mined for over 3,000 years and is highly prized as an ornamental stone and as a gemstone. I think its exotic elegance allows it to combine especially well with Chinoiserie. Here are some stunning examples. I have also created a Pinterest board for even more inspiration here.