From the handbook to château life in 18^th century Europe: Decorate your abode with all things China within an inch of its life. Bring on the finest silks, delicate porcelain and hand-painted furniture. From the modern handbook to wabi-sabi interiors: Set aside perfection and learn to appreciate the simple, unaffected beauty of things as they are. Strip away the unnecessary. Go uncluttered, underplayed, and modest.

Long before I had a château to adorn, the Chinoiserie obsession took hold of me, much like it gripped aristocrats in England and France centuries ago. So how am I going to reconcile my lifelong passion for exotic ornaments with my newfound taste for restraint? The cracks hold the answer. For Lescure, only Chinese panels with cracking wabi-sabi lines make the cut. Add weathered faces and faint landscapes. Scratches, stains and aged patina. Missing mother of pearl inlay. Nothing too precious. I’ve been experimenting. Moving gently, infusing selected rooms in the castle with the nostalgia and romance of old China. Bringing in an object, leaving it overnight to see what a chamber has to say about it in the morning. I’m thrilled to report Lescure approves and likes to play as much as I do.