Tual de Jouy

What do the interior of Versailles and shepherd houses have in common? Tual de Jouy! Do you think it will be about a brilliant French nobleman? You didn’t guess! Toile de Jouy is the name of the fabric. It was she who almost 300 years ago gave the world the style of the interior of the Tual de Jouy, whose relevance remains unchanged to this day.

It all started with the Sun King!

Louis XIV entered European history not only thanks to his aphorism”The state is me!”, which very clearly characterized the autocratic absolute power. The monarch (he ruled the country for 72 years) knew a lot about fashion, economics, and politics.

The son of Anne of Austria (the very Queen of France, whose pendants were returned by d’Artagnan and the brave Musketeers) found a simple, elegant, tough solution in the struggle for the competitiveness of French goods and replenishment of his own budget. Louis XIV by his decree banned the import of luxurious oriental fabrics, thus directing the flow of gold coins towards local spinning, weaving manufactories.

There are legends about the love of the Sun King for luxury goods, young favorites and Versailles, built during his reign. However, few people know that the crowned person (he began to rule at the age of 4) in childhood, early youth had only 2 suits for the exit and a whole bundle of … beggarly rags. The monarch did not shine with education (he had to save even on teachers), but it was he who was able to save the state from another economic collapse. The Royal anti-crisis plan turned out to be simple to genius: Louis brought talented, extraordinary subjects closer to him, giving them a certain freedom of action for the benefit of … the state.

Se la vie, or the Irony of Fate in French

Among those who came under the highest patronage was the talented German artist-engraver Christophor-Philipp Oberkampf. He founded the royal manufactory in the village of Jouy-en-Josa and created a new style of interior: Tual de Jouy (literally translated:”fabric from Jouy”).

The design direction began with the decoration of natural materials with monochrome printed drawings. Such cotton, linen fabrics were used as wallpaper, upholstery for upholstered furniture. Curtains, lampshades, canopies, tablecloths were made from materials, and then dishes, floor, wall ceramics, clocks, and other items were created in the same style.

Tual de Jouy did not bypass women’s dresses either. It exists in modern design in two equal hypostases: classic and provincial.

The first is associated with Versailles luxury, the refined life of the French nobility. The second is with the chalet, the silence, the tranquility of country life. In the new millennium, the style tends more and more towards eclecticism, because the objects produced according to its canons perfectly fit into the interior solutions of Baroque, modern, Tual de Jouy, fusion and even minimalism!

The magnificent Jui continues to conquer the world, and the royal manufactory in Jui-en-Josa (which survived the Great French Revolution, the fall of the monarchy, the reign of Napoleon) a long time ago… went bankrupt. It was destroyed by the banal raider seizure and incompetence of the new leadership. However, superstitious Frenchmen claim that the matter here is still in the curse of Emil (son, heir of Oberkampf). There are legends: he predicted wealth to everyone who would make money on Zhui — with the exception of the owners of the captured manufactory.

This is a luxury devoid of pretentiousness! This is how you can characterize a unique style. All its manifestations are inherent:

– A delicate color palette based on a combination of white (cream) with blue, blue, red, green or black.

– The absence of decorative elements that cause a gloomy mood. – Active use of natural lighting sources and lighting solutions that mimic it.

– Graphicity, uniformity of small scrupulously detailed ornaments.

– The dominance of textile accessories, where idyllic pictures about shepherds and shepherdesses, ladies and gentlemen on picnics are captured.

Initially, the colors for Toile de Jouy-style interiors were not as saturated as they are today. But the set of pastoral plots for pictures has remained unchanged for three centuries. In addition to idylls with shepherdesses, shepherdesses, nobles, lovers, these can be drawings of hunting, agricultural work, processions of brave soldiers, scenes from popular ancient myths.

Pay attention! In questions about the correct color of furniture, the selection of accessories for different guises of Zhui, there are quite clear distinctions. The provincial version of the style (it can often be seen in French chalets) mainly involves the use of white, wrought-iron furniture and fittings. There is an abundance of small figurines, accessories, lamps of different shapes. The classic Toile de Jouy is more strict, it lacks the negligence of Provence. In this version of Zhui, interior items of natural shades of wood dominate.

Beauty is in the details, or the Secrets of a harmonious space, Not every professional designer undertakes interior projects in the style of Tual de Jouy for one simple reason: working with this direction requires impeccable artistic taste and an excellent sense of proportion, even in small things.

In creating a comfortable space, it is necessary to combine:

– Patterned or monochrome wallpaper. – An abundance of textile accessories with similar, similar patterns.

– Straight strict lines, laconic and at the same time elegant furniture.

One mistake in the location of accessories, lighting sources, and the choice of colors automatically leads to a feeling of congestion in the space. This is unacceptable, because Toile de Jouy is a royal harmony of comfort, luxury, elegant solutions.

Quite naturally, the question arises: how do poor Frenchmen (and residents of other countries) do without the services of famous designers?

It’s very simple! For an independent design experiment, it is enough:

– Place 100% natural textiles, ceramic accessories created in the style of Zhui in the room(s).

– For furnishing rooms, use pencil cases, hanging cabinets, baskets for storing textile accessories (they look most appropriate in the bathroom).

– Put a small classic sofa with small decorative pillows in the recreation area.

– Hang a canopy over the bed and install a night light, a table lamp or a floor lamp next to it (they can be paired).

To avoid space congestion, massive chandeliers should be placed only in spacious rooms with high ceilings. Pay attention! Toile de Jouy turns even bathrooms into islands of luxury. And it’s not just about snow-white or decorated with exquisite patterns of towels, white (cream) tiles, plumbing, washable wallpaper.

The modern Jui recalls the times of royal, imperial France. Then the nobility took baths and honored guests in the same rooms. A chaise longue, a meridian, a daybed, a duchess-breeze in a modern combined bathroom will not always fit, but a small cozy armchair can be an excellent alternative to the listed pieces of furniture.

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