Chinoiserie

I read a great little article about Chinoiserie, which is a French term used to describe decorative objects or furniture pieces which have been influenced by traditional Chinese design styles. The term was first used in the 16th Century throughout Europe. As travel and trade became more commonplace, Chinese imagery and artistic techniques became a fad in furniture, architecture and decorative objects. What once started as a trend hundreds of years ago has now become a classic design style. Today, Chinoiserie has been modernized and is still used in current decor. We see it so often in Palm Springs because it overlaps into so much Hollywood Regency elements. If you want to read more, check out the Designer Speak blog.

Photos: Jonathan Adler, Lonny, House Beautiful, and Katie Rosenfeld via Designer Speak