Bespoke Christmas Tree “A Winter’s Garden" and café pop-up
4 December 2024, Hong Kong – The Upper House has unveiled its stunning Christmas tree collaboration with de Gournay, renowned for their exquisite hand-painted and hand-embroidered wallcoverings. This year’s tree, “A Winter’s Garden", brings a touch of Chinoiserie elegance to the House to celebrate the festive season.
An elegant homage to traditional handcraft, “A Winter’s Garden" is made of hand-painted fabrics by the de Gournay’s team of dedicated artisans. Rendered in elegant, monochromatic tones on slub silk, the fabrics feature a bespoke version of the ‘Askew’ design, depicting an interwoven landscape of flowering trees and lily-filled ponds in winter, with bright snowy accents. Multiple silk panels are stretched to form the tent-shaped tree and are illuminated from below. Intricately hand-carved birds gracefully perch in three-dimension, enchanting viewers of all ages for the festive season.
Keeping with the season’s spirit of giving, the designer pieces will be available for auction, with all proceeds benefiting Mother’s Choice, an organization that supports underprivileged children, families and pregnant teenagers in Hong Kong. The silent auction is hosted on www.thehousecollective.com and bids can be sent to [email protected] until 3 January 2025.
In addition to "A Winter’s Garden", Level 6 of The House will be transformed into the world of de Gournay, featuring a pop-up that showcases an immersive Chinoiserie experience, complete with coffee, light bites, and retail offerings. Available until 31 December, 2024.
Explore a series of hand-painted porcelain designs, including decorative vases transformed into electrified lamps paired with slub silk lampshades, as well as charming figurines and tea sets—all meticulously crafted using centuries-old techniques. The pop-up also showcases two folding screens crafted from 12 Carat White Gold gilded silk, with their design, ‘Earlham’ drawing inspiration from mid-18th century panels housed in the Victoria & Albert Museum. Embodying the essence of slow luxury, the silk wallpapers can be rebacked and reinstalled multiple times, ensuring longevity and sustainability.
The pop-up also features a recent collaboration with footwear brand Bing Xu, which presents de Gournay’s classic Chinoiserie design, ‘Badminton’, and the whimsical ‘Deco Monkeys’ motif on stylish loafers, mules, and innovative Highgrove slippers, designed for effortless travel. Complementing this collection is the de Gournay coffee table book, authored by founder Claud Cecil Gurney and published by Rizzoli, chronicling the brand’s origins and the evolution of its iconic wallpaper designs.