French designer Wallpaper

Inspirations

Fuchsias

Ikat - Origine

O-Hanami – Terracotta

L'Acrobate – Origin

Amaryllis

Les Bateaux Roses de Maurice Denis

Les Amoureux de Peynet – Red

Jean de La Fontaine – Classic Blue

La Belle de Mai – Blue

Les Roses de Rimbaud – Blue

Mata Hari – Day – Scale 200%

Fuchsias – Day

Les Canards de Paul Ranson

Hanami – Curry

Theda Bara – Vermiculé Blue Background

Kyoto – Siena

La Belle Otéro – Origin

Anima – Classic Blue

L'Impératrice

L’Indienne de Nîmes 1774 – Yellow

Mata Hari – Blue

Les Hortensias 1895 – Blue

Joséphine – Origin

Les Roses de Rimbaud – Origin

Berlingot – Gold

Ashvattha – Blue

Lilies – Les Nénuphars

Fuchsias – Blue

Tel Aviv Bauhaus

La Forêt – Panoramic – Lé 1

Design, above all a method of creation

The term design , which is an English word, does not have a perfect translation into French. This may seem anecdotal, but it is the source of much confusion. Etymologically, the term design has the same roots as the French words “ drawing ” but also “ dessein ”. Design therefore deals as much with shape, line, appearance, as with utility, use or application . Situated at the crossroads of art, technology and the human sciences, its most faithful translation would be “design”.

Historically, design is a discipline born during the 20th century, at a time when industrialization gradually replaced craftsmanship. More and more everyday objects were produced by complex machines and processes, in more or less large series. The profession of designer was born from the need to find the optimal shapes, volumes and conditions of use for any object. Design is therefore above all a method of creation which takes place through several stages. It is first of all a matter of identifying the contexts of use of the object, of understanding how it meets the needs of the end user. Different solutions, taking into account technical constraints, are then imagined, then some prototyped before being tested. Once a prototype has been validated, the object can then be mass-produced and distributed to users. The product could then possibly be improved following large-scale user feedback to offer new versions in future series.

This little step back shows that design does not refer to a particular visual style. It is therefore ultimately very strange to talk about “ designer furniture ”: A good design process, applied to furniture, can be applied to varied visual styles depending on fashion, time, context and place.

It is in this sense that theorists and designers separate the notions of design and style. However, in everyday language, the term design is ultimately often used as a synonym for “ contemporary style ” or even “ trend ” and therefore refers to visual styles that vary according to the spirit of the times (a product considered “design” in 2000 has surely lost its status today).

Design and Wallpaper, a great story with many styles

Our designs speak for themselves: the different visual styles of the last century are a huge source of inspiration and wonder for us. Here is a short summary of the graphic trends which have marked the history of decorative arts but also of wallpaper. Some of our patterns are directly inspired by it, others refer to it in a more subtle way. Please note that this is only a short introduction, the subject is extremely vast!

Wallpaper before the industrial revolution

Wallpaper probably originated in China where painters illustrated very large areas of paper entirely manually.
In Europe, it was from the 16th century that wallpaper developed, initially on small surfaces intended to line the interior of furniture or intended for bindings. Dominotry is then the technology used. It was in the 17th century, then in the 18th century, that wallpaper began to be installed on walls and numerous factories developed in France, England, Germany, etc.

At this time we can distinguish several trends:

• – “Chineseries”, Western reinterpretations of Eastern scenes
• – Antique-inspired motifs representing pilasters, columns, vases, statues…
• – Arabesques, floral motifs (naturalistic or more baroque)

From around 1800, we saw the appearance of panoramic wallpapers, complex works representing landscapes (exotic, mountains, countryside, etc.) on several strips in order to cover entire walls. From this point of view, our Nélio works in a similar way (although abstract).

The Arts & Crafts movement: The invention of applied arts

Arts & Crafts movement was born in England . This marks a major turning point in the decorative arts, initiating a philosophy of innovation and the search for new forms. To summarize this style, mainly represented by William Morris , we can say that it revisits medieval Gothic art while drawing inspiration from the forms of nature. Graphically, certain productions are closer to pre-Raphaelite painters, such as Burne-Jones.

Art Nouveau and Art Deco: From plant to geometric

Art Nouveau developed from the 1900s, following on from Arts & Crafts. Taking plants as the main source of inspiration, numerous floral motifs, with fluid and intertwined lines, will be drawn by several artists across Europe. The colors and lines are quite light.

Art Deco , from 1910/1915, re-invited geometry in patterns and lines, gradually producing increasingly refined and abstract creations. The transition between art nouveau and art deco having taken place gradually, we find numerous artistic creations which belong to both styles.

Modernism: Material above all

Modernism, mainly driven by architecture, industry and the heritage of the various artistic avant-gardes of the beginning of the century, saw its peak in the 1930s and marked an important break in the history of arts and techniques. Le Corbusier, Bauhaus, De Stijl and many other creators redefined the place and role of the decorative arts. Favoring functionality, clarity, geometry, modern architecture separates itself from decoration and favors raw materials and color to the detriment of patterns. The wallpaper then develops effects of materials and textures, some minimalist geometric patterns and a monochrome shade.

1950s: The reappearance of patterns

The 1950s marked the reappearance of patterns, whether figurative or abstract. We revisit classic subjects such as flowers and plants, in the light of visual experiments in 20th century art. Artists like Matisse, Léger, Dufy, Delaunay, inspire spontaneous and colorful design patterns.

1970s: Psychedelia, exuberance, kinetic art and optical art

The 1970s were marked above all by the predominance of a very particular colored range, featuring shades of ochre, orange, yellow and brown.
In terms of patterns, two styles of graphic design coexisted:

• – Exuberant floral arrangements, with many rounded shapes, sometimes reinterpreting the early days of Art Nouveau, or even Arts & Crafts.
• – Abstract geometric patterns, directly from the artistic trends of optical art and kinetic art, playing on optical illusions and visual surprises.

80s: The eccentricity of Memphis style

Having come back in force recently, this style was born under the leadership of the famous designer Ettore Sottsass at the very beginning of the 1980s. Resolutely linked to the Pop Art aesthetic, Memphis brought experimentation, spontaneity and a certain playful approach to the object design and decoration. From a graphic point of view, the basic geometric shapes (circle, triangle, lines, points) are associated with a palette of bright colors, used in flat areas, without textures.

There would of course be many other styles and subgenres to describe if one wanted to establish an exhaustive list. Especially since this summary only focuses on wallpaper design in Europe and other visual trends developed in parallel in different world cultures.