THE WORD TRELLIAGE is French in origin, and refers to trelliswork or ornate latticework that is architectural by design. Derived from the old French word treille meaning vine arbor, trelliage implies trelliswork of a highly developed form, both artistically and architecturally. The word is thought to have first appeared in the 12th century, when French country gardeners created rudimentary structures, called “treille”, to support the climbing tendrils of vines in their countryside gardens. It would not be until the 17th century, however, under the reign and direction of King Louis XIV, that the basic form of trelliage would become an art form; it was he who would hire Landscape Architect, André Le Nôtre, to construct the elaborate, formal French gardens at Versailles, including the Salon De Trelliage.

Fretwork, latticework and lattice are used interchangeably to describe the framework that is trelliage, which consists of ornamental design constructed of strips of wood or metal. The French, along with the Dutch, would go on achieve a high level of refinement in the art of trelliage, creating arbors, galleries, summerhouses and more, with a keen eye for proportion and decoration. In the United States, it was decorator Elsie de Wolfe, who popularized the use of trelliage with her famous "Trellis Room" at the Colony Club in 1905, New York City’s private club for high society women (itself a novel idea, given that women did not yet have the right to vote). The architect Stanford White commissioned de Wolfe to design the space, which would include a pale palette and tiled floors, and glazed chintz normally only found in country houses at the time. But the most revolutionary design, however, would be the tea room, which resembled a garden pavilion that featured a fountain in the centre, wicker chairs and trelliage on the walls and ceiling, interwoven with ivy and lights. The originality of the space would create a stir, solidifying de Wolfe's reputation as the first decorator in America, with a cliental that would eventually include the Morgans, Vanderbilts, and the Duke & Duchess of Windsor.

If you're a longtime reader, you'll know that trelliage is a favourite design feature of ours here at TIG, and we have covered it many times before (see here). After Chanel's Spring 2018 Couture show in Paris, however, which featured the extensive use of this ornate latticework, we were reminded once again how much we adored it and thought we might revisit the idea once again...

Top image: @schumacher1889

The secret garden at the The Ritz, Paris | via Town & Country, photography by Vincent Leroux

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