Exquisite and Little-Known Panoramic Wall Murals

Hi Everyone,

Panoramic Wall Murals are one of my favorite decorating elements. The funny thing is– I’ve never done one, for a client, and here’s why.

In the early days of my career, and until maybe six years ago at the most, the only way you could get one of those beauties was to fork out a tremendous sum of money. Few of my clients had that kind of budget. And, of the ones that did, it never came up.

 

However, I’ve always admired the beautiful panoramic wall murals from De Gournay, and Zuber, etc.

 

What is the difference between a panoramic wall mural and a Chinoiserie wall mural like we discussed last week?

A panoramic wall mural is just what it says; it’s a panorama. An expansive view of a land or seascape. Now, a Chinoiserie wall mural could also be a panorama. However, typically, Chinoiserie murals are more decorative trailing flowers and leaves, and sometimes some birds, and the like.

Panoramic wall murals cover a wide variety of topics and locations around the globe

Some of the places are quite exotic, and can be with or without people and animals. Often, these murals illustrate historical events.

However, panoramic wall murals can also depict jungle gardens, rivers, lakes, and mountains. Some panoramic murals tell a story, and some are purely decorative.

 

As with Chinoiserie murals, there are two types:

 

Hand-painted
Printed

Then, about three years ago or so, I began to see new sources for printed and hand-painted murals on Etsy. At that time, there were either no reviews, or the few they had were all five-star reviews. Since then, things have changed.

There are many reviews. And, while most are terrific, there are often some with legitimate complaints. I’m not talking about getting the wallpaper two weeks late. I’m talking about issues with the print, colors vastly different from the sample, shop owners refusing to communicate.

I even read one woman say the owner was going to give her a refund until the owner saw the buyer’s poor review, and then rescinded the offer. The buyer then wrote that she wondered how many others had been strong-armed into giving five-stars, in order to get a refund.

Therefore, here is my conclusion about purchasing wallpaper of any kind on Etsy. Some of this is redundant from the Chinoiserie post.

 

  • Always get samples
  • If different sizes are offered, please be careful about ordering the largest size. While it might be available, it might not be clear, because the resolution of the original image can’t support the large size print. Or, the design could be distorted.
  • If the shop is posting professional images from another source, I would steer clear. You can tell if the image is in the lobby of a fancy hotel. That image doesn’t belong to the Etsy seller, and that is not the paper they will be producing, either.
  • Read Every review. Don’t just look at the star rating

 

One shop, the owner jumps on if she gets a negative review and accuses the buyer of being dishonest.

 

Horrible.

I say, always be gracious, even if your customer is being a pimple. And, also, just suck it up and give them their money back. I always called it the 5% rule. I made that up. But, I always figured that every year, 5% of my profit went towards making things right for my client. It’s the cost of doing business.

 

I did write a similar post two summers ago about panoramic wall murals. (You won’t find it now), and unfortunately all but one or two sources on Etsy have bitten the dust. While they might be producing excellent results for some customers, the inconsistency is bothersome.

 

So, does that mean to avoid Etsy for panoramic wall murals and other wallpaper?

 

No, just please do your research and be very specific on what you want, and always get everything in writing. Have the seller sign off on your purchase order, as well. If they won’t do that, I would move on. There are zillions of fantastic sources, and I’m about to go into some that are relatively obscure.

 

As for Etsy, there are a few new sources for gorgeous panoramic wall murals. All have superb reviews.  But, since this is such a vast subject and there are so many sources, I need to break this up. So, what I’m going to do is focus on my four French beauties for exquisite printed panoramic murals.

I believe that all of them can be purchased online. And, they are not hideously expensive. An average mural is about $1,200.00, some a little more and some are less. In addition, the quality from  all of these companies is superb, or (superbe en francais).

 

One thing you might notice is that all of these sophisticated wall paper brands appear to be copying each other.

 

Well, they might be. However, there are some designs, historical documents, actually, that are so old, there’s no copyright on them. They are open-source. Many of these classic panoramic wall murals are from open sources from the 19th century.

 

One of the most famous of these free-to-use designs is know as Eden, or en francais, L’Eden.

 

Most of the top panoramic wall mural sources have a version of Eden or Brazil is another one.

You will see both of them shortly.

The original wall murals were usually block prints. Now, that would be an interesting post! But, essentially block printed paper is exactly as it sounds like. That is why you will find a far less painterly wall mural than one that is hand-painted with a brush. Of course, those existed and still do today.

 

For Sunday, I will add to this post.

I put these four wonderful companies in alphabetical order.

 

Ananbô

 

This company I first featured on the blog maybe eight years ago. They have some of the usual, but also many exotic and exclusive designs, all beautifully rendered and styled.

 

Jardin-balinais-couleur-ananbo exotic panoramic wall mural

Jardin Balinais Couleur Ananbô exotic panoramic wall mural

 

Ananbô’s Panoramic Wall Mural Les Jardins d’Akara Couleur Shirley Doukan

 

Holy crap! Can I live here? I find these murals transformative and incredibly romantic.

 

Ananbo Panoramic Wall Mural -@caroledugelayinterieurs photographer @patrick_sordoillet Panoramic wallpaper Pondichery color in the collection Far Landscapes of Ananbô

Ananbô Panoramic Wall Mural –@caroledugelayinterieurs photographer @patrick_sordoillet Panoramic wallpaper Pondichery color in the collection Far Landscapes of Ananbô

 

Ananbo-Castel-Bellagio

Ananbô-Castel-Bellagio

 

Ananbô has some gorgeous grisaille wall murals, as well.

 

Maybe some of you remember these two posts where we looked at some expensive fantastic panoramic wallpaper murals in Grisaille.

One is this post about Grisaille wallpapers.

And, its sister post about more Grisaille wallpapers.

 

Ananbo Grisaille

 

Grisaille, if you don’t already know, are tone-on-tone designs rendered in gray or sepia. Sometimes, some color is added to parts of the image.

Please follow Ananbo on Instagram.

 

I’m just sneaking in this next image of a DeGournay wall mural because it’s handy.

 

grisaille rebecca brandon

Above is a dining room by Rebecca Brandon (she does not have a website to link to)

This is an excellent example of a grisaille panoramic wall mural with color added to some parts.

 

Papier de Paris

 

This is another beautiful french wallpaper mural company with a vast and beautiful collection of panoramic wall murals.

(Please forgive me, but things have gone horribly wrong and this company is out of order alphabetically. However, I only realized this just before publishing and I don’t have the strength to move everything around.)

 

Papierdeparis - instagram

Fantastic colors!

 

Back Bay Boston Brownstone apartment hardwood floor stains - cognac finish

 

If that piece of art in the back between the windows looks familiar, it’s because it is. :] (Please scroll up, to see what I mean.)

 

exquisite panoramic wall murals - Papiers de Paris Brazil - 1865

Papiers de Paris “Brazil” – from 1865

 

I believe all of these companies have Brazil or Bresil as I’ve seen it spelled, in their inventory of magnificent panoramic wall murals.

 

Papiers de Paris Sunset Marine Wallpaper Mural

Papiers de Paris Sunset Marine Wallpaper Mural. They have both the hand-blocked and painterly style wall murals.

 

Papiers de Paris panoramic wall mural french country scene

Papiers de Paris panoramic wall mural french country scene. I think this block print is incredibly charming.

 

Papiers de Paris L'Eden exquisite panoramic wall mural - Stacey Kouros Design - photo Anson Smart

Papiers de Paris L’Eden exquisite panoramic wall mural – Stacey Kouros Design – photo Anson Smart

That’s pretty sick isn’t it?

Just in case some of you aren’t up on all of the popular vernacular, “sick” in this case means out of this world, fantastic! But, how many times can I say “wonderful,” “exquisite,” “magnificent,” “beautiful?”

And to prove how “amazing” I think this room is, I spent nearly an hour searching for hi-res versions of these beauties. I found them in Russian Vogue.

 

Stacey Kouros Design Papier de Paris-peint-exotique-Eden-BD

Stacey Kouros Design Papier de Paris-peint-exotique-Eden

Please follow Papier de Paris on Instagram.

 

La Route des Andes

 

This source, I discovered by accident– today! But, it’s a new favorite. All of the murals below are from historical panoramic wall paper. Joseph Dufour designed many of them in the late 18th and early 19th century.

 

I’ve also seen most if not all these historical designs in hand-painted versions at DeGournay and Zuber. I wonder if they will join the crowd and create their own versions of these beautifully printed historical wallpapers. Or maybe, they’ll just stick with what they’re doing.

 

la-route-des-indes histortical panoramic wall murals

 

Do I think making high-quality prints of these designs is good thing? Sure, it greatly expands the ability for the 99% of us who will never be able to afford the hand-painted versions of these gorgeous murals. But by all means, if you have the disposable income, do the hand-painted over-priced versions.

 

detail La Route des Indes-peint-fontaine-alger

detail La Route des Indes-peint-fontaine-alger

 

la-route-des-indes- Papier-peint-panoramique-decoratif-Le-Bresil-Partie-1

La Route Des Indes- Papier-peint-panoramique-decoratif-Le-Bresil-Partie

(sorry, I forgot to turn on the English)

Please also follow La Route Des Indes on Instagram.

 

Le Grand Siècle

 

This is a newer source for me, and also has a beautiful website and Instagram page.

 

views-from-italy-celestial-blue - Le Grand Siecle

Views From Italy-celestial-blue – Le Grand Siecle

Edited in 1823, this panoramic wallpaper was made by Dufour & Leroy and based on the artwork of Joseph Vernet.

 

Wanna see the entire mural?

 

 

 

 

Pretty cool, huh? You can purchase five of the panels below, at Etoffe and also read a little more about the mural and its origins. 

 

Mural on Etoffe Le Grand Siecle Views from Italy panoramic wall mural

Also, if you want more than the five they carry online, I believe you can contact them and they can get you whatever you want. The portion they have is five panels (please see directly above) and the price is just over $1,000.

You also might be able to purchase other parts of the mural directly from Le Grand Siecle. Here’s the link for this mural.

 

Le grande siecle-peint-monuments-de-paris-polychrome

Le Grand Siecle Peint Monuments de Paris – polychrome

 

Le grande siecle - panoramic wallpaper-paris-monuments-polychrome - detail

Le Grand Siecle – panoramic wallpaper-paris-monuments-polychrome – detail

 

le grand siecle on instagram

A detail from Le Grand Siecle’s Instagram page.

 

l-eden-panel-le-grand-siecle

Le Grand Siecle’s version of L’Eden. Everyone features these classic panoramic wall murals in various colorways.

Etoffe is a French brand representing numerous vendors, and Le Grand Siecle is one of them. It’s a gorgeous website. Anyway, they will ship orders over $500.00 for free!

 

One question you might have would be if you can use the individual sections of these murals as separate panels.

 

In some cases, yes, absolutely. However, sometimes, I think you’ll need two of the panels and maybe trim them according to the size you need and what looks good to your eye. That’s something I’ve considered doing, if I do those two large art pieces flanking my fireplace.

Well, that’s it for now. I hope you enjoyed this installment of panoramic wall murals!

 

PS: Please check out the newly updated HOT SALES.

 

14 Responses

  1. Thank you for writing about panoramic wall murals. I am one of those who are hand painting them directly onto the wall, but admit that I adore some of the wallpaper options as well. I hope the flood of rather cheap plastic or vinyl wall coverings one can find today are not going to detract from commissioning hand painted pieces though. Anyways, I am glad to hear so many of you enjoy the beauty a panoramic mural brings to our homes. Have a lovely day!

  2. Sooo many beautiful papers!! I’ve been having trouble finding a reasonably priced English Fox Hunt panoramic mural if you know a source. The Mural Source had one cheaper than hand-painted or designer sources, but it was still pretty expensive to do an entire room (instead of cheating it and framing some select panels, or making them into a screen – but I have my heart set on doing a panoramic mural.) Also, I think The Mural Source may have gone to for-the-trade only? I loved the murals in the Stockton Inn in NJ by RAD Miller, and was initially looking for something along those lines, but I’ve stopped being that picky, since any fox hunt mural is hard to find. I am getting desperate enough to get out my overhead projector and try to pencil-trace something myself! I can always paint back over it. Hahahaha.

  3. I have to echo Martha’s comment. Thank you for being our teacher in the pretty arts. You teach me something every week. I have learned terms and what they mean and how to apply them. I’ve learned about architecture from you instead of just being able to say that I like this and don’t like that. Now, I understand what I like and why. I have learned so much practical stuff from you, too–how to figure the size of a chandelier (used that), how to figure proportions for trim (used that, too), how to properly hang art (oh, how I have used that!). Thanks so much for the free education!

  4. So unbelievably beautiful!!! I didn’t even know the grisalle, the tone on tone grey, existed, it literally blew me away that one!!

  5. Hi Laurel,
    I’ve always loved a formal dining room with a panoramic mural & wainscoting below it. What’s nice is you could use them with traditional furniture or modern. Or a bit of both. I’d love a grisaille style mural & have beautiful chartreuse velvet drapes in the room.
    Sadly I’ve never had such a space. It’s nice to dream though.
    Thanks for such a beautiful post.

  6. Hi Laurel, Thanks for the nice post about beautiful panorama wall murals. I have a question that perhaps you can answer, or your readers may be able to help. I have a set of 10 unframed prints, each 17″ ht x 22″ width– these are modern reprints of a panoramic engraving made by S & N Buck in 1749, of the River Thames from Westminster Bridge to London Bridge.

    The set illustrates the whole skyline of London with St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, etc! If put end-to-end, they’d be about 18′ long. They are black & white, never colored. (The original set of prints is for sale on 1stDibs for $9K

    https://www.1stdibs.com/art/prints-works-on-paper/landscape-prints-works-on-paper/samuel-nathaniel-buck-panorama-london-samuel-nathaniel-buck-1749-engraving/id-a_5569321/)

    When I remodel our kitchen, I’d like to use the prints as wallpaper between the countertop and the upper wall cabinets, on two walls. I’ve searched on the internet for advice on how to protect them (behind plexiglass panels?; varnish?) — since after all it’s a working kitchen and there may be occasional splatters to wipe off. This is our forever house, so I don’t mind permanently affixing them to the wall surface. I’d be so appreciative of advice on how to install them. Thanks!

  7. Laurel, I apologize for going off the topic of this post but may I ask where that round table that you show in the image of your home (with the yellow) vase on it is from? It is lovely, and I would be very interested in finding one like it.

    1. Hi Lauren, I had to post my comment as a reply cause I can’t seem to find the comment button. Anyway I used Susan Harter who is a muralist and has opened her own shop with originals and high quality digital copies. She mostly does European bucolic landscapes, soft and dreamy stuff, but some exotic scene’s as well if memory serves. I’d post a few pics of mine but don’t know how, or if I can, on your site. Thanks! Heather

  8. Oh my 🥰🥰🥰. I’m in love with these! Papiers de Paris L’Eden especially. I have been looking for huge art for a long wide hallway with a mirrored wall at the end. I can just imagine a scene of trees and water reflecting back from the mirrors and leading to the back of our home which has nano doors viewing a flowing river with trees across it. Thank you thank you thank you for this post. I only wish I had the patience to research like you!

  9. These. Are. Fabulous. I lived in a home built in 1928 that had a hand painted mural in the dining room that was painted over😥. I only saw photos of it and was so sad. Maybe I’ll incorporate a mural in our new build. Thank you for the resources.

  10. Hi Laurel, it’s so weird how so many of your posts center on something that is the focus of my life or has been a recent focus.

    I’m trying to figure out if I can use pink Chinoiserie panels in my attic bedroom with sloping ceilings. Probably not, but I’m still thinking it over.

    But it’s far as panoramic murals go,: we had an original mural on 4 walls in our little hallway in our 1941 cottage. It was painted on canvas by a well-known local artist. It had been preserved pretty well all these years, and it’s really remarkable to me that no one in this house had smoked in 80 years to destroy it.

    Because we were doing major renovations to this cottage, I called the local historical society to take it and they were thrilled to get it, absolutely over the moon! They hired a conservator to come and peel it off our walls. It was in several sections and they used essentially a big water pick to tease it off walls.

    They stretched the sections and framed it and rehung it elsewhere in town.

    After seeing your post I have tinges of regret about letting this mural go, but in the end our renovations were so extensive that there was no other choice.

    1. Hi Laurel,
      In my search for the source /manufacturer/name of a grisaille wall mural depicting the fountains of Villa d’Este, Tivoli Rome, I came across your blog about wall murals. Absolutely stunning and wonderful to read through. I have searched high and low for the name of a pretty vintage grisaille mural which I saw in someone’s dining room on social media. It was exquisite. I’ve had no luck and not sure where to search.

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Hi, I’m Laurel, and Laurel Home is the website and blog for Laurel Bern Interiors.
I’ve been creating new-traditional interiors since 1988. The blog is where I share all.

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