British brand of wallcoverings de Gournay is a family run business based in London with showrooms in New York and San Francisco that specializes in making gorgeous hand painted wallpapers that decorate some of the best interiors around the world.
Here, we take a look at the history, strengths, and latest collections of this important interior design brand.
How did de Journay start?
Rachel, Claude and Hannah Cecil Gurney hand-painted “Silk Tree” design on emerald green silk in a scheme designed by Jonathan Rachman
(Photo credit: Chinoiserie Houghton/Simon Brown)
De Gournay was founded by Claude Cecil Gournay in 1986, and reverted to the original French spelling of his family name. Claude graduated in economics from the University of Chicago, trained in accounting with PWC and then spent many years working in finance.
Delving into the world of interior design wasn’t part of a plan: the company’s birth was prompted by the unsuccessful search for someone in the UK with the skills to restore some old Chinese wallpaper in his family’s home.
The endeavor took Claude—and his nephew Dominic Evans-Frick—to China where they searched for trained craftsmen who might be able to simulate the lost paintings. Once there, they encountered several obstacles, chief among them the Chinese government’s preference for mass-design wallpaper ideas over what they later considered frivolous art institutions. In addition, the tradition of hand-drawing wallpaper for this market is almost over – there is only one supplier left in southern China.
In an effort to do something to stem this tide, Claude searched for artists whose parents and grandparents had been formally trained in precise brush stroke techniques, and slowly began to put together a team of creators.
How are De Gournay panels produced?
(Photo credit: de Gournay)
What started with about five artists has now grown into a studio of about 100, some of whom have worked for the company since the late 1980s. Typically, six to 10 artists work in a single order.
The medium canvas is about 90 cm wide and 2.5 m high and takes about 150 hours to produce for six artists. Since most designs require about 20 panels, a full order can take anywhere between three and six months. Each finished painting is a work of art that can be removed from the walls to be re-hung in other rooms, allowing it to be considered a legacy for the future.
The wallpaper is usually made of coated Xuan “rice” paper or paper-backed silk. The background is usually painted with gouache and then the design is painted with watercolor. Every detail of the design was first outlined in pencil by the artist – look closely at any sheet of de Gournay paper and you could see marks in pencil, proving that they are all handmade.
De Journay is going global
In 2012, de Gournay opened a major showroom in the heart of New York’s Design District. This was followed five years later by a second American showroom that opened in San Francisco.
In 2015, De Gournay opened two showrooms in China: one in Beijing and one in Shanghai. The latter is located in a 1930s row house in the middle of the French Concession while the one in Beijing is located in historic Sihuan – a typical house with reed doors opening onto a lush garden. When the company opened its showroom in Shanghai, many customers noted that the Chinoiserie offered was “too English”.
De Gournay’s main collections: Chinoiserie
(Photo credit: de Gournay)
de Gournay owns an archive of historical papers as well as its own collection that has grown over the past nearly 40 years. Each of them is fully adaptable to meet customer needs. Original designs are often adapted to fit into contemporary interiors, expanding the range of backgrounds and ways of color in order to ensure this age-old skill remains relevant.
panoramic wallpapers
(Photo credit: de Gournay)
Inspired by the block-printed panoramic wallpapers developed in France during the first half of the 19th century when French nobles used wall coverings as a way to celebrate and glorify their expanding empire, De Gournay’s hand-painted collection typically depicts exotic scenes from around the world, including copies of Close to antique papers from the 19th century as well as their copies created in a similar spirit.
Japanese and Korean groups
(Photo credit: de Gournay)
Inspired by the Edo period, where Japan, for nearly 200 years, was closed off from the rest of the world – it is widely seen as the culmination of the nation’s creative expression. These designs are stunningly simple and feature sumptuous Korean peonies, delicate windswept plum, and magnolia in beautiful winter bloom.
deco
(Photo credit: de Gournay)
Inspired by the decorative movements of 20th century art, this collection is modern in character but with ornate details. The styles are guided by the specific designs of Russian theater at the turn of the century through the works of Armand Rato and Jean Dunand during the 1920s and 1930s, as well as more abstract collecting work of the 1950s.
selective
(Photo credit: de Gournay)
With a mix of elegant floral patterns and more graphic designs, this collection is the most inspired by contemporary décor trends – and created to stand out from the more traditional collections.
Emperor Group
(Photo credit: de Gournay)
Inspired by ancient Chinese scroll paintings, they were the inspiration for some of the earliest known wallpapers by hand. Subtle yet impressive vistas of rolling mountains and austere landscapes.
cooperation
(Photo credit: de Gournay)
A series of high-profile collaborations proved very successful for the company. Interior designer Michael S. Collaboration Other collaborations include fashion house Erdem (above) and leading Australian interior designer Anna Spiro.
Where do you see de Journay today
(Photo credit: de Gournay)
While in Chelsea, London, De Gurnay is now a global brand that has expanded to 39 countries, with showrooms in London (above), Paris, New York, Moscow, Shanghai, Beirut and San Francisco. His designs adorn the walls of London’s most famous nightclub Annabelles, The Colony in Palm Beach, Le Maurice Hotel in Paris, and Albergo Hotel in Beirut.