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The 1930s Hollywood Regency style, the era of serious glamour and opulent decor, had its foundations in Chinoiserie. Porcelains and ceramics in blue and white oriental motifs were the most coveted Chinoiserie pieces because of the skill and artisanship required to make them. European artists tried their very best to copy Ming jars, bowls, pots, and vases but failed to replicate the quality of Chinese porcelain or the meticulously artistic detailing of Oriental artists.

Chinoiserie today continues to be a classic paragon of decorative opulence. It is still so much in vogue especially in interiors inspired by coastal, Hamptons or Plantation expressions. The zooming popularity of the Ming style is not confined to jars, lamps, bowls, pots, and vases. Artwork now highlights portraits of singular Chinoiserie pieces to grace walls with their exotic grace. 

Chinoiserie artwork can augment a sparse Ming collection display. If you only have two or three pieces of Ming vases sitting on your console, for instance, you can augment their visibility by hanging two amply sized giclée portraits of these lovely blue-and-white covetables. 

A triptych of framed chinoiserie prints can add a classic touch of affluence, hung above a mantel, bed, or buffet table. Their blue-and-white palette and general opulent connotation often bring fresh, upscale nuances to coastal-styled interiors.  

Ginger jars were the first homeware on offer several years back when Hamptons Home was but a fledgling online company. These have remained to be its most sought after. Whether as solid ceramics or gorgeous artwork, chinoiserie today is revered as an icon of the Hamptons aesthetic.

If only these walls could speak...but they can...if you give them a voice.

Walls are often overlooked surfaces which need just as much character as your countertops, floors and tabletops. Blank walls in small doses work to a certain extent; but most of the time, walls need texture, colour, or pattern to imbibe some character and visual attention. They are also good platforms from which to spring your coastal-ambient palette.

One of the easiest ways to dress your home in the coastal fashion is to upgrade your walls with mood-influencing, coastal-inspired wall art. Imbued with power to make a statement, a good work of art can cement a look.

Premium giclée prints of paintings from talented Australian artists make strong but gorgeous coastal statements. Incorporate artwork, picking some of these Hamptons-inspired elements, to create a strong beachside influence:

• Seascapes, beachscapes and coastal scenes
• Tropical motifs such as palms, flora and fruit
• Nautical motifs such as compasses, boats, world maps, stylised anchors, rope and the like
• Marine elements such as shells, corals and marine life

Artwork with a palette of blue, white, sand, green and other natural hues are elemental to setting a type of coastal ambience as well. Soft hues inspire a soothing, restful feel; vibrant tones evoke a fresher, cheerier atmosphere.

To make the coastal impact you desire, it is not enough though to simply pick up artwork that feature the above-advised coastal elements or colours. You need to think about their orientation respective to the overall shape and size of your walls, as well. Tall, narrow walls serve as a great backdrop for portrait- or vertical-oriented frames; while horizontal walls showcase landscape-oriented artwork to great advantage.

As a general rule, artwork should take up two-thirds or three-fourths of wall space for it to have worthy decorative influence. So whether you opt for one huge framed piece, such as a stunning world map for instance, to embellish the space or display a series of artwork, the overall wall space dimensions should have heavy influence on the size and number of artwork you choose to display.

Symmetry, neatness and a sense of control are part of the styling aesthetics of the Hamptons genre. Although casual in vibe, the Hamptons air of luxury demands one without a leaf out of place, even in exterior settings. 

No Hamptons home though is complete without the freshness that greenery brings, be these genuine or tastefully faux.

As such, the planter box continues to be an essential accessory, functioning as an organiser to keep lush, potted flora and foliage neatly arranged. This key accessory proffers much influence on the overall trimmed, tidy ambience that is markedly Hamptons.

As such, consider layering on the Hamptons elements of order, neatness and organization with the tidy functionality of planter boxes. Spruce up those dreary corners with greenery or make an affluent impression of your entrances with a good arrangement of controlled foliage.

Florals and small trees look stunningly vibrant in these planters.  Flank your front door with a pair of planter boxes to freshen up the welcoming tone of your entrance. Or arrange a couple along the walkway to your doorway for some curb appeal. Decorate corners or posts in your patio or living area with a handsome display of boxed bushes or tall topiaries. As finishing touches, planter boxes will round out the look, inside and outside, of a coastal-designed home.

Although country-style in flavour for its traditional tongue and groove slat pattern in “picket fence” white, the planter box does not detract from a contemporary-inspired Hamptons aesthetic. 

Its clean lines and modern PVC construction allows it to sit very much at home in today’s porches, curbsides, backyards, decks or even indoor living areas.

In contrast to the timber boxes of old, current-day PVC planters are largely weather resistant and require less care. Modern materials enable us to easily keep them in tip-top decorative shape for many years.

Shop our Montauk and Nantucket planter box here.