Silver Screen Surroundings: Sharp Objects and deGournay

Silver Screen Surroundings: Sharp Objects

Sharp Objects is a new series currently airing on HBO. It’s getting rave reviews all around for the acting (Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson) and the production. I haven’t seen it yet (there’s been a lot going on which I’ll share at the end of this post) but plan to at some point. Meanwhile, the promotion imagery is certainly eye-catching and notable with the Chinoiserie wallpaper that is very much like DeGournay or maybe Gracie. The wallpaper is used in the dark, gothic home of the Adam’s character’s mother, played by Clarkson. I’m not sure (yet) that all the interiors are worth covering, but the use of this paper certainly is.

Here’s a little screen grab of how the paper is used in the production. Thinking there is some major mother-daughter tension, don’t you?

HBO’s marketing is using the wallpaper pattern heavily at their launch party last week with a photo booth:

And as a fabric tablecloth with the model of the home. By the way, the production designer (who creates the overall look and mood) is John Paino who also did Little Big Lies (2017) which had a very beautiful set and look. Set Decoration is by the amazing Amy Wells who also worked on Little Big Lies and many of my other favorite shows and movies including Mad Men, A Single Man and Clueless.

DeGournay St. Laurent Paper

From Christies:

Rachel Cecil Gurney: ‘My father, Claud Cecil Gurney, founded the company about 30 years ago. He was planning a trip to China, and thought that while he was there he might see if he could find someone to restore some antique wallpaper in his home because, of course, that’s where the original skill is. In the 17th and 18th centuries, wallpapers were made in China exclusively for export to Europe. There are still artisans on the mainland using the original wallpaper-making techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation. The idea was to bring these chinoiserie wallpapers back into European homes, and to produce them in exactly the same way as they were originally made.

While it’s certainly a very traditional wallpaper, I do think that the intricacies of the pattern and depth of color adds a lot of depth to an interior space. These mural wallpapers are usually made to order to fit the exact dimensions of the space.

At the Victoria & Albert Museum, you can purchased art prints with Chinoiserie paper reproductions:

On a personal note, my boy RoyRoy went lame over the weekend and had emergency surgery on Sunday. He’s had bouts of IVDD in the past, notably last fall when I had him on 8-10 weeks of strict bedrest. But this weekend, when he woke up lame, I knew I had to get him into surgery quickly before he had permanent loss of mobility. 

This photo is a couple of years old, he’s no longer allowed to jump on or off furniture or do stairs. There may be other restrictions coming, I have to figure it out. Anyway, if my blogging is a little scattered, this may be why. I have started an Instagram for RoyRoy if you’d like to follow along with his recovery and adventures.