Interior design trend alert: the art of chinoiserie and japanning

The art of Chinoiserie (meaning chinese-esque in french) is re-appearing as an interior design trend for 2015.

In and out of popularity since it was first introduced to western Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries, it is often found on wallcoverings, fabrics and porcelain  decorative objects.  Designs included depictions of life in the Orient, exotic birds and insects and plenty of floral motifs.  Its popularity was due, in part, to how well it complimented the then popular Rococo style of architecture and decor.  Chinoiserie represented wealth and luxury and names like Rothschild and Getty, along with royalty,  enjoyed its beauty in many of their residences.

In an attempt to imitate the beauty of Chinese lacquer, the art of japanning was later introduced. This multi-step process is time intensive but will give any item a distinctive style as you can see by the vine design japanned onto our limited edition Ascot tallboy.

You can employ this trend in large doses as the famed Elsie de Wolfe did in the 1920's in her own residence:

or you can add this historic look through the use of well-curated decorative accesssories such as vases, mirrors and lamps.

To view our entire collection of bespoke furniture and architectural hardware, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers, please stop by our showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

Tel: 323 939 5929

Limited edition tallboy at home

Limited edition Ascot tallboy with japanning detail and custom interior shelves from Martin Pierce Custom Hardware

We recently wrote about how to choose between a custom or ready made piece of artwork or furniture.  We shared with you a bespoke version of our Ascot Tallboy designed for a client who wished to display and store their prized collection of 78 record albums and the vintage player.  Custom details included interior shelves and dividers cut to fit the record sleeves.

This limited edition piece is now in place and the client has graciously shared photos of it in use.

Martin Pierce Custom Hardware and furniture

The beautiful wood and japanning details really complement other pieces in the room and no one would guess that those doors hide plenty of convenient storage for easy access to the 78 LP's.  In my humble opinion, the perfect marriage between the old and the new.

If you would like to view other piece of custom furniture or our entire collection of custom architectural hardware,  please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Which art form do you prefer--original or reproduction?

We certainly view our custom designed architectural hardware and furniture pieces as artwork and often refer to them as functional art.  But, fortunately for all of us,  art comes in many affordable forms.  Lisa Leonard from LML Art Group in San Diego, California shared some of her expertise to help you make the right choice for your project.

Original:  Original art is just what it says--a piece of art that is in it's original format. This would include a painting, drawing, sculpture, weaving, etc.   While prints or limited editions may be created from this item,  the original is always the first one produced.  In the event that no reproductions are made then the original becomes an often valuable one-of-a-kind item.

Limited Edition:  When an artist creates a specific number of the same piece and then destroys the mold, for example, it becomes a limited edition piece.  Each piece is numbered so that you are aware of the order in which your piece was cast or created. There are differing schools of thought on the value of the number.  With our obsession with the #1 in this society, some collectors feel that the lower the number the more valuable the piece.  Conversely, others believe that the final number in an edition is more valuable as it is the last one created.  For your enjoyment, Ms. Leonard recommends that, if you have a choice you select a number that is important to you such as an anniversary or birthdate or your own "lucky" number.  At Martin Pierce, we offer limited editions in some of our furniture and hardware collections and those can be viewed by visiting our site.

Print: Prints or off set lithographs are the most inexpensive form of reproduction. They are photo mechanically produced, usually on thin paper.  A good way to make sure you are receiving the form you are paying for, take a look at the item under a magnifying glass.... a print will show a series of dots that make up the image while the more expensive silkscreen will show a solid wash of color.

Silkscreens:  While silkscreens are also printed, it is onto heavier paper and with a time intensive process of paint screened onto paper with each color requiring a different screen until the image is complete.  Silkscreens are often offered in a limited edition, thereby increasing the cost and perhaps even the value.

Giclees:  Giclees are computer generated with ink jet printers similar to your own home printer.  However, the paper is much heavier and the ink (paint) is denser.  Giclees were originally printed as limited editions and considered quite valuable.   While they are more expensive than an off-set print, today's technology makes it possible to print them in vast quantities and they are not considered a from of original art.

The beauty and value of any piece of art lies in the eyes of the beholder but it is also good to be armed with some knowledge before making these very important purchases.

To view our entire collection of custom and/or limited edition hardware and furniture, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Custom vs. ready made or Why should I buy a custom piece of furniture?

Many people question the value of customizing a piece of furniture or hardware when a similar item may be available for immediate purchase.  Take a look at the latest incarnation of our limited edition Ascot Tallboy and you will clearly see the value of a custom piece. This piece was commissioned by architectural designer Jan McHugh of JBM Designs. Jan works in the Chicago and Indianapolis areas and can be reached via email at jbmdesigns@icloud.com.   This tallboy is intended for her clients who are the proud owners of an incredible art collection.  The interior of the tallboy was customized to hold their prized Victrola and store their valuable collection of "78's".  Coincidentally, this is #78 in a limited edition of 100 and it is going to be used to store 78's...clearly meant to be!

In order to properly support the Victrola and still enjoy the beautiful japanning details we adjusted the placement and allowed the pattern to wrap around the sides of the cabinet instead of across the top.  We also wanted to make the pull more of a focal point so chose to use the medium sized scarab pull from our Animal collection of custom architectural hardware.

martin pierce ascot tallboy number 78 of 100 side view

As usual, the tallboy is crafted from English brown oak and darkened chiseled walnut. You may remember that Martin likes English brown oak for the lovely golden amber hue and the "leopard spots", or dark brown markings that are part of the character of this particular wood.  These brown spots are a result of a fungus that the English brown oak tree suffers from or supports, depending on how you look at it.

The interior of the cabinet was also customized to house the sleeves of the unique record collection.

martin pierce ascot tallboy number 78 of 100 interior view customized for client record colleciton

As you can see, a ready to purchase cabinet would not have met the unique needs of this client but being able to request specific design and function details will make it possible for them to enjoy not only a beautiful piece of furniture but store and display their prized record collection.

To view other items from our custom furniture collection and our bespoke hardware collection, visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Limited Edition Aspen Buffet finds a new home

Thanks to ASID  interior designer Margo Montgomery Deane  (650-329-9087) of the San Francisco Bay area,#21 of our limited edition of 30 Aspen buffets has found a new home.

Ms. Deane has great appreciation for the craftsmanship and beauty of this piece and has admired it for many years.  She purchased it from Gaul Searson showrooms, long time supporters of Martin Pierce Hardware.   She was happy to be able to specify it for this special client and felt it "created a visual peace."  Her clients will be retiring and moving to the Lake Tahoe area where the Aspen buffet will happily reside.

A true work of art, the legs and frame of this buffet is crafted of solid walnut with the face and panels made from a vertical grain walnut veneer.  We purposefully lay up the walnut veneer to create a strong vertical direction allowing the piece to visually flow upward.  The natural tones of the wood are then gently lightened with a bleach solution to allow the delicate silver tones of the Aspen trees to stand out.  We apply the ancient japanning technique of inlay to create the aspen trees.  This process certainly makes these pieces edition worthy as it is a bit like buying a limited edition print except that in the case of furniture, each piece is a true original;  unlike a print where copies are created from a master.  We finish it off with our small chiseled pulls in a natural polished bronze.

If you would like to view our complete line of hardware and furniture and get the latest news on what is happening at Martin Pierce, please visit us at www.martinpierce.com.  And don't forget our new product naming contest.  You might be the lucky winner of two of our mushroom pulls.