Toile de Jouy – the 18th century pattern has remained an aesthetic pleasure with a luxurious appeal. No wonder it’s been used and abused over the years - from interior design to tableware! Christophe Phillipe-Oberkampf’s masterpiece is not just a design that motif repetitions; what makes the pattern from Jouy-en-Josas (a commune in the region of North-Central France) extra interesting are the stories it declares. The “Le Ballon de Gonesse”, one of the first produced designs of Oberkampf and Jean Baptiste Huet, portrays Prof. Jacques Charles and Nicolas-Louis Robert inside the first hydrogen balloon the latter built, flying over the Tuileries Gardens. Huet’s later creations include the epochal monuments of Egypt and Jerusalem. Exemplary interior designer Sheila Bridges’ Harlem Toile de Jouy tells the story of African-American’s. Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons (founders of Timorous Beasties) created a series of toile that details their favorite cities. If you’re obsessed with this wonderful and indissoluble Gallic contribution, and are looking for ways on how to use it, do consider these decorating styles:
Valance and Curtains
One great way to gasconade toile in your home is through curtains. You can achieve a sophisticated setting in your modern home by dressing your window with full-length toile curtains or a modest valance. A toile overkill is common, but if you’re going for the austere approach, it’s best to pick a single area to showcase the pattern. Allow the rest of the room to be in a solid hue if your curtains are patterned.
Beddings and Headboard
If you want a simple and easy way to toile-fy your home, start with your bedroom. We’re all used to the blue and white version of toile, but color combinations of this effeminate pattern abound. There are bedding sets in black and white, yellow and blue, green and white, red and white, gray and blue – practically every color scheme you can think of! Try to mix it with solid colors, stripes, and ginghams. The result will be visually compelling. A padded headboard covered with toile de jouy fabric or a bed canopy will add softness and elegance to a bedroom.
Wallpaper
Patterned walls can easily add character into any space. This can either be just a lone, featured wall or all four. Toile wallpapers imbues a romantic yet striking feature that’s perfect for bedrooms, bathrooms, and walk-in closets. What’s great about this pattern is the fact that it’s busy, but still possesses a softening quality. The prints do not have a constricting effect that’s why it’s great for small areas such as the powder room.
Chairs
A genius way to inject toile into a contemporary home is through chairs. It is great way to achieve a design balance when it comes to mixing modern with traditional in the most subtle way. A pair of lounge chairs upholstered in monochrome toile palliates the stark aura of a modern home. Dated chair seats (e.g. Louis XVI) for a breakfast nook covered with toile fabric can also be a fascinating contrast to a highly modern space.
Decorative dishes
Decorate extensive wall areas by hanging toile plates in various shapes and sizes! Evenness is too stiff and mundane. You can mix the vintage plates you inherited from your grandmother to the ones you bought at Marché Clignancourt. You can do this along your hallways, in your kitchen, dining room, and even your bedroom! Lay your plates on the floor, and arrange them in a pattern that you love best to get a good visual of the outcome. You can either use adhesive plate hangers or vinyl coated plate hangers with wires. The most important thing is to never limit your creativity and to always have fun with the project.