HOME & DESIGN

Wall Couture

Lala Curio reinvents classic Chinese decorative arts

Written by Sharon Jaffe Dan, March / April 2023

DC-based interior designer and entrepreneur Laura Cheung Wolf recently unveiled her Lala Curio line at Rue IV in the Washington Design Center.

Mounting fashion shows for Tom Ford and Estée Lauder, Laura Cheung Wolf quickly developed a flair for the theatrical. So when she launched a home-décor company, friends knew to expect the unexpected.

Lala Curio creates glamorous, bespoke wall coverings and cloisonné tile—made in China using centuries-old techniques. Wolf’s family has been in the business for three generations. “We have access to amazing artisans in Beijing and Suzhou who have retained their craft, so we’re able to give it new life,” she says.

Wolf studied interior design at Parsons before her stint in fashion. She later earned a master’s degree in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. “Then I decided to go back to my roots and spent three years in rural China working with artisans to create our collections,” she recalls.

In 2014, Lala Curio was born. The atelier puts a playful spin on traditional cloisonné and on hand-painted and -embroidered silks, many of which are inspired by an archive of 18th-century chinoiseries. “We create haute couture for walls,” says Wolf, who recently relocated from Hong Kong to DC, where her husband grew up. “Everything is made to order so clients can add a personal touch that tells their story.”

Find at Rue IV. lalacurio.com; ruefour.com

An artisan paints the Butterfly Retreat motif on gold leaf.

The customizable wall coverings feature pailletes and pearls, hand-embroidered onto hand-dyed Thai and Chinese silks.

Made of hand-painted Thai silk studded with freshwater pearls, Underwater Jewels wall covering by Lala Curio conjures a deep-sea fantasy.

Source: Home & Design Magazine; https://www.homeanddesign.com/2023/02/16/wall-couture/

Founder and interior designer, Laura Cheung Wolf’s house is an art itself. This place is a combination of love, family, and her view of art. Laura decorates every corner precisely by using refined decorations, chinoiserie furniture, and hand-painted wallpaper.