it’s all in the detail – the painted papers of antoinette poisson

by Sharon Santoni

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At the end of a little paved courtyard on a quiet street in the 11th arrondissement in Paris, lies an atelier where magic is made.  Antoinette Poisson was created in 2012 by Julie Stordiau, Vincent Farelly & Jean-Baptiste Martin, each trained in the restoration of old wall paper.    They shared a love for 18th century design, and actually came up with the idea of Antoinette Poisson while working on the renovation of a chateau in Auvergne, central France.

They found scraps of 18th century Dominote paper behind layers of more recent papers and decided to launch a company that  would reproduce 18th century designs.   This is an ambitious project.

Not only is the paper hand made for them in southern France, but each design is hand printed and most amazingly hand coloured, in watercolours.   Yes you read that right, and when I tell you that they produce wall paper, also hand painted, you will understand just how exceptional their products are.

Today, they have branched out from wall paper and also offer hand printed and painted sheets of individual paper, as well as a small range of hand made items, in true 18th century style, and hand printed fabric by the meter.

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This is the sort of brand that I adore.   Working with passion, to produce the extraordinary every day.

hand coloured paper antoinette poisson

I admire the dedication they put into their work, and the way they have made the concept of hand coloured wall paper totally acceptable.   They are unique in offering this kind of products and are highly sought after.

Last year they collaborated with Diptyque for a range of objects to accompany the famous candles, and have also produced a line of papers for the Parisian store Le Bon Marché.

antoinette poisson hand coloured papers

To see more of their work; check out their website here.

26 comments

sue February 21, 2017 - 1:16 pm

Stunning! That blue is wonderful.. Thank you!

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Rosemary Green February 19, 2020 - 1:55 am

Lovely and Artistic.

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Taste of France February 21, 2017 - 1:25 pm

Gorgeous! And probably safer than real antique wallpaper, which sometimes contained arsenic to create vivid colors.

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Vicky from Athens February 21, 2017 - 1:40 pm

How exquisite. Thank you for introducing me these beautiful papers!

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Kate Dickerson February 21, 2017 - 2:12 pm

Thank you so much for sharing this info, Sharon! I am in love with Antoinette Poisson’s papers and pillows! It’s such a gift to modern society that they are reproducing and keeping alive these historic patterns.

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Linda Mahkovec February 21, 2017 - 3:27 pm

Absolutely lovely! What a find.
Thank you.

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Mimi February 21, 2017 - 3:37 pm

This is so beautiful. Is there an English translation for their website?

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Dottie Monta February 21, 2017 - 3:44 pm

Oh my, look no further! These finds are exquisite!
Thank you, Sharon, thank you!

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Steven Yancey February 21, 2017 - 3:53 pm

Beautiful!! Thank you for sharing!

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Darby February 21, 2017 - 4:13 pm

Lovely. it is good to know that there are places where respect for the past, beauty and craftsmanship are still valued.

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Jeanne Holbrook February 21, 2017 - 5:31 pm

I love this ….I love this !!!! Wheee

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Brenda Chambers February 21, 2017 - 5:32 pm

Love the post. Prints are beautiful.

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noreen February 21, 2017 - 7:33 pm

The papers are exquisite! Thanks for bringing the work to our attention.

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Susan February 21, 2017 - 7:36 pm

Lovely, just lovely. Thank you, Sharon, for broadening my horizons.

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Angelica February 21, 2017 - 7:47 pm

Very beautiful. Antoinette Poisson was the name of Madame de Pompadour, and she lived in the 18th century.

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Mary Ann Falciani February 21, 2017 - 8:43 pm

I hope they reproduce some of these prints in purses and small bags. They would be so much fun to use on a daily basis. So happy they are saving all this wondrful history. Would love to see their blog in English.

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Bronwyn Lee-Coward February 21, 2017 - 10:03 pm

What a lovely idea Mary Ann, you have a good eye and an entrepreneurial streak.

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Roxane Lacroix February 24, 2017 - 2:35 am

If you try Google Chrome, there will be a pop-up window in the upper right asking if you want to translate the page. It’s very handy! You could also try to type in: /en/ after their website name in the address bar. I would love to get some of their fabrics and sew some pillows and small totes and purses as you suggested!

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Jennifer Lively February 21, 2017 - 9:10 pm

Just exquisite. Thank you for introducing me to their art form! I particularly love the Chinoise wallpaper with that lovely blue green background.

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Dana Veach February 22, 2017 - 2:42 am

These patterns are exquisite…magical indeed! What a find! Thank you, thank you for introducing us!

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katherin florio February 22, 2017 - 1:38 pm

Hi Sharon,

Just wanted to let you know I received my French Country Box and am totally over the moon!! Everything from the look, the smell and the contents has surpassed anything that I could have imagined coming to me from France. I can’t thank you enough and simply can not wait for the next one to arrive.

Thank you again Sharon I just love it!!!
Katherin from Scarborough, Ontario Canada xoxo

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Di February 23, 2017 - 4:11 pm

Beautiful fabrics!

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Tracy, France February 23, 2017 - 5:51 pm

How utterly gorgeous, thank you so much for the introduction to this wonderful passionate company and their beautiful work.

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elizabeth@pineconesandacornsblog February 23, 2017 - 7:46 pm

Fabulous!

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Leon February 23, 2017 - 8:25 pm

I love the imagery you use in your posts.

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Roxane Lacroix February 24, 2017 - 2:49 am

Oh my! I would be in Heaven if I visited their atelier. I have always loved wallpaper and used quite a lot of it in one of our past homes. I am also a paper goods fanatic. I always have to stop in shops that sell notebooks, wrapping paper, cards, calendars and more. Even more addictive is my love of fabrics which can be found throughout my home waiting to be sewn into something 😀 I’m not sure when I’ll be getting back to Paris, but I’m happy to see that their goods are available from John Derian in NYC. Thank you for sharing the dream of these young entrepreneurs with us!

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