de Gournay
Since 1982, de Gournay has helped individuals realize their dreams of the perfect interior through original, hand-crafted wallpaper that draws inspiration from antique murals, panaromas, and art ranging from the Japanese Edo era’s silk kimonos and Mughal era motifs. We spoke with Rachel Cecil–Gurney, current Director of Sales for de Gournay, about the studio’s inception, the role of wallpapers in crafting interiors, and the painstaking precision and detail that goes into each de Gournay commission.
“de Gournay creates bespoke hand painted wallpapers, each unique and imbued with the spirit of the artist who painted it.”
As well as looking to historical sources for inspiration, we develop completely bespoke designs involving clients in the process from start to finish. We want to work with them to fulfill their vision and we love to be challenged in what we can achieve! We like to say anything is possible!
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF?
I am one of the directors of de Gournay, focusing on worldwide sales, alongside my sister, cousin and father. He founded the company back in 1982 and very much keeps us on our toes with his boundless energy and love of life, so it is very much a family affair!
“I must have been the only girl my age with a hand painted exotic scene on my bedroom walls and I was immersed into the world of wallpaper, texture and colour from an early age.”
I used to help my father unroll and roll panels for pocket money from our home back in the day!
Claud Cecil Gurney, Founder of de Gournay
WHAT INSPIRED YOUR FATHER TO CREATE DE GOURNAY?
The adventure began shortly after my father, who was working as a qualified accountant for Coopers & Lybrand at the time, inherited a set of antique Chinoiserie wallpaper panels which needed restoring. He couldn’t find any artists in Europe qualified enough to complete the task, so he went to China with the support of the Arts & Crafts department of the Chinese government. There he was introduced to skilled artisans still practising traditional Chinoiserie painting techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation and he commissioned them to restore his wallpaper.
It was there and then the commercial side of my father saw an opportunity to use his natural creativity and passion for Chinese art to revive the long–lost 18th century trade of creating hand painted wallpaper for export to Europe.
“He opened a studio near Shanghai where we are still based today and founded the company de Gournay, which is in fact my family’s ancestral Norman name.”
Rachel Cecil Gurney, Director of de Gournay
YOU AND YOUR SISTER HANNAH BOTH WORK FOR THE BRAND. HAS DE GOURNAY ALWAYS BEEN A FAMILY BRAND?
Yes, indeed it has. My father opened our studio in 1982 with his nephew Dominic Evans–Freke who oversees our worldwide production. My sister and I joined shortly after university inspired by our father and wanting to keep the brand alive!
HOW DOES DE GOURNAY SET ITSELF APART FROM TRADITIONAL WALLPAPER BRANDS?
“Our wallpaper is hand painted from start to finish whereas most wallpapers involve printing.”
We constantly strive to innovate new techniques and develop new ground construction types and have a huge breadth of design and colourway options but also an ability to create something completely bespoke, which most other brands do not offer. It is amazing the different looks you can achieve using our brand. People are constantly surprised by the range of collections from the traditional, inspired by art of the Japanese Edo period, Chinoiserie 18th century wallpapers, and 19th century hand blocked European murals, to the much more modern mid–century Diaghilev collection inspired by the artworks of Klimt and Rateau amongst others.
HOW IS A DE GOURNAY PIECE MADE?
There’s always a team of artists — generally about four to six people — working on one order. An average panel is about 90cm wide and about 2.5 metres high. It can take up to 150 hours to produce one panel.
“Most of our designs are about 20 panels, so a full order can take anywhere from three to six months — longer if there are bespoke elements.”
The wallpaper is usually made of painted Xuan “rice” paper or a paper–backed silk onto which the design is painted. The background is typically painted in gouache, and then the design is meticulously painted on using watercolour. Every detail and element of the design is first outlined in pencil — so if you look very closely at any of de Gournay’s wallpaper, you'll see the pencil marks, which is obviously a sign that it’s handmade.
CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT A CLIENT CAN EXPECT WHEN COMMISSIONING A DE GOURNAY PIECE?
We will request detailed elevations from the client so that we can adapt the design to fit their space as beautifully as possible ensuring no birds get cut and the elements which the client prefers are positioned in the most visible areas. We will then review this with the client and make tweaks until the client is happy! We will also loan a sample from our extensive library built up over many years or make a hand painted sample for approval in their chosen colourway on the ground type they like to check they are happy with the final effect! The client will review this in their space to see how the light affects it and if it works and may then either love it as is or want to re–sample in another colourway or change tack completely!
WHAT INSPIRES EACH NEW DESIGN?
“Some of our designs are faithful reproductions of antique wallpapers such as some of the 18th century Chinoiserie wallpapers depicting birds and flowers in grand Georgian country houses.”
Other of our panoramic designs are taken from 19th century French murals, originally painted to commemorate momentous occasions such as discoveries of new lands or victories in battle. Even more designs may be inspired by a specific art period such as designs from the Japanese Edo period found on silk kimonos, tea caddies, folding screens and scroll paintings or our latest Mughal collection inspired by motifs from 12th–17th century Mughal artworks.
TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR ARTISANS AND THEIR PROCESS?
There are still artisans on the mainland using the original wallpaper–making techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation.
“Our workshop offers programmes for young Chinese artists, taught by a senior artist, to encourage them to develop and learn, and, we hope, to come and work with us.”
HOW DOES DE GOURNAY ADDRESS SUSTAINABLE MEASURES WITHIN THE BRAND?
The nature of our product being hand made rather than machine made and made to order rather than made in bulk makes it more sustainable than many other products. The quality of the craftsmanship also means it is built to last just as the antique 18th century papers which still adorn walls and wow hundreds of years on!
“We like to think de Gournay papers will be considered as antiques in the future.”
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DE GOURNAY DESIGN?
“My favourite design is our Saint Laurent, with its peacock motifs, based on original 17th–century antique panels from Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent’s Paris apartment.”
It is adorned with pairs of majestic peacocks perched on flowering peony and pomegranate trees and butterflies darting from one branch to another. We tried to make it look authentic, hand–painting the rice paper and creasing it to give it an aged feel.
WHERE ARE SOME UNEXPECTED PLACES DE GOURNAY DESIGNS HAVE ENDED UP?
I think behind glass shower door panels is very unexpected and makes showering each morning a fully immersive experience. We have also wallpapered laundry rooms before, which makes getting through your laundry load more enjoyable!
YOU'VE CULTIVATED A LARGE SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE FOR THE BRAND. WOULD YOU SAY THERE IS A DE GOURNAY COMMUNITY? HOW HAS SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCED THAT?
Yes, I certainly think there is a de Gournay community of people who truly admire the brand.
“I like to think our Instagram followers like to have a daily dose of colour and beauty which uplifts their spirits and inspires!”
I think a slice of the handmade in today’s busy tech focused world is a welcome escape!
YOU'VE PARTNERED WITH A NUMBER OF BRANDS TO CREATE ICONIC PIECES THAT STAY TRUE TO DE GOURNAY. CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH YOUR COLLABORATION WITH THE COLONY HOTEL?
Our collaboration with the Colony hotel resulted from the owner getting in touch with us to create a custom design inspired by the original mid-century mural that adorned the hotel lobby when it first opened in 1947.
“Our design references the hotel’s rich heritage and flora and fauna indigenous to South Florida.”
Hand painted characters including flamingos, alligators, cougars and the Colony’s own monkey mascot, ‘Johnny Brown,’ embody the spirit and humour of the beloved hotel.
Other brand highlights are our collaboration with Kate Moss to create a wallpaper combining her favourite flower, Anemones, with her favourite times of day, dawn and dusk, resulting in two stunning colourways showcased perfectly in her London home.
We also loved working with Turkish fashion designer Erdem on our whimsical Chinoiserie design with an English twist and working with shoe designer Aquazurra on our more exotic Amazonia design inspired by 19th century botanical prints of the Amazon.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR DE GOURNAY?
We are constantly developing new techniques and love to be challenged as to what is possible in terms of both materials and techniques used. We are also always looking for inspiration for new designs and you never know what collaboration might be around the corner! We hope to constantly surprise and inspire!
© Photo Credit via de Gournay