Chinoiserie Panels

Exciting news! I will soon be in the possession of 4 hand-painted Chinese wallpaper panels that look strikingly similar to the paper Barrie Benson used in this dining room featured in Domino.


I need to start brainstorming ideas for mounting the panels as a series. I really like the way Barrie framed hers. I think this is such a modern way to display a pretty traditional paper.


The only trick is, I don't want to paper my walls with the panels, and I don't want to use really heavy sheets of wood for mounting. And thin wood or composite will bow. Any ideas for mounting these 3x8' panels all together? I promise to share more details on the paper when it gets here, which should be soon.

47 comments:

  1. Good luck and show us how it works out. It looks like it was wallpapered?
    pve

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  2. How about panels of sheetrock? I think they can be cut to size, and are not nearly as heavy as plywood.

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  3. Stretch it over custom painting canvases:) super light!

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  4. Awwww - SCORE on the panels! I agree with gypsy - will art canvas work? Guess Patricia (pve) could commiserate...

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  5. I cannot WAIT to see what you do with this. Can I tell you how glad I am to have found your blog?

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  6. Maybe foam core could work too. Good luck!

    Pat

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  7. Glorious paper. I like how she chose a more modern blue cabinet to pop against it then an ornate cabinet. It's more unexpected!

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  8. Hey Jenny, where did you find these panels? I know you are an Ebay searcher, and there is a seller out of China that does them that I have been pondering ordering from. Just thought you might have gotten them from there.

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  9. While I have no useful advice to offer, I am dying with anticipation to see how you hang them!

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  10. Try foam insulation sheets. It is available in 4 X 8 sheets as well as several thicknesses(sp). You can pick up a fairly inexpensive sheet for about $10 at Lowes and Home Depot.

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  11. What about sheets of homasote? Light, cut to size and nice and sturdy.

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  12. I did something similar at a clients apt. Not the same sort of wallpaper, but wallpaper none the less that was framed, because we couldn't wallpaper the walls.

    Here are my steps: http://blog.effortless-style.com/2010/06/how-to-make-extra-large-wallpaper-panels/

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  13. Hi,
    sorry for the unrelated comment (although I LOVE that paper) but i didn't want to crowd your work email with my question. Can you recommend any indoor flea markets or antique shops near or in Boston? I'm going down this week for an impromptu vacation (yes, in the snow; ))
    Thanks!

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  14. I'd try homasote. Then, you could mount them on the wall with L brackets or simply lean them against the wall. The art canvas makes me nervous. I don't think you could ever get it tight enough. It'd either crack or be so loose it would crease.

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  15. You are a busy little bee!
    Love the entry you posted last night.

    I am dying to see what you do with these panels.

    I just got an amazing chinoiserie folding screen for my bedroom and I have been obsessed with any images involving chinoiserie wallpaper.

    My screen is different and only in blues, silvers, and greys, but wow can a little chinoiserie add impact to a room or what?

    Did you do a farm table? It would be so cool to use this as a backdrop for your dining, or even behind a media wall?

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  16. What about a thin sheet of plexiglass... Or you could frame them.

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  17. I was thinking plexiglass, maybe even sandwiched. I've seen it done and it looks really fantastic.

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  18. there are brackets or screws you can get to mount the paper (only) behind glass.

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  19. Acid free foam core from a frame shop

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  20. How exciting! Can't wait to see what you do with them.

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  21. This may sound crazy, but what about styrofoam boards. They are super light, so you won't have to put wall anchors in. I have a 4' x 6' piece of styrofoam that I mounted to the wall and then just painted the exposed sides black. It looks like a canvas, but waaaay cheaper. Especially if you just got something large from IKEA and then the styrofoam is free!

    Another option would be canvases.

    Jenny @ sundryelements.blogspot.com

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  22. I'd try foam insulation sheets, then frame the sheets in (attach the frame to the wall, then stick the fabric-wrapped sheets inside snugly). I was scrolling through the comments just now and saw that other people had suggested foam insulation panels too. I'm curious to see what you end up using!

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  23. My first thoughts were painters canvas and, if you want to go REALLY cheap, foam core board. Both will give the panels so much dimension too!

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  24. Can't WAIT to see the finished product! I've thought about ordering this wallpaper from a couple of different sources in China myself, but I was concerned about the quality, so I would love to know who you used and how it turned out for you.

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  25. I would check out www.blog.effortless-style.com. A while back she posted about this poster company that did custom framing. She said they usually do commercial work, so the frames can be huge (but still very affordable). I know she used it to frame wallpaper!

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  26. Score - sounds beautiful - I love those panels!

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  27. Jenny - have you thought about foamboard? They sell it at home depot in big 4x8 sheets, its very light weight and rigid. We use it all the time in place of wood for stage sets, etc.
    Those panels are gorgeous! My husband brought some hand painted panels home from Taiwan 20 years ago and i would like to get them up on the walls - I can't wait to see what you do-
    Lydia

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  28. Lucky You! There's nothing like beautiful chinoiserie!

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  29. I've been wondering the same thing. I have a huge photo (prob 4x8) that i want to hang but framing the traditional way wouldn't be an option. Can't wait to see what you do!

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  30. Custom cut sheets of acrylic may way for this project since they are light and depending on the adhesive you use, you could remove the paper and use it in another scenario.

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  31. Hi! I'm having difficulty with the same thing right now! I purchased a 3x6 handpainted panel from eBay and hob lob, michaels and other avenues cannot dry mount anything that large. The hubs and I are thinking foamboard and moulding.

    And for the person wondering about the eBay company, if it's the same one I used, Lily is fantastic to work with and the product is amazing!!!!

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  32. I would contact a local sign supply shop and get a couple sheets of 'Cintra'. They come in 4x8 sheets. I think the least expensive comes in white. Score with an exacto knife to cut to size and then snap it and voila'. Heavy duty plastic sign material but thin and you can mount it easily with drywall screws somewhere discretely. My husband and I own a Creative Art Studio in Tempe, AZ. We love Cintra!

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  33. I totally miss Domino! I tore out these same pictures and have them in a file for the future, didn't read all the posts, but did anyone suggest making custom frames the way they do for painting canvases? Cant wait to see what you do!

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  34. I would use homosote or paste onto streched canvas. If these panels are valuable (or even not), do not use foam core/foam board. I used foam core for 2 projects in my house at the same time, first I painted cutouts for the back of my bookshelves and they seriously warped/curled up over a short period of time. The same thing happened when I wallpapered foam core to fit in my sons room. It was disappointing, and would hate to have anyone make the same mistake I did.

    Can't wait to see what you come up with!

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  35. Melamine panels might be what you are looking for. They are lightweight, inexpensive, and easily obtained at Lowe's, Menard's, etc. When I was pretty broke in art school, I quit using canvases for large pieces and opted for Melamine. It's really easy to cut and handle, and I never had any problems with it warping.

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  36. It's spelled Sintra, not with a C. sorry about that!

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  37. I agree with Hallie. Gator board is great. I work for a design firm and we have great luck with leaning gator board up agains walls. Foamcore, no matter how thick, can bow over time, but gator board always remains rigid. Our supplier cuts them to size since they're much harder to hand-cut than the foamcore.

    Good luck!

    Dawn
    The Gahan Girls

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  38. canvases then you can have it block framed (frame on sides of canvas) in a natural wood for a more defined panel look.

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  39. Love the look of that! So cheerful. Good luck with your project.

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  40. What about gluing to vinyl? Maybe put little grommet holes (or velcro?) in the top and bottom and attach to the wall or a frame. It would be light, and if you move again - roll them up and take them with you.
    Can't wait to see your solution!

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  41. I saw a mention of contacting a sign maker which I think would work quite well. The product doesn't warp or bow but it is also very light. An alternative would be to look into using a glass/acrylic product.

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  42. Stretched canvas,with support bars on the back, horizontal and vertical. Make sure to gesso it, sand smooth. Obviously you make these yourself which is very simple. And you do not need any fancy canvas. In fact you cld use the inexpensive light weight drop clothes from HD. Foam board that size is going to bow eventually. A big stretched canvas will not, Think of all the huge paintings at MOMA.
    Cat

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  43. i love the idea, and would like to suggest smooth hollow-core doors. they come is several widths and either 6'8" or 8' heights.

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  44. You can get really thin drywall. We used it to drywall over some asbestos popcorn ceilings. Yuck.

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I so appreciate hearing from you. Nice comments make my day! Thanks for keeping things light here, friends! :)