I guess it all started here, in this incredible country…toile’s roots, so to speak.
It all started here...
I know you don’t have to be French to love toile because I have German, Irish, Scottish and a little American Indian blood coursing through my veins and I absolutely love toile!
The ladder back chair in my library has a khaki and black toile.
My husband is very tolerant and supportive of my decorating style but he has asked that we keep the whole ‘toile’ thing to a reasonable minimum. I try to comply, honest I do. Don’t get me wrong, he’s comfortable with his masculinity. I know this because I tested it early in our marriage when I painted our master bedroom a pale pink and used Ralph Lauren’s Allison pattern on our bed!
In a piece written by Patricia Cummings she tells us…”Toile (pronounced twahl) means “cloth” in French. “Toile de Jouy,” or “toiles de Jouy,” are terms that refer to fabric that was first manufactured at a factory in Jouy-en-Josas, a village located southwest of Paris, near Versailles.
Our master bathroom has Pierre Deux toile paper in red, although in this picture the paper looks orange!
We renovated this bathroom in 2001 and I'm still not tired of the toile wallpaper.
Founded in 1760 by German-born Christophe-Phillippe Oberkampf, (1738-1815), a textile entrepreneur, the factory site was chosen primarily because of its proximity to the clear running water of the Bievre River”…
Charles Faudree uses toile with checks, a look I love!
Hey, there is a German-born link to toile—no wonder I love toile, it must be in the genes. 🙂
I found this picture of the beautiful brown and white toile while visiting Layla at The Lettered Cottage. This bedroom belongs to a friend of hers.
I’ve found that I never grow tired of toile, in fact, when I see a new toile design in a shelter magazine or design book my mind immediately starts trying to figure out where I can use that particular color combination/pattern.
Rosemary Beck of Content in a Cottage posted this picture from a child's book (French, naturally)---notice the wallpaper? Toile is charming even in illustration.
Do you love toile too?
Notice how simple the room is and how the red toile curtains makes the room perfect?
Do you have it anywhere in your home?
I love this chair and not just because it is upholstered in toile, but that certainly helps {smile}.
If you have some new ways of using it, pass them along. I’m always looking for new venues for toile.
House Beautiful had this photo of a wonderful room and the touch of toile is on the lampshade...doesn't it look great?
I love the idea of toile in unexpected places, like the back of this cupboard.
Picture via HGTV
