The origins of treillage can be traced back to the 12th century when countryside gardeners took to creating rudimentary structures called treille, to support their climbing vines. These early examples of treillage were often made without order or regularity.

It wasn’t until the 17th century, under the reign of Louis XIV, that the art of treillage would rise to unseen heights. The King hired emerging landscape architect André Le Notre to design his garden at Versailles; an elaborate design that would soon become the most impressive formal French garden the world had ever known.

Le Notre and other landscape architects like him, relied heavily on forced perspective to bring a sense of grandeur to the garden. While it would have taken years for hedges and topiaries to grow to full maturity, treillage brought instant architecture, impressive scale and elegant formality to a newly built landscape.

The art of treillage progressed through the ages, and as neighboring kingdoms sought to emulate the French fashion of the day, decorative treillage made its way through the royal palaces of Europe.

Today the legacy of treillage continues throughout the world as designers and architects embrace it as their early counterparts once did; using it on everything from building facades to elegant interiors, and spectacular gardens.