Lattice Begin! Trellis More!
Lattice dreams are made of these!
Lattice: A Love Story
It’s hard to believe that the end of summer is on the horizon! I’ve spent the long, bright days outdoors, and socializing on the porch, trying to savor these summer days that seem to be going by way too fast! Winter will be here all too soon, darkly stretching out before us.
Contemplating the arrival of colder weather makes me think about ways to lighten up interiors. Wallpaper is all the rage now and deserving of its own blog post (stay tuned!) and I am fully immersed in beautiful oversized patterns, botanicals, and modern textured grasscloth.
Outside of the “mainstream” and a wonderful addition to any space is treillage, a light and summery, textured architectural application that isn’t getting as much attention. It’s been a chic solution to drab rooms since it was introduced and popularized in the eighteenth century—by the French, of course!
What a perfect example of treillage covering every surface in this amazing view of the tea house on the Coe family estate. You can soak in this beautiful space for yourself, as the estate serves as the Planting Fields Arboretum and State Park in Oyster Bay, New York!
You Say Tomato…I Say…
Lattice, trellis, or treillage: what’s the difference? The terms are usually used interchangeably, though treillage is a higher, more formulated architectural form. Think of it as the cosmopolitan cousin to the lattice or trellis originally used to hold up climbing vines (or tendrils!) in the garden.
What do you picture when you think of lattice (or let’s be fancy and stick with le français: “treillage”)?
Going along the historical route and a Francophile like me, maybe you think of Le Frais Pavilion, or “ The Cool Pavilion,” in the gardens of Versailles, where le treillage, was used in the mid-1700s to bridge the gap between indoor dining and dining al fresco?
Architect Angel-Jacques Gabriel used earlier notions of symmetry and delicate lines as the touch point to design Le Pavillon Frais, a part of the Trianon extension within the gardens of Versailles. The sharp-eyed Traveling Designer reader will recognize it from our Spring Greens post!
Or, maybe you’re a romantic and you think of Romeo climbing a lattice to his Juliet!
Sir Francis Bernard Dicksee artwork
Or, you could go personal: your grandmother’s garden lattice trimmed with springtime blossoms.
photo credit: Bob Greenspan
Whatever it is, the one through-line is that treillage is a classic!
Unfortunately, when it comes to interior spaces, this classic design had become synonymous with formal and fussy–-a crime if you ask me! However, I see treillage making a comeback, now with a 21st-century twist!
Designer Paloma Contreras treillage design for the famous Kips Bay Showhouse in 2019.
Not Your Mama’s Lattice
(but it might be your great-grandma’s!)
What popularized treillage inside the home, and why?
Answer: it was a cause-and-effect! Designers and tastemakers such as Elsie de Wolfe (credited as the first interior designer!) craved ways to shake off the dreariness of the Victorian era and landed on the perfect solution by bringing inside the garden staple of white lattice and garden trellises. They combined treillage with pastel-painted walls and the rest is, quite literally, history. I like to think of it as a direct answer to the 19th century’s dark wood and heavy fabricated furniture and drapery. After all, treillage suggests not only springtime but also sunlight and cheeriness.
Yes, I do mean cheeriness! How could you possibly be unhappy in a room like this?!
So, how is treillage finding its way into our 21st-century homes? Read on for popular re-imaginings of latticework covering walls, ceilings, cabinetry, and exteriors.
Lattice meet wainscoting; I think you’ll get along great!
This delightful solarium from Dunbar Road doesn’t play by any strict definition of treillage design! It starts with more traditional latticework at the base of the wall–almost like wainscoting–before progressing upward into more delicate squares and rectangles, inviting the viewer’s eye to travel, and the room to feel larger. The technique originated from cathedrals, and it certainly makes any room seem grander!
Monochromatic Mania
The texture and pattern that treillage creates make it a win-win for adding interest without creating chaos no matter how intense the color!
White-on-white dining room by designer Tori Rubinson. The tint of gray-blue in the lattice creates a gorgeous shadowed effect across the cream walls, implying a certain age and Old World marbled texture that complements the bust of our friend, George Washington!
And, if you’re like me and not afraid of a little color, take a leaf out of Peter Rogers’ design playbook!
The verdant olive green is an homage to Elsie de Wolfe’s Villa Trianon, her gorgeously-restored home in the village of Versailles, but infused with a modern boldness and personality. I adore how the black-and-white tiled floor echoes the diamonds of the latticework. Despite the intense color, the elements are subtly brought together to create a room that begs you to linger and relax taking in every sumptuous detail.
La Maison Haute
One of my absolute favorite custom design companies for lattice and treillage is Accents of France. The possibilities are endless when it comes to their gorgeously-crafted and professionally-installed treillage. If you look at their gallery you will see why they are a go-to for interior designers.
Beyond Walls
Walls are the most obvious blank canvas in a room, creating a strong foundation for the aesthetic and mood. And, perhaps you’re liking the idea of treillage in theory, but the more practical parts of your brain are reminding you about the built-ins, cabinetry, and storage real estate you’d be ‘giving up.’
Well, banish that little voice, because practicality doesn’t have to be boring, and walls aren’t the only canvas in a room that latticework can spruce up!
By adding lattice to the fronts of these built-ins, Cara and Tom Fox created storage space and daydreaming space. Don’t you just want to lounge late into the morning on that alcove bed, window flung wide to let the sun and birdsong in?
This sweet room by local Richmond, Virginia firm Berg Building and Design uses a monochrome palette to play with dimension and shadows. I love how the blush of this perfectly pink bedroom showcases the delicate and playful side of lattice!
If you think lattice is limited to wood, sunny sitting rooms, and airy bedrooms, try splashing some paint around and mixing materials to create a sophisticated, refined look.
Courtney Hill Interiors used the darkest green lacquer to frame a pop of brass metal lattice in these cabinets. Not to be left out of the fun, the coffered chartreuse ceiling uses elements of the cabinetry to tie it all together.
Speaking of ceilings, we can’t leave them out! Keep an eye out for an upcoming post all about “the fifth wall,” but for now I want to talk about Grace Mitchell’s use of lattice.
The extra touch raises the ceiling, making the entryway breezier–perhaps inviting you to enjoy the shade of a lattice wall outdoors.
More trellis, less zealous
Treillage can be intimidating with the amount of expertise and labor required, but don’t let that dash your lattice aspirations just yet! Treillage wallpaper is a time- and cost-effective alternative to installing the real thing. Better yet: it can be equally as breathtaking!
This Mark D. Sikes (famous for his blue and white aesthetic) designed room really brings the outside in with the rattan lounge chair, bamboo plantings, and ceramic garden stool. The Schumacher wallpaper is a direct reference to Elsie de Wolfe’s trellis design.
Tom Scheerer uses lattice-print wallpaper to create the illusion of luxurious amounts of space in this modest Parisian apartment, the alternating patterns seeming to stretch the ceiling higher. The friendly green makes you want to grab a pain au chocolat or a café au lait and stay awhile!
It’s what’s on the outside that counts
I couldn’t possibly go an entire post about treillage without mentioning their origins: the garden! While latticework inside the home invites nature and light in, lattice outside creates a sense of order and tidiness.
One of my favorite clients continued our design adventure of her Richmond Fan District home to her outdoor garden area. We took one look at the dreary cinderblock walls and knew we needed to liven them up with color! Cue a dark green paint color and matching, customized treillage. The result is a visually interesting and textured backdrop for both her shrubs and garden parties!
Les Crafties creates a truly modern spin on traditional treillage The double-strand of the latticework creates shadows and dimension to play against the softer, freeform wall mural we can see peeking out from inside the pool house.
You might not have a pool house on hand to makeover, but I bet you have a wall! Stick with classic pastels or kick your color game up a notch with flamingo pink. Then, call up the folks at Walpole Woodworking to have one of their superb custom treillage structures add some contrast!
When Do We Start?
If you’ve also fallen head over heels for sun-soaked rooms with pristine treillage or a patio brimming with flowers neatly climbing a trellis, then let’s get connected! “Lattice” take those dreams and make them a reality!
Subscribe to our blog to get all future posts straight to your inbox!