If you know what Toile de Jouy is, you're probably used to sedate pastoral depictions of bonnet clad ladies or Chinese pagodas. I doubt you give it much thought, let alone a second glance. If you don't know what it is, doubtless you've seen it a thousand times on wallpaper, upholstery and curtains. Traditionally it comes in blue and white or red and white and is a safe bet for refined taste. Basically, repeat line drawn etchings in a single color of historical scenes. Here you go, some blue and some red.
Nice but not exciting. However - suddenly it's gone all punk rebel and there are some brilliant new takes on it which you'd be sorry to miss if you didn't take a second glance. In fact, double take might be more apt a reaction. First color went radical, then...well, see how it's been newly owned by fresh eyes...
Colefax & Fowler
Very nice. Now, from the likes of Spoonflower and Timorous Beasties, take a city and make it personal.
London muggings at gunpoint:
Up to no good - blokes peeing in fountains and wanking in parks
NYC..sketchy!
Melbourne:
Brooklyn with pugs:
Glasgow with decorative junkies...
Posh Hamptons:
Harlem jiving
Arrested in NYC
So now it goes off topic. Out of the box. Same concept, different execution:
Car crash Derby:
Doctor Who, with Dalek and Tardis:
Cairo with giant flying squirrels:
Family Toile, if you like your walls looking like Sainsbury's commercials:
And a bit of Cosplay thrown in.
So far so good. There's a chap called Richard Saja who embroiders Toile in a series called Inaccurate History. He starts with flame haired and Mohawk punks and moves on to Todd Browning's 'Freaks' of 1932. Well radical.
Pinheads...
One of us! One of us!
Right. Here's where it gets saucy. Under 18's look away now, and of course you won't.
Nefarious:
Outright orgy. Filthy!
In full technicolor:
Don't even ask but it involves ropes:
BDSM...
Cruisin. Happy papering!
Soft greys - calming, romantic, peaceful and deliciously antique. Although it has often and traditionally been accessorized with silver, it also looks wonderful with aged cream and with gold. I had thought that I wouldn't find many examples to fall in love with, but there were so many I'm going to have trouble fitting them all into one blog, so here goes; light on words today but rich in visuals, details, texture, glitter, delicate antiques and plush comfort.
The antique greys:
Gold...
Silver and cream...
Ach!
Cream..<3
Such delicate linen, just gorgeous
The retro glam:
With lilac and with pink:
The modern, with glitter and fur textures:Floor to ceiling velvet...
Glamor
Tweedy headboard, softened by expensive bed linen:
The fur! The fur!
Fantastic contemporary take on a traditional chandelier
and my two absolute favorites...this stunning mural in soft greys that makes a room magnificent:
...and this incredible negative image queen wallpaper set against the most perfect grey shade of velvet couch and pale gold cushion...heaven.
