The Chinese Pavilion at Drottningholm

As I'm traveling this week, I wanted to leave you with something beautiful and felt that these images would fit the bill. Here is the Chinese Pavilion at Drottningholm, Sweden, courtesy of World of Interiors, May 1996. Built for Queen Louisa Ulrika in 1753, this paean to Chinoiserie is located on the grounds of Drottningholm Palace. It was also an early prefab structure, being built in Stockholm and assembled on location at Drottningholm.

You will see all of the usual suspects that were found in most Chinese pavilions: Chinese porcelain, Chinoiserie murals, and Chinese textiles. Still, the pavilion, restored to its former glory in the early 1990s, is a sight to behold. What strikes me the most is the vibrant, rich color found throughout the pavilion. Each room is a different color- perhaps not unusual for that time, but certainly worth noting today with many contemporary homes having only one or two colors in its interiors. Do you think people today would be bold enough to make such a colorful statement?


Rich red walls are the perfect backdrop for the Rococo chairs that are covered in painted silk taffeta.


The bedchamber with mauve moire and silver galloon covered walls. The pictures are 19th century and are made of fabric, bone, and feathers.


The Yellow Cabinet retains the original painted Chinese silk wallcovering. The fabric on the chairs is a copy of that on the walls. The porcelain figures of a man and woman have nodding heads, and note that the hair on the female figure is real human hair.


An image of the Blue Salon looking into the Green Gallery.


The Library with a collection of Chinese and Japanese porcelain. The salmon pink walls and the green trim is such a striking combination.

Image at top: The Chinese Pavilion at Drottningholm Palace. Photographer Jacques Dirand.