Cutting Edge

Decoupage has long had a dowdy image, but artisans with fresh vision are breathing life into old techniques.

By Eils Lotozo
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Knight Ridder Newspapers

For most of us, the word “decoupage” conjures images of grade-school craft projects and Victorian-era bibelots covered with flowers and angels and coated with yellowing shellac.

But these days, there’s a whole new world of decoupage, and it’s finding a growing place in home decor.

Designer Jonathan Fong, author of “Walls That Wow” (Watson-Guptill, $24.95), also is a big fan of decoupage as a DIY decorating tool.

There’s even a place for it in modern interiors, says Fong, who covered his own kitchen cabinets with Andy Warhol posters and has decoupaged art prints onto contemporary plywood chairs. (See how-to instructions on his Web site, www.jonathanfongstyle.com.)

“With paper and glue, you can make things that are non-traditional and unique,” Fong says. “Any hard surface can be transformed, or you can make an artistic statement with just one piece of decoupaged furniture. Sure, there will always be ... decoupage with cherubs and unicorns. But choose an image that reflects your style, and you can create a modern art piece.”