Paper, Memory & the Collected Home
Explore John Derian’s handmade New York decoupage, antique imagery, ephemera, books, textiles, and celebrated collaborations, with guidance for choosing, displaying, collecting, and caring for his unmistakable objects.
An American Decorative World
Who is John Derian?
John Derian is an American designer and collector whose work transforms antique printed matter into objects for contemporary life.
John Derian Company was established in 1989. What began with a fascination for old paper developed into one of the most recognizable worlds in American decoration. In his New York City studio, a small team of artisans still makes decoupage plates, trays, bowls, paperweights, and decorative objects by hand.
The imagery comes from John’s vast archive of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century prints: flowers, fruit, birds, animals, anatomical studies, landscapes, letters, celestial diagrams, maps, portraits, and the occasional wonderfully strange fragment. Removed from their original context and placed beneath glass, these pictures become newly intimate.
Over time, the John Derian world has expanded into ephemera, books, textiles, furniture, ceramics, and collaborations, yet the same eye connects everything. Beauty and curiosity are treated as equal virtues.
The Signature Craft
How John Derian decoupage is made
Decoupage is the art of cutting and gluing paper imagery onto a surface. In John Derian’s work, selected antique images are reproduced, cut, composed, and layered beneath glass.
The glass form gives the picture depth and luminosity while protecting the image from above. Borders, patterns, old ledgers, handwritten letters, and multiple fragments may be combined into a single collage.
Each object is assembled by hand in the company’s New York City studio. Small differences in cutting, positioning, and finish are part of the handmade process and give every piece its particular presence.
A Vast Printed Archive
Understanding the imagery
Botanical
Flowers, fruit, leaves, and garden studies bring the precision of natural history into domestic objects.
Animals & insects
Birds, butterflies, fish, dogs, cats, shells, and unfamiliar creatures add wit, symbolism, and personality.
Celestial & scientific
Stars, moons, diagrams, and anatomical fragments turn the history of knowledge into visual poetry.
Portraits
Anonymous faces and historic figures introduce narrative, theatricality, and the feeling of a story only partly known.
Letters & ephemera
Handwriting, ledgers, labels, and printed fragments celebrate the beauty of ordinary paper that survived.
Landscape & place
Seascapes, architecture, maps, and distant views allow a small object to hold an entire imagined world.
Beginning a Collection
Choosing your first John Derian piece
The best first piece is often the image that produces an immediate response. John Derian collections become personal through subject matter, so begin with what you are drawn to rather than what appears most neutral.
A small tray or paperweight
An intimate entry point for a bedside table, desk, shelf, or cabinet. Small pieces also make memorable gifts.
A plate or shallow bowl
A strong decorative object for a wall, table, or display cabinet, with enough scale for the imagery to command attention.
A textile or book
An expansive way to enter the visual archive through cushions, throws, printed pages, and large fields of pattern.
Beyond Decoupage
Collaborations and a wider world
John Derian’s imagery has moved from glass into ceramics, textiles, furniture, stationery, books, and decorative accessories. Important collaborations include pieces with Astier de Villatte and Designers Guild.
The medium changes, but the underlying idea remains: images from the past can become useful, surprising, and emotionally immediate in the present.
A BON TON Connection
A relationship rooted in New York
BON TON’s connection to John Derian is personal as well as aesthetic. Co-founder Mikkel Brøgger worked with John in New York, and that shared creative world remains visible in BON TON’s love of handmade objects, antique imagery, wit, and collected interiors.
Our selection brings John Derian into conversation with Astier de Villatte ceramics, antiques, textiles, books, and the objects that give a home its individual story.
Living With the Collection
How to display John Derian
Do not feel obliged to group every piece by size or subject. A botanical tray can sit beside a portrait, shell, letter, or curious animal if the colors and proportions feel balanced.
Small objects gain presence when given a defined surface: a stack of books, a bedside table, a wall bracket, an old cabinet, or a shallow shelf. Plates can be hung among paintings and prints rather than confined to a formal plate wall.
The imagery works especially well with antique furniture, plain linen, painted wood, white ceramics, and objects gathered through travel. The goal is not perfect symmetry. It is the pleasure of looking closely.
Protecting Handmade Decoupage
John Derian decoupage care
01. Keep it dry
Decoupage is a decorative art object. Do not soak it, place it in a dishwasher, or allow water to reach the papered reverse.
02. Clean the glass gently
Dust with a soft dry cloth. If the glass surface needs more cleaning, use minimal moisture and never saturate edges or the underside.
03. Avoid food service unless specified
Many pieces resemble tableware but are intended for decoration. Follow the individual product description before using with food.
04. Protect from impact and sun
Handle glass carefully and avoid prolonged direct sunlight, which may affect paper and color over time.
At BON TON Goods
John Derian for the collected home
BON TON brings together John Derian decoupage, ephemera, books, textiles, ceramics, and selected collaborations. We choose pieces for the way they add memory, humor, romance, and visual curiosity to daily life.
The collection can begin with a single image and grow slowly. That gradual accumulation is part of its charm.
Explore John Derian CompanyFrequently Asked Questions
John Derian FAQ
When was John Derian Company founded?
John Derian Company was established in 1989.
Where is John Derian decoupage made?
The decoupage line is handmade by a small team of artisans in John Derian’s New York City studio.
What is decoupage?
Decoupage is the decorative art of cutting and gluing paper imagery onto a surface. John Derian’s reproduced antique images are composed beneath glass objects.
Are John Derian pieces identical?
Handmade decoupage may show small differences in placement and finish. These variations are part of the craft.
Can John Derian decoupage go in the dishwasher?
No. Decoupage should never be soaked or placed in a dishwasher. Protect the papered underside and clean the glass surface gently.
Does John Derian collaborate with other makers?
Yes. John Derian’s imagery appears across important collaborations, including ceramics with Astier de Villatte and textiles and furniture with Designers Guild.
Objects That Reward Looking
Discover John Derian Company
Explore handmade decoupage, antique imagery, ephemera, books, textiles, ceramics, and curious objects at BON TON goods.
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