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Home ยป Homes ยป Home Dรฉcor ยป How to incorporate chic Chinoiserie decor into your home

How to incorporate chic Chinoiserie decor into your home

6 June, 2018 by Expat Living 5 Min Read

https://expatliving.hk/interiors-chinoiserie-decor-altfield-hong-kong/

A stalwart on the cityโ€™s interior design scene, Altfield has been in the business of beautiful homes for 35 years. We spoke to founder Amanda Clark about the brand and all things Chinoiserie when it comes to home decor accessories and furnishings.

Altfield founder Amanda Clark has a passion for Chinoiserie
Altfield founder Amanda Clark has a passion for Chinoiserie

Tell us about the early days of Altfield.ย It was set up 35 years ago when I came out to Hong Kong as a young designer and met my business partner David Halperin. I had grown up in HK, and our business began with a focus on antiques, however with my background in design I very soon added interior furnishings and decorative accessories to the mix. We were certainly one of the first such businesses here to offer lifestyle, interior design, antique furniture and works of art. Itโ€™s always been a mix of old and new, East and West, with fine expensive collectable pieces mixed with contemporary versions. I have clients who, like me, were in their early twenties when we began, and are still collecting and decorating with us all these years later.

Chinoiserie: Cambodian silver bowls from Altfield
Cambodian silver bowls from Altfield

And how about the business today? Our Altfield Gallery (now in Princeโ€™s Building) continues to flourish but our main business is Altfield Interiors, which supplies about 35 of the top international brands of interior fabrics, wall coverings, leather, lighting and accessories to the interior designer and architectural offices in HK. We opened a showroom in Macau to handle the growth of the casino market there, and then showrooms in Beijing and Shanghai followed; and last autumn we opened in Singapore. Our London showroom is now 20 years old, based in the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre.

Flowers, butterflies and birds are common in Chinoiserie design
Flowers, butterflies and birds are common in Chinoiserie design

Within a couple of years of starting Altfield we had an art studio set up that still creates lovely water colour paintings and screens. Often starting with copies of the antiques we bought and sold, or inspired by the private and museum collections I visited, I started creating a wide range of private label products โ€“ such as a line of Chinoiserie designs for mainly American fabric houses like Scalamandrรฉ, and products for retailers like Gumps and Neiman Marcus; the larger market overseas allowed us to invest in product development and to have decorative items to sell through our HK outlets. The products varied from paintings to needlepoint cushions, porcelain lamps, wall papers, lacquer or silver wares, and even jewellery. The font of inspiration is so huge and wonderful that I canโ€™t imagine not carrying on creating!

Chinoiserie: Amanda Clark's beautiful wearable jewellery designs
Amanda Clark’s beautiful wearable jewellery designs

As a designer, where do you find inspiration? I was a child who loved to draw; but while my friends were drawing houses with a front door and a chimney, I was creating floor plans and working out how you could live in a space. My mother was incredibly stylish and I grew up reading her copies of Architectural Digest โ€“ in a time before social media and the web and a million images a day flooding into our lives, every image, every page, every item shown was studied and re-studied and thought about. I honestly think that is where my passion for design, art, antiques, style, balance and the art of living comes from.

Chinoiserie captures an exotic idea of China
Chinoiserie captures an exotic idea of China

Youโ€™re known for your passion for Chinoiserie; can you tell us a little bit more about that? Growing up in Hong Kong, I was always captivated by the wonderful decorative arts of China, but also with the fabulous mix of cultures that was created by โ€œthe China tradeโ€ โ€“ the Chinese export arts that developed as the country gradually opened up to trade with the West from the 1700s onwards. A sort of fantasy of China was captured in the decorative designs painted on porcelains, silks, fans and walls, and over time a completely new sort of magical decoration developed. One must remember that prior to photography, paintings and drawings were the only glimpses into another country, and China was depicted as a land of exotic pagodas, flowers the size of dinner plates, and butterflies and birds in abundance in every possible colourful combination.

Chinoiserie pieces typically have a strong sense of whimsy
Chinoiserie pieces typically have a strong sense of whimsy

It was seen as a land of gardens and endless summery nature โ€“ very intoxicating! The Western appetite for pretty decorative pieces was so strong that they soon began creating their own versions of Chinese designs, including Delft porcelains, lacquer work and printed cottons, which are in fact correctly called Chinoiserie โ€“ a Western version of Chinese style. This mix of East and West is always what Iโ€™ve tried to create โ€“ it is in fact a long tradition. All the fine European houses would have in them a mixture of Chinese porcelains, lacquer, textiles or rugs and watercolour paintings from the China trade, so itโ€™s a continuation in a way of that tradition.

Blue and white Chinoiserie porcelain never goes out of fashion
Blue and white Chinoiserie porcelain never goes out of fashion

Any tips for those of us who might like to add a little Chinoiserie into our own homes? Thereโ€™s a strong trend at the moment to bring colour back into decorating. Also, after a long period of very cold and minimalist design, there is a clear move towards layering and cocooning. This involves mixing in products that are going to add colour and charm; as they are usually based on nature, using motifs such as florals, birds, garden settings, itโ€™s possible to bring nature inside in a very appealing way. Also, thereโ€™s a strong sense of whimsy in the decorative motifs that adds a light-hearted charm into both traditional or modern homes. I think that there is a timelessness to Chinoiserie designs; for example, blue and white porcelains and fabrics never go out of fashion, and by mixing florals and fretworks that hint of the Orient it does bring into any interior scheme a hint of the exotic.

altfield.com.hk

Altfield Galleryย 249 Princeโ€™s Building 10 Chater Road, Central

2537 6370 | gallery@altfield.com.hk

Altfield Interiorsย 1101, Nine Queens Road, Central

2524 4867 | sales@altfield.com.hk

This article was first published in the Apr/May edition of Expat Living magazine. Subscribe now so you never miss an issue.

Want more? Head to our Homes section for more decorating inspiration!

Categories: Home Dรฉcor Homes Tags: Altfield Altfield Interiors Home Decor Interior Design Interiors

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Thanks Julianna for this delicious 
Easy Blueberry Oreo Cheesecake to start the weekend!
Serves 4, or 2 if you're hungry๐Ÿ˜‰

Preparation time: 15 mins Ingredients:
โ€ข 6 digestive biscuits
โ€ข 50g butter 
โ€ข 250g cream cheese (1 brick) 
โ€ข 6 Oreo biscuits
โ€ข 125g blueberries (1 box)
โ€ข 100g milk or whipped cream 
โ€ข 5 tablespoons sugar

Instructions:
For crust:
1. Crush digestive biscuits in a big bowl and add melted butter.
2. Press together at the base of the cake mould.
3. Set aside to cool.

For filling: 
1. Beat cream cheese, sugar and milk or whipped cream on medium speed in a bowl until it is smooth and creamy. 
2. Add crushed Oreos and beat until they mix evenly. 
3. Pour the filling over the cooled crust.
4. Freeze for two hours and top with blueberries!๐Ÿซ
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Generally speaking, a crisp white linen table-runner will do. But if youโ€™re looking to up the ante this year, go for one with subtle prints on it. 
 
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 A beautiful Christmas centrepiece is the fastest way to add cheer to your party. Itโ€™s also a great excuse to show off your creative flair to friends and family. 
 
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When it comes to tableware, most people play it safe with crystal glasses and porcelain plates. Why not take it up a notch by throwing a set of gold cutlery into the mix? Itโ€™s an instant pop of luxury that exudes warmth to traditional red and green themes. ๐Ÿด
 
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Less than five days left to vote for your favourite businesses! You could win fun family staycays and dining vouchers, so make sure to vote today by visiting ๐Ÿ‘‰ expatliving.hk/readerschoice

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A package for two, including an aroma steam shower, deep sleep tourmaline crystal massage, sparkling champagne facial and a glass of champagne ๐Ÿฅ‚

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How good do these look ๐Ÿ˜ New recipe from @charissa_and_co_wellness. You can try a free sample by scanning the bar code on our online articles ๐Ÿ’œ

Recipe: Flourless Pecan Cranberry Brownie

Ingredients

Brownie base:

2 servings of Nuzest Clean Lean Chocolate Protein
1.5 cup of pumpkin puree
1 cup of hazelnut butter or almond *
1/2 cup of raw dark cacao powder
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
1/3 cup of dehydrated cranberries
2 teaspoons of Manuka honey ** Optional
White chocolate drizzle:

1/3 cup of melted cacao butter
2 tablespoons of cashew nut butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1-2 teaspoons of Erythritol
Dark chocolate drizzle:

1/3 cup of melted cacao butter
2 tablespoons of cashew nut butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon of coconut oil
3 tablespoons of raw dark cacao powder
1 teaspoon of Erythritol
Instructions

Brownie base:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Grease a square baking tray with coconut oil and line tray with parchment paper.
In a large blender, mix all the brownie ingredients together until smooth.
Pour the brownie mix into the pan and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Once cooked, allow the brownies to cool on a rack.
Chocolate drizzle:

You will need two separate mixing bowls for the white and dark chocolate drizzle.
Melt the cacao butter at low temperature and mix with the rest of the ingredients.
Pour the chocolate drizzle over the cooled brownies.
Pop them in the fridge to set or enjoy them as warm brownies.**
Optional: Sprinkle some fresh pomegranate and dried cranberry seeds onto the brownies (after cooling in the fridge for 20 minutes).
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Good morning! Weโ€™ve got another delicious recipe from @charissa_and_co_wellness ๐Ÿ’•

Recipe: Persimmon Vanilla Chia Porridge

Serves 2

Ingredients

PERSIMMON-VANILLA-CHAI-PORRIDGE.jpg
Chia Vanilla Milky Layer:

1/2 cup of chia Seeds
1.5 cup of coconut milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 servings of Nuzest Clean Lean Protein Vanilla 
1 tablespoon of tahini paste
2 Medjool dates
2 slices of fresh persimmon
Persimmon Coconut Porridge Layer:

1 whole persimmon chopped
1/2 cup of coconut yoghurt
2 tablespoons of coconut flakes
1 teaspoon of almond butter
Instructions

Chia Vanilla Milky Layer:

Blend all the ingredients together apart from the chia seeds.
Once the mix is well blended, add the chia seeds and mix well. Place in a glass jar and leave overnight in the fridge.
Persimmon Coconut Porridge Layer:

Blend all the ingredients together until creamy and smooth. Place in a glass jar, leave overnight in the fridge.
The next morning you can enjoy your porridge by layering your chia porridge with the persimmon porridge.
Optional: Add in between crunchy texture by sprinkling some raw buckwheat groats already activated or quinoa puffs
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