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East Meets West

The Gracie Family Legacy

Published November/December 2024

By
Kendra Boutell

Date:
December 17 2024
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Rizzoli recently published The Art of Gracie: Handpainted Wallpapers, Timeless Rooms. Gracie's pictural wallcoverings evoke interior gardens inspired by 18th-century Chinese designs and Japanese folding screens. Their textures feature Papier Chinois, Silks, and Metallics. As exquisite as their offerings are, the company's story is equally impressive. The founder, the Irish-born James Gracie, was an artisan specializing in carving, gilding, and furniture-making. James opened a small New York City shop in 1898. His entrepreneurial son, Charles R. Gracie, sold custom lighting fixtures to elite families like the Astors, Vanderbilts, and Rockefellers. 

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The younger Gracie expanded by importing Chinese and Japanese antiques. In the 1920s, Charles saw handpainted wallpaper panels from Beijing, and the company's focus shifted. The fashion for Chinoiserie-style wallpapers started in the early 18th century when  European aristocrats brought them along the sea trade routes, where they eventually made their way to the New World. Gracie was the first company to import the panels to America since the 1700s. Charles developed a relationship with the Chinese studio, where a single panel took 70 to 100 hours to complete, with several artists contributing. Designs might include flowers, trees, birds, and accessories, with a specific artist for each motif. Gracie's clientele, including early 20th-century designers Elsie de Wolf and McMillen, incorporated the wallcoverings into their interiors.

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Over one hundred twenty-five years after its founding, James' great-great-granddaughter Jennifer Gracie, great-great-grandson Mike Gracie, and great-great-great-grandson Zach Gracie-Shea currently lead Gracie. In keeping with family tradition, they work with the same Chinese studio they have for the last 50 years. Gracie's papers grace the homes of the wealthy and famous, making them the go-to of top designers. For the Obama White House,  Los Angeles-based interior designer Michael S. Smith selected a pieced and lightly antiqued neutral-toned Papier Chinois for an elegant and serene primary bedroom. 

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8629 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood 323-266-9765. graciestudio.com

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