What do we mean when we discuss east meets west design fusion? There is something so romantic about the mixture of cultures, traditions, styles and customs that give birth to wonderful design opportunities. One philosophy dubbed ‘East Meets West’ we’ve been asked to produce many times (in many different ways) is the idea of bringing together eastern and western design, marking the moment two cultures come together in harmony, a juxtaposition one might feel entirely incongruous at first, but one which works so beautifully when seen together in reality.
Today we are going to focus on a design style which beautifully celebrates the coming together of eastern culture meeting west – chinoiserie. Chinoiserie - a decorative style in Western art, furniture, and architecture, characterised by the use of Chinese motifs and techniques.
First appearing in the 17th century, chinoiserie is a European interpretation or imitation of Chinese and East Asian artistic traditions that is especially associated with decorative arts, theatre and performance. This period of design history is famous for its rebellion against Renaissance illusionism, moving towards more authentic, asymmetric decorations, sparking the east meets west design fusion.
Here was an opportunity for a new trend towards freedom in expression, both whimsical and hedonistic, sparking much debate and divided opinion. A bridge between two decorative styles and a substantial link between the east and west cultures, thus creating a new east meets west design philosophy.
Fortunately this decorative period has sustained popularity ensuring that there is a wide range of wonderful items available in the market to choose from when creating interior design and when producing luxury wedding design or party planning. Indeed there are plenty of opportunities to choose the perfect pieces to complement a wedding with an east meets west design fusion theme.
Chinoiserie can be seen as in influence in many housewares and home interiors throughout Europe and North America - it is still as popular in modern day interior design and stately homes. With an abundance of colourful decorative pieces, scenes depicting Chinese landscapes and ornate gold finishes, these designs ooze simple elegance and sophistication. If you still wish to keep a fresh appearance to your wedding or party design then adding small amounts of French Porcelain, such as the famous Medici Porcelain, can really enhance the overall feel of the room, whilst not overwhelming the design.
Introduce a screen printed drape system but incorporate a strong Chinoiserie east meets west design aesthetic to frame the room. This would be a bold statement and exquisite backdrop.
Add subtle French porcelain to your dining tables for an immediate east meets west design detail. These sophisticated vases are elegant, chic and utterly beautiful.
Introduce nature and subtle floral across the room and within the set design. We would recommend the use of cherry blossom and other soft pinks, golds and pastel shades. Think a mix of traditional with a contemporary lift.
If you are hosting a drinks reception out on the lawn, create decorative pagodas that can be used as bars or food service areas bringing a beautiful east meets west design fusion. Or perhaps use a pagoda design as a central feature in your drape system to bring the whole Chinoiserie design to life, as seen below.
Take all of these elements, place them perfectly together, add a little design magic by the design team at The Events Mill, and you could have the luxury wedding or party design of your dreams. This is what bringing all of the above together could look like:
If you would like to find out more about our wedding design services click here. If you're planning a party and need some design inspiration and would like to chat through your plans then you can get in touch by email at info@theeventsmill.com or by calling 02037230195
“Our annual event sees a raft of high-level executives from all over the world visit London for a few days for presentations and socials and is traditionally finished with a “once in a lifetime” experience. Having Christopher on board from the offset for the finale, was probably one of the best decisions we have ever made.
