A Love Affair With Treillage

Design by Cathy Kincaid

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing Fourth of July. We got back from a beach week last night and I am definitely going to need an extra cup (or two) of coffee today. Okay, so let’s dive right into it! Today I wanted to talk about the latest element of design that I am currently crushing on: Treillage. Some of you may be asking what on earth is that? “Treillage” is the French word for trellis and refers to latticework originally used to provide structural support for climbing flowers and vines. However, over the centuries it has become a prominent decorative accent in gardens and homes.

In the seventeenth century treillage became wildy popular when King Louis XIV, the Sun King, commissioned André Le Nôtre to build and extend the gardens of Versailles. The Sun King was famous for his love of ornate detail and went to great lengths to make sure his palace and gardens exuded a sense of grandeur and were nothing short of magnificent. When Le Nôtre designed the gardens, he followed the King’s lead and covered entire buildings in treillage with intricate details, an approach that had never been seen before. The look immediately took Europe by storm and treillage became a hugely popular design element used among landscape architects worldwide.

Treillage at the Petite Trianon

Details of Petite Trianon. I just think this is simply stunning.

In 1907, designer Elsie de Wolfe made the bold and inspired choice to bring treillage indoors when she designed the tea room of the famous Colony Club in New York. She installed treillage to the walls and ceiling of the club and in doing so instantly created the feeling of having brought the gardens of Versailles inside the swanky New York social club.

Colony Club design by Elsie de Wolfe

Over the years, modern designers have made the sky the limit with their use of treillage and it has become a sophisticated way to create a sense of light and airy elegance in any room. I really got a bee in my bonnet about adding it to our sunroom but considering this isn’t our forever house, I was vetoed but the husband. I honestly don’t blame him, but if you are lucky enough to have it in your budget, Accents of France is one of the go to treillage sources for designers worldwide. I just love how transformative and whimsical it is and it really does make you feel as if you have brought the indoors outside. Is anyone else as in love with treillage as much as I am?