de Gournay’s majestic Beirut showroom – a century old apartment in the city's ancient ‘Achrafieh’ quarter – is the setting for this year’s festive scene: heralded by a brand-new installation of our ‘Deco Palms’ design, hand embroidered on to silk velvet upholstered to the walls and decked with seasonal foliage and flowers. A bespoke mother of pearl inlay frieze by Maison Tarazi, Beirut-based design specialists since 1862, sits atop a hand-painted golden balustrade in bas relief.

In line with its passion for craftsmanship, de Gournay gathered only local brands who have established a network of remarkable expert artisans in the region, and especially in Lebanon, to design this festive Levantine interior down to every detail.

A bespoke Yellow colour for the dining room of the Italianate interior is offset by azure blue paintwork. A banquette by local design specialists Maison Tarazi upholstered in our Arancio dyed silk rests on a sumptuous Persian rug by Iwan Maktabi, historic purveyors of antique and decorative carpets in the Middle East.

Hand stitched in metallic Gold, the splendid Palms encircle a laden table: fruits and delicacies of Lebanon arrayed amidst decorative accessories from artisans across the Middle East – including objects from Beirut emporium Orient 499 and glassware from Lebanese specialists Alya and Lina Tannous – and de Gournay’s hand painted ‘Pseudo Tobacco Leaf ’ porcelain: each place setting finished with a linen napkin hand embroidered with a single Palm frond.

A masterpiece of technical skill, the installation demonstrates de Gournay's expanding repertoire of embroideries for wall coverings, upholstery and soft furnishings – embellished detailing of the highest order.

The narrative of this Oriental reverie began with de Gournay’s desire to connect with the region’s crafts and tradition and celebrate the perpetuity of the local know-how, in spite of current uncertainties and change. The house saw the coming together of brilliant creatives from various fields of expertise with a common passion for aesthetics and artistry, to imagine together an oasis of beauty and calm in a city of never-ending turmoil.

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A Golden Garden