Toile de Jouy, star of Le Normandy

Dancing couples, galloping horses, swaying palm trees or sailing boats – covering the walls in patterns could seem a daring approach given the current interior decoration trend of solid tones. The fact is, these motifs and this material are very much tied up in Le Normandy. Following six months of renovations, the result is spectacular.

A revisited tradition brings a breath of modernity 

"Le Délice des 4 Saisons", "Neptune", "Fragonard", "Robinson Crusoe" and "Les Fêtes Navales": these five iconic names conjure up poetic colours. In sepia, blue, indigo, orange, green and scarlet, the walls of Le Normandy show off Toile de Jouy in all its variety. The interior designer Nathalie Ryan took on this unique project. Her task: to create new colour schemes, choose harmonious motifs and expertly adorn the walls of the Rooms and Suites.

For Le Normandy, she chose to work with historic motifs and combined them with plain woven fabrics for a contemporary touch. Subtle reminders of Toile de Jouy on the cushions decorating the new Rooms exude French-style elegance. The timeless and graceful motifs add a touch of nostalgia to the warm and familial atmosphere of the hotel. 

A tapestry of French success 

Although Toile de Jouy is now emblematic of genuine French know-how in terms of printing, illustration and design, its path to fame has not been straightforward. In Jouy-en-Josas in 1760, the entrepreneur and printer Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf opened a factory producing cotton fabric. Cotton was only very slowly adopted by the nobility and aristocracy of Europe, as fabrics such as linen, wool, fustian and silk were generally preferred. Up until the exotic charm of this intricately printed cotton fabric won them over.

In the late 18^th century, aristocrats had picturesque follies full of rustic charm built in their gardens. Think Marie-Antoinette, who, in the gardens of Versailles, established the famous "Hameau de la Reine" at the Petit Trianon. Whether it was big motifs or delicate designs, flowers or people, animals hitherto unknown brought back from Bonaparte’s campaigns, arabesques and draperies or structured geometry, the themes and designs changed to suit the tastes of the time. Meanwhile the technique and excellence remained constant.

Production became mechanised and, little by little, the popularity of Toile de Jouy grew. After several decades of provincial tapestries, it was introduced to Le Normandy in 1912 and has been there ever since. In 1966, it practically became a backdrop for Claude Lelouch's film shot in Deauville. There was a man and a woman and there was Toile de Jouy.

Toile de Jouy adorns and brings life to Le Normandy, introducing an intimate landscape that tells its story.