Achieving the antique blue finishes are easier than you think.  Often times in the past I have used brighter pastel colors with a darker glaze.  The tip here is pastel paint.  Brighter colors wouldn't normally be seen in the 18th century, and no matter how much dark glaze you might use over modern day brighter paint colors, the finish never turns out right.  Pastels are typical colors that were associated with Marie Antoinette  and commonly seen on Louis XV and Louis XVI furniture.  Sticking with antique color palettes will give your furniture an authentic appearance.   

Glaze is a combination of binder and pigment.  Binder is simply the glue that holds together the paint) Glaze can give a translucent look to a piece of furniture when it is applied over the furniture paint. 

In the past I have used simply paint alone, but to be honest it doesn't do a great job.  You really have to be skilled to pull off the look working with paint alone without glaze.  It can frustrate you in the end.  With the method of working with paint alone as a wash, you have to work quickly with a bucket of water and a cotton washcloth beside you.  I paint it on, leave it for a few minutes and wipe it off, and pull the paint around on the surface as it begins to be watered down.  It takes a little bit more skill working with regular paint, but the overall effect can be much the same as a glaze. 

There are many ways to use Glaze.  Ralph Lauren some time ago advertised his glazing techniques at Home Improvement centers as as a way of transforming modern day patterned or tole wallpaper.  Glaze can be mixed with any color.  Lauren advertised a series of colored glazes and showed through  by simply rolling on a layer of glaze it could transform wallpaper.

Ralph Lauren Wallpaper Glazing- Faux Finishes

Painting on glaze and allowing it to dry works terrific with wall finishes, because it builds up a translucent finish that paint alone cannot achieve.   With furniture I find glaze works really well by simply painting on the glaze, and after a few minutes working the paint off with a damp cloth gives it the authentic look of dirt building up in the corners over time. 

The beauty of the RALPH LAUREN Glaze is you can mix the clear paint glaze solution with any paint you have in your home to customize your glaze.  For me, I tend to buy the gallon size glaze without it being premixed which I can use for a variety of projects, which require different colors.   Without premixing it, I save money over time. 

With my green paints, I usually add a dark olive green glaze over top, which is then rubbed off giving it the look that it is old and worn and slightly blue than  green.  As you look closely with this french provincial chest by  Karina Gentinetta, you can see marks on this chest which gives it an old worn look.  Get some ideas of your own of how to create natural wear by using typical things around your house like the slapping the back of an old shoe with a black sole on the chest or something else that might leave a mark without indenting the chest.  The trick is to create marks that appear sporadic and subtle, and not giving any clue to what tool you used.

French Provincial Dresser Sold by Karina Gentinetta

French Provincial Dresser Sold by Karina Gentinetta

Painted French Finishes - Author Unknown

Painted French Finishes - Author Unknown

Cyan Duchess Chest By Belle Escape

Check out the layers of paint and glaze on this chest by Belle Escape

Christian Sarramon (photographer) spent long months traveling the length and breadth of Provence to create this book. He works for leading interior design magazines and has published numerous books, including the Book of Roses and Provence Style.

French Provincial Furniture Ideas - Living in Provence By Dane McDowell

French Provincial Furniture Ideas - Living in Provence By Dane McDowell

French Provincial Furniture Ideas - Living in Provence By Dane McDowell

French Provincial Furniture Ideas - Living in Provence By Dane McDowell

Option 1: Combining A Neutral Wall with Bright Furniture, and Accessories

One must for any brightly colored furniture is to have a neutral colored palette, giving your room a good base to work with. Neutral wall colors work with every color well, and give your furniture that perfect balance for colorful accessories and brightly painted furniture. White, or light gray is a neutral wall color that will work with any furniture color and most any decorating scheme. The palest shades of gray works with every color, and the darkest of grays will add elegance against bright furniture.

 Beige is one of the hottest selling colors for home sales as most people can see themselves living with a neutral beige. Not only is beige a color that is warm, it also works with every color on the color wheel. When investing in a sofa, it is smart to choose something with a simple earth tone which can be updated with your personal style by simply updating your throw pillows. This simple logic works the same with the paint color on your walls. Neutral colors give you the freedom to pick out strikingly colorful art paintings, or accessories.

Option 2: Adding a wide variety of colors into your room, spells a distaster design. The color wheel is one of the most used tools by decorators and designers alike. The color wheel allows you to LOOK and CONSIDER colors you wouldn't normally glance at.

Here are your options with a color wheel:

A: Your choice color, and those colors neighbouring to the right and the left.

B: Your choice color, and colors directly opposite on the other side of the color wheel.

FRENCH Slipper CHAIRS

Color Wheel Opposites - Designer Jonathan Adler

Option 3: The easiest way of coordinating a room with a colorful piece of furniture is to take the exact color and add it into the wall color, or curtains or throw pillows. Paint can be matched with any fabric or accessory with today's paint color matching technology. This is a very easy way of getting that "designer feel" in your home.

Like Colors ~ The Easiest Design Secret

Option 3: Wallpaper will add interest and detail like no other decorating tool can. Wallpaper will quickly transform a room to create the atmosphere for a specific design. Big retro patterned wallpaper can be easily matched with painted furniture. Beautiful red floral patterned wallpaper can quickly transform a room with a glossy red french chest.  Swedish interiors can be finished by adding a muted green or distressed gray cabinet. Modern looks can be achieved by bright bold furniture and large scale patterned wallpaper. What ever your design scheme calls for, wallpaper can quickly get you the look without the clutter.

During the tough economic times of 2009, many homeowners looked to update their home and keep within a budget which meant mixing styles, and looking to furniture reproductions and refurbished antiques. Furniture reproductions were in high demand as homeowners wanted a sense of comfort, familiarity but at a lower cost. Hand painted cottage-style furniture was especially popular in 2009, as well as hand painted furniture, and distressed furnishings.

Over the last several years many more parents are turning to vintage high quality furniture for their children that is affordable yet attractive. Today's children destroy the modern day pressed wood, and composite woods found even with the reputable brand names. The antique and vintage furniture is made of solid wood and can handle years of wear and tear, and has become an even more popular choice with parents as they continually update growing children's rooms at an affordable yet stylish choices with quality furniture of the past. Interior design trend forecasters have predicted that color palettes for furniture will become increasingly brighter in 2010, as the interest in reproduction furniture increases and colorful new fabrics become fresh choices for spring and summer.

Beautiful Pastel Furniture Choices

Pink French Provincial Vanity Desk Photo Credit Emma Jane Pilkington Villaanna Blog

French Provincial Regency Louis XV Style Cabinet Seller Belvair

Colorful Painted Furniture & Accesories

Colorful Painted Furniture & Accessories

French provincial furniture has caught popularity with designers and decorators as the new Tuscan looks sweep the magazines.  More decorators are getting resourceful transforming old vintage pieces that have the charm of high end looks, into the expensive antiques they see in the designer show rooms.  Black has always been one of the most popular choices of the past andof today because it is a color that works with every other color of the color wheel.  Black and white will always open up your choices for your walls, and fabrics compared to other colors. 

Perhaps you are an experienced painter, and have transformed hundreds of pieces; we would love for you to leave your insights into painting tricks and tips of the trade.  If you are a new painter, I hope I can share some valuable tips that I have learned first hand over the years that I have painted furniture, and hopefully to encourage you in your next transformation of your plain dresser into something spectacular. 

Anyone can paint a dresser black, but there are certain tricks to make your painted pieces higher end.  When painting, your final product should look as though you didn't do it at home.  Rustic painters prefer to see brush strokes, and in antiques you often see brush strokes, but one of the biggest tips I can pass on is that your piece is very smooth that it looks like a manufacture finish, or a higher end antique worth thousands.  Part of achieving that finish is either using a spray, or using a foam brush which evens out your painting strokes.  Another way of adding to the overall finish is faux techniques most people do not know how to do, or even consider which we explain more below.  Each of these steps will make your painted piece look as though you bought it at a high end shop, and antique gallery, or possibly pass as an antique.   

1.  Distressingis a sure way of adding depth and interest to a dresser, table, or nightstand.  When I first began painting, I always made sure I primed my furniture, because I wanted the paint to stick to the furniture I was finishing.   I was afraid of the paint lifting off the furniture, so I always made sure I primed.  As I experimented and advanced in my painting, I found I was pretty limited when it came to distressing because you cannot buy primer in black.  Often times they could tint primer, and the best you could get was gray.  Behr has come out with a paint and primer mixed together, but at that time I was pretty limited.  Looking at all the distressed pieces out there, I couldn't understand how many painters achieved the finish of distressing.  It wasn't until much later, (almost a year)  that I just disregarded priming all together, and made sure my pieces were sanded well, so I could use my main color of paint instead of primer AND then paint.   The options then started opening up for me. 

French Provincial Black Buffet Tara Mundi Furniture Online

Some of the vintage french provincial furniture have "baked on" white epoxy finishes that are almost impossible to remove with stripper, so in those instances, if you want a two-toned affect, you will need to prime your piece, and paint it red, and then finish it with a black coat.  If you are an experienced painter, you could faux finish your piece in a wood color, and then go ahead and paint it black and distress it.  This will give you the same effect of a wood piece painted black.  This goes the same for melamine tops which are often seen on french provincial furniture.  Be sure to really sand your melamine top before painting. 

The trick to distressing is the sponge sanders found at your local hardware store.  I have found using a sponge sander gives you the flexibity and control of where and how much you want when it comes to distressing.  Using a hand electric sander can often take off A LOT of paint, which can force you to go back and repaint some of the areas.  Using a hand electric sander might come in handy if you have several layers of oil paint that you want to expose.  When it comes to regular latex paint, the paint is just too thin, it often takes off too much. 

Gorgeous Black French Dresser From Cassie's - Primitive And Proper

The art of distressing is to sand in the areas which would be worn.  Sand under neath drawer handles, or on the feet of your chest where feet would bump over the years.  Sand where items, bowls, vases would be placed on the tops of your buffets, or on the edges showing the beautiful lines of your furniture.  Distressing is a sure way of breaking up the black and giving an interest that grabs the eye each time in passing.

2.  Glossy Black Furniture will always be a high-end designer choice when it comes to furniture finishes.  Glossy black paint always looks fantastic on curvy furniture such as french bombe chests or serpentine dressers.  When it comes to gloss finishes, the biggest tip I can pass on is to be sure the furniture you are planning on transforming is without blemish.  Glossy finishes will pick up every imperfection which is even more magnified when you use any type of gloss finish, so fine sanding is imperative if you choose to go this route.   Spray painting could be the easiest option if you are doing a small project like a chair.  If you are planning on doing a larger piece such as a buffet or dresser, use a sponge brush, which evens out each stroke.  You may have to do 3 or 4 coats of paint, but your piece will be as even as a babies behind.   

Martha Stewart Chinoiserie Sideboard

3.  Ornate ANTIQUE Black Furniture often has some sort of highlight in ornate details of the furniture.  Often painters try to replicate this aged look by applying a beige or gray paint to bring out the beautiful depths of heavily carved furniture.  With my experience, I highlighted an empire dresser that I painted black with a light gray paint in the areas it was carved.  Over all, I wasn't pleased with the look, because the gray painted areas looked too heavy and obvious it was paint than occurred over time with natural age.  I washed it off and noticed that the watered down remnants of paint that were left, perfectly highlighted the areas leaving a aged look, pointing the eye to the more detailed parts of the chest.  It did a remarkable job of making the dresser look more expensive than it was.  If you do plan on trying out this technique, dilute your beige/gray paint with a glaze, and be sure to have a damp rag to remove the extra paint leaving very little behind as your highlight.  

Paint Examples

Graham And Green

A perfect example of a aged black finish using a gray wash

4.  I never considered using a green wash on black until I had seen it done on an antique metal canister, so I tried it for myself.  I thought it was the most genius faux color I had run across used on black ornate metal furniture, it was almost an industry secret.  The trick with using green paint, is to paint with a damp rag in your other hand washing off the excess paint.  Like the gray / beige paint in the suggestion above, it is almost more useful mixing your paint with a glaze.  As the green paint dries over the black , you will get a feel of applying more or less in the areas you want aged.  Like any aged furniture, you want to try to leave the green paint where rust would normally happen.  I have used it on ornate chairs, and it has really pushed the value of my furniture up a notch.   

Green Faux Painting Technique For Black

Green Paint Examples

5. Another technique often seen with black furniture is distressing with a red showing through as the under color. This is particularly striking with Asian furniture. This is simply accomplished by painting your furniture piece with red, and then painting your top color black.  When using this technique it is not imperative that you use oil paint, but it is my preference.  You can use regular latex paint, which will work perfectly.  As normal, distress the furniture in worn areas. 

This Asian Chest can be more distressed for the Red to show through

A Asian Rosewood Chest I painted RED and THEN Black- Hard to see the RED in the Picture

This CHEST was real rosewood, and I painted it. The drawers inside were rosewood not red. The outside was painted red first and black and then distressed.

6. Dressing up furniture with hardware is another key to making your furniture look a lot more expensive and high end than it is.  Adding keyhole escutcheons and additional ornate hardware is a sure way of making your piece more interesting and unique.  Highlighting the areas with gold leaf paint can also transform your black painted furniture into something more spectacular.

A Pair of Chests I painted (removed the hardware first) and then attached the hardware again. They are beyond stunning

Greystone Estates

7.  Breaking up the black areas of your furniture piece can be another way of adding depth.  Painting only some of the areas of your black piece of furniture can allow for a more unique and interesting look.  You could consider washing the wood (paint diluted with water) over raw wood, and painting the rest of the piece a solid black.  If you paint your piece black, leave the inside the cabinet in the natural raw wood, or consider a corresponding color for the inside of the cabinet drawers.  Nothing would be more exciting than a lime green interior on a black piece. 

A Black Chair I upholstered. The light beige areas will be distressed. The beige, gold and distressing break up the black

The natural wood is shown on the drawers, and outlined in Black Paint

Gold paint outlines these solid black chairs

Gold Paint Outlines this Asian Black Bed

The interior of this Cabinet is left in natural wood which breaks up the solid black

The Floor pattern caught my eye! It would be a great pattern for a chest or dresser

Gorgeous French Black distressed Dresser By Altard

Frenchie Chic in Black Chest The Shabby Attic Philadelphia Craigslist

Antique French Provincial Chest on Chest Found On Craigslist

French Black Table Featured in Home Beautiful

Gorgeous French Bombe Chest

Another use of red under the black- Gorgeous French Bombe Chest by The Forget Me Not Shoppe  

Ornate French Provincial Dresser or Buffet From Gussied Up Furnishings

Ornate French Provincial Dresser or Buffet From Gussied Up Furnishings.  This beautiful French Provincial Dresser From Gussied Up Furnishings located in the Austin, Crestview area, is a beautiful example of how distressing really makes a difference.

French Settees can be the easiest to upholster because often they have a back and a seat and no complications compared to the modern sofas. Some of the prettiest settees are found with the cane backs which can be left alone, or sprayed gold, or painted white or cream and antiqued with brown glaze. A settee is a couch that is a double or triple seater bench with a wooden back and wooden arms. Along with sofas, accent chairs are often underestimated, but can do wonders in creating a well designed room. There are a wide range of styles when it comes to French chairs. Every French desk, dining table and entry way needs a fabulous chair to make a statement.

French Settee Picture Credit Sarah Richardson

Outstanding French Sofa

19th Century French Louis XV Style Sofa

French Settee Country Living Magazine

French Settee From The French Chair.com

Stunning French Chairs set off this room featured in Veranda Magazine

Sofa French Provincial Style Sofa
Sofa Set- French Provincial Style Living Room Set 

French Provincial Couch Sofa From Amazon

Designer Ruthie Sommers Uses French Chairs in this scheme

This French Chair adds softeness to this beautiful room

Upholsted Louis Settee Picture Credit Everyday Living Blog~ & French Accent Chair From Domino Magazine

French Provincial Sofa From The Beaux Arts Mansion In St. Louis

French Accent Chairs From The Beaux Arts Mansion in St. Louis

Erin Featherston For Domino Magazine

French Settee From Domino Magazine

Domino Magazine From Paris Apartment Blog

Vivacious French Settee in Burnt Orange Silk

French Provincial Sofa

From the first issue of domino. She was on the cover, holding her dog—she looked like a cool chick. I saw what she had done with her own home, and it was the exact same aesthetic I was drawn to, so we met and I realized we really did see eye to eye. That started the renovation process and a wonderful, inspiring friendship.

Ruthie says that all of you could open an interior-design company together.

Fun is always the first order of business. We get so much pleasure from having a vision and then seeing it through. To have something in your mind and then watch it come alive is so thrilling.

Your office incorporates a variety of styles. What’s your favorite piece?

I believe you can combine anything. I love my globe, record player and horseshoe, and I’m crazy for my antique gold scissors and my Lucite stepladder that has two bronze deer bookends on it.

French Provincial Sofa Drew Barrymore's Fabulous OfficeDrew Barrymore's LA Production Office Decorated by Ruthie SommersDrew Barrymore's French Styled Chair

This newly upholstered French Provincial sofa reupholstered in a Clarence House fabric and a faux-croc-covered custom desk walk the line between Euro and bohemian, while open shelving and a Lucite stepladder act as a mini library. “You can never, never, never have too many books,” Barrymore says.

Drew Barrymore's French Inspired Office

Drews French Bombe Chest

Drew Barrymore's LA Office Classic Furnishings with French Touches

The Lovely Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore's French Styled Chair

Drew Barrymore Decorated French Office

This is a perfect example how French Provincial Furniture can look modern and eye catching with a little bit of color.  The red french cabinet plays off of the blue walls and the yellow florals to create Drew Barrymore's beautiful office look

French Provincial Decorating ~Fabulous Drew Barrymore's Office

Chris Miller, vice president of production, also acts as Barrymore’s manager and publicist. “We all have crazy 24-hour jobs, so I wanted my space to be sleek and understated but also warm and cozy,” he says. Or, as Sommers puts it, “It exudes quiet power.” She began with Wilton carpeting, then added a mid-century chrome-accented rosewood desk that was large enough for Miller to spread out the daily influx of scripts, layouts and contracts. Facing the desk is a black velvet couch (not shown), from which Miller watches the news and rough cuts of Flower Films projects. Since his office gets plenty of southern light, it could handle rich chocolate walls. “I draw the curtains in the afternoon, and the room becomes almost incandescent,” he says. But his favorite feature is a recess in the L-shaped room that Sommers turned into a bar. “It really is fun,” he says. “And on a bad day, that I-could-have-a-whiskey thought is a serious comfort.”

 Drew Barrymore's French Chair

Primitive and Proper search all over Virginia, DC, and Maryland for their unique furniture finds, but they also work on commission if you want a custom painted piece of furniture. Having a large gallery of pictures, a person can certainly get ideas from their wide selection of sold pieces.

French Provincial Nightstands Painted By Primitive And Proper

Q: How can amateur painters accomplish this beautiful professional finish you achieved with these two nightstands?  Do you have any tips for first time painters wanting a unique look for their furniture using paint?

Cassie- "I would not consider myself a professional painter as in some sense  I use the good ol' fashioned method.   I do not have a sprayer, as many furniture painters do, and do everything by hand.  With that being said, it is very important to invest in good quality brushes for a smooth look as well as good primer.   I use zinnser, which smells awful, but works beautifully.  I have found with zinnser I only need to lightly sand the piece to be painted.  Once it has been sanded, the primer is brushed on by hand and it is very important to follow the direction of the wood and go in nice straight lines.  You can "feather" as you brush on so that you won't see where you lifted the brush off of the piece.  Once the primer has dried, you can use another coat of primer, which I do in the case of white pieces.  After the second coat of primer, I begin painting and use just latex paint.  I prefer to use Sherwin  and Williams harmony paint which is low voc, cost efficient, and good quality. I personally prefer the eggshell finish, which was used on these tables.   Again, follow the same brush strokes as your primer for a smooth and even look.  After the piece has been painted with 2-4 coats of paint, the edges are distressed by hand with 80-120 grit sandpaper.  Some sites will recommend higher grit, but i prefer the lower grit and just move my hands very rapidly as I distress to avoid getting scratchy marks (if you do get these marks, you can touch them up).  Once it has been distressed and wiped clean with a damp paper towel, I sometimes choose to antique it, as was the case with these nightstands, to give it a more old world look.  There are specialty glazes you can purchase, but I use my trusty minwax stain and brush it on, and then wipe off with a rag, again following the lines of the paint.  You can use as many coats of stain as you need to achieve the desired look."

White French Provincial Pedestal Desk By Primitive And Proper

Sage Green French Provincial Vanity By Primitive And Proper

French Gray Vanity or Writing Desk From Primitive And Proper

This vintage French Provincial Bassett Vanity by Primitive And Properhas been painted a gorgeous French gray and distressed to accentuate it's curves and details.  Bassett furniture is known for their serpentine curved details which can be seen in the center drawer. 

French Turquoise Nightstand By Primitive And Proper

This vintage French nightstand painted by Primitive and Proper was painted a fabulous oceanic blue, and distressed for a funky meets shabby chic look.   The handles which left in their original patina give balance to the color.  Distressing has also given some extra dimention, and feature the attention to the beautiful architectural detail on this french dresser. 

Aqua French Nightstand By Primitive And Proper

This beautiful French Provincial Nightstand was painted a sweet Robin egg blue by Primitive and Proper and lightly distressed to show its original cream paint. 

French Blue Dresser Painted By Primitive And Proper

French Provincial Nightstand

Painted Vanity and Bench

This beautiful cream vanity is a spectacular example of how a cream gives a piece of painted furniture extra elegance and sophistication.  Striking white is often not reccomended, unless it is gloss or semi gloss, because it looks like it has been obviously painted.  White is usually a common color found on drywall, or trim so you are often better off going with a white with a slight touch of an undertone of green which is a typical color used on cottage, french furniture professionally manufactured.  This piece is an excellent example of how distressing can really add extra dimention to a painted piece of furniture.

Shabby French Blue Vintage Vanity By Primitive And Proper

This is a beautiful curvy French Vintage Vanity painted by Primitive And Proper has been painted in a soft french blue and given gilded accents and feminine vintage brass pulls.  

 In an economy such as ours, where people are no longer safe and secure in their jobs as they once were a generation ago, are now looking for an alternitive ways of making money.  Through my transition of working for myself, the most rewarding part of the experience is the casual conversations from one person to another which has allowed me to grow in thinking outside the box in a business sense.    Working for different business through the years, most conversations and outside connections were off limits, as an employee you were meant to work, not to learn and leave.   Sending business down the street was certainly something I would be fired for, where as today, I don't support my business connections because the business is always returned.  Greed is not name of the game, but rather sharing the large business that is available is what works.   

Many people are having success working for themselves.  People who were laided off suddenly look at their skills in an entirely new way.  Sometimes new starts aren't necessarily from skills, but hobbies and pastimes.  I heard of a lady in the Washington DC area who only shops second hand stores for luxury handbags.  She knows the value of a label and is able to spot the fakes from the genuine brand name labels.  She resells her purses and handbags on ebay and rakes in 5K a month, better than any attorney who slaves away night and day for a firm.  After taking to many people making a full time wage working for themselves, most started in an area of interest, or area they know quite a bit about, and started off small.  Most often they didn't start it as a business, but more so to downsize their hobby collection.  When you get your feet wet selling, your options open up as you get better. 

Ebay and Craigslist have opened up a lot of avenues for the customer and the seller.  The customer benefits by being able to find a specific item at competitive prices, and the seller is able to provide a unique products which are not sold in chain stores.  If you have ever viewed the documentary  Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, it shows how corporations can be very greedy, immoral and destructive to small towns and communities.  Craigslist has been a tremendous blessing to many people as there are no fees to list, and it builds a community of trust and connections.   While some people are afraid of purchasing from some one's home locally, over the 5 years of purchasing daily, I have never run into any problems.  Ebay, on the other hand has been the perfect solution to very hard to find items.  A good friend of mine collects vintage electronic and music instruments which he in turn gets buyers from around the world which would have been impossible for both him and the customer to connect with a unique item such as the particular product he sells.  I shop ebay for vintage hardware which I wouldn't normally come across in stores, and a favorite of mine vintage brass buttons which cannot be found at my local craft store.  "Lots" of items, (similar items bundled up as one sale) on ebay excite just about any consumer looking for a great deal. 

 Supporting small business becomes first and foremost in the mind of a small business owner.  Working from home becomes rewarding especially to young families who are now turning to homeschooling, and retired people are now looking at their hobbies as a new way to generate cash.  It is fun to do what you love everyday.  I know several women who wouldn't find anything more enjoyable than to knit for a living.  There are options out there, and connections make it possible.  When you support each other, the doors open up.  Take a second look at that collection and see if you cannot sell something you haven't used.  Along the way, I guarantee it, you will find something better, such as the game of buying and selling...........and sometimes keeping! 

Can we send or genrate business your way? 

(IF you have a small business, and have a website, or even just a photobucket, send me a french provincial picture....

(It has to be french provincial, and as large as the pictures in this post) and I can post your picture and a link to your site, or photobucket /Picasa album in this listing)  Email me here.  If this doesn't work, we have provided  contact information here. 

OR, if you have a unique story and want to share your hobby that is furniture related we would love to feature a post about it our site.  We do have a couple questions we ask that you can write in your answers, instead of a telephone interview. It is a way of adding a link to your site.  If you do find our site interesting, do link us from your website.  We sure appreciate the extra links.  Do write us. Blessings!  Meranda

French Provincial Dresser La  Bella Chic Boutique Los Angeles

French Provincial Chest of Drawers  Vicki's Picasa's Album in Sandiego 

French Provincial Dresser Kittinger, Circa 1940

This French Provincial Dresser made by Kittinger is from Sharon at Fabulous Finds in Vienna, VA

Buying vintage french sets is one decision you cannot go wrong with, as they are just as popular as they were in the past.  French furniture is not being produced much at all today unless it is specialty ordered off the Internet which can get very pricey.  Ikea came out with a couple french inspired end tables, but really couldn't produce a well made piece people would want to buy for a staple piece of furniture for their homes.  The lack of french furniture has made these sets popular and in demand more than ever, as many people scour craigslist and ebay for them.  You can find these sets for as much as 900 dollars, while other people may list their sets for bargain prices thinking vintage isn't worth much in a mix of new and modern pieces.  In fact, older furniture is better made than the new composite sets now sold at big chain stores.  Many brands such as Thomasville, and Ethan Allen will remain to be great quality choices new or vintage.  While they remain popular with new parents looking for a quality set for their children's rooms, they are also being found by people wanting to redecorate in shabby, cottage, and nautical interiors.  They also offer a second income for small business minded people who are willing to put a little hard work sanding, priming and painting these sets for a small profit.  One thing is true, these sets are certainly full of potential and offer beauty, old or newly painted.  

A Cery Unique And Rare DIXIE French Provincial Bedroom Set

1960's Thomasville French Provincial Furniture

Marble Top Coffee Table - French Provincial

Antique French Provincial Chairs & Dixie Dressers 1965

Bassett French Provincial Bedroom Set

French Provincial Dressers

French Provincial Nightstand Sidetable

Thomasville French Provincial Chest Dresser

Thomasville French Provincial Dresser

Huntley by Thomasville French Provincial Dresser

1962 by Thomasville Furniture (Don't Put Knobs Where Pulls Should Be)

Dixie French Provincial Dresser

Twin French Provincial Bed

French Provincial Dresser Mirror

1939 French Provincial dresser

Dixie French Provincial Furniture

Drexel and Dixie French Provincial Dressers

Drexel White Provincial Dresser

French Provincial Bedroom Dresser

Dixie French Provincial Bedroom Set

Dixie French Provincial Dresser

Bassett French Provincial Dining Set

French Bombe Dresser Set

French Provincial Dresser Set

Kindel French Provincial Style Dresser

Dixie French Provincial Furniture Set

Bassett French Provincial Coffee Table and End Tables

Bassett French Provincial Dresses

Bassett French Provincial Dresser

French Provincial Dixie Dresser Set

French Provincial Bedroom Set

I find using a natural fiber chip brush which you can get for 2 dollars at your local hardware store always produces the nicest finishes.  Natural chip brushes will give you best control when painting with this specific oil paint. 

How to Achieve the old world stained look with Artists oil paint:

Mix in a bowl, (preferably a throw away bowl) or line it with aluminum foil) artists oil paint, and a little bit of paint thinner. 

(Don't mix them together, just have both in a bowl)

Brush on the oil on to the wood. You will be able to see what looks good and what looks too thick.  If you find the oil is too thick, try using a small (small) amount of paint thinner, on your brush.  

(This paint is not meant for furniture, but it produces a spectacular painted old world finish that is hard to attain with regular wood stain.  I have found that I put up with the draw backs for the beautiful finish.  If you decide to try this, know that the paint take an extra long time to dry.  The first time I tried this on my walls, I got impatient and tried to paint a clear plycrylic and I ruined the entire finish, that I had to take paint thinner and scrub it off.  If you decide to try this finish instead of sanding down your project and staining it as usual, do have a room where the piece can dry untouched for a good week or so)

I find working in sections very helpful.  This is a very quickly working finish.  You don't want to over work the finish, and it helps to have lots of paper towel handy in case you have to wipe the finish down and try again. 

It is a dry wipe finish, meaning you are really having to work the brush to spread out the finish on your piece.  Be sure your furniture is LIGHTLY sanded, for the oil to stick well. 

After it is finished drying over a weeks period, you will want to spray it with a clear sealer. 

It is VERY VERY important your first sealant is a spray.  I made the mistake of touching my furniture too early and it messed up the entire finish.  If you spray your piece, and it isn't dry, it won't hurt the finish. 

Product Suggestions

Winton Oil 200ml Burnt Umber, Klean-Strip ''Green'' Lacquer Thinner, Quart, Wood Chip Brush -- 4 Inch

Minwax 24444 Polycrylic Protective Finish

Minwax Polyurethane Spray - Satin

Minwax Polycrylic, Satin 1/2 Pt

12 Natural China Bristle 3" Chip Brush

My French Provincial Desk Before the Makeover

My French Provincial Pedestal Desk Make Over After

French Provincial Furniture Makeover

French Provincial Desk Makeover

French Provincial Desk Makeover

French Provincial Nightstands

French Provincial Nightstands

French Provincial Drexel Dresser Makeover

Faux Finished French Provincial Dresser (Drexel)

My Faux Burl Wood Makeover Painted With Oil

Faux Finished French Provincial Nightstands Dixie Dresser

This nightstand was originally a white dixie Hutch dresser.  I ditched the hutch and just made them into nightstands.   I filled in holes for the original hardware and drilled new holes for these beautiful large french handles.  Check out the entire post here.

Before- Manufacture Finish Dixie Dresser Hutch

The Union Jack Flag has caught attention of the design crowd, and the geometrical flag has been featured in a number of interior design blogs and magazines and it has even made its way into fashion.  Upholstered furniture is the new trend ith these geometrical flags, but can be very tricky because flags are often not sold by the yard or meter at your local fabric store.  Painting a piece of furniture on the other hand can be very easy with any flag pattern. 

With my flag dresser, being that I was working with the Union Jack Flag, I painted my piece in white to begin with.  Then I taped the lines of flag, and once the paint was dried, I removed the tape, and added a brown glaze to antique the dresser. 

(If I were to do it all over again, I would certainly use a flat paint instead of an oil based color.  The reason for this, is oil paint can be very thick, and working with tape, you want your paint to COVER in one coat (or 2), not making it so heavy that when you pull off your tape there is an obvious ridge where the paint built up against the tape. Flat paint usually is the best to use when you are working with bright colors.  Learning from experience, it took me about 8 coats of semi gloss paint to paint a wall orange.  In the end, the walls were not perfectly finished because each layer of paint makes your walls imperfect.  You always want that sanded finish that fresh drywall provides.  The lesson I learned that I can pass on, is to make your first coat flat, and if you want a gloss, then paint it after your walls are covered with the flat paint. 

So my recommendation after doing this flag dresser is to always sand first, and paint in flat paint for all your colors, and then go over the dresser with a WATER BASED polycrylic clear finish when you are completed. Never use oil based polyurethane on white.  In a year it will turn a ugly yellow, if not in a day.   Please feel free to leave comments at the end of the article, and if you have a unique piece of furniture attach a picture link your comment.    

My Painted Union Jack Dresser

My French Provincial Dixie Union Flag Dresser Makeover

~My French Provincial Dixie Union Flag Dresser Makeover~ 

Taping the lines of the Union Jack Flag

~In Progress~

The dresser has been painted 2 coats and is waiting to dry.  Oil paint can take a long time to dry, but provides quite a bit more durability than regular latex.  I am a big fan of painting with oil but for this particular project I would suggest flat latex or acrylic

Kate Moss Vogue October 2008 Featuring The British Union Jack Flag

Kate Moss Vogue October 2008 Featuring The British Union Jack Flag

Kate Moss Vogue October 2008 Featuring A French Bed

Kate Moss Vogue October 2008 Featuring A Union Jack Jacket

Alexander McQueen Using distressed Union Jack Flag Fabric

The Ben Sherman Room At The Loden

Kate Moss appears in Union Jack Trousers by Katieeary, Stylish Union Jack Boots by none other than the amazing Alexander McQueen, The French Bedroom Company's chair is the first chair in the line of Union Jack furnishings. The Union Jack Cabinet is by Vi.sualize.us

Union Flag French Chairs

Picture Credit ~Cameron MacNeil Blog

{French Provincial Tv Console}

A hutch which comes with a buffet is perfect for china display and presentation. If you are a avid collector, hutches are the perfect solution, as you still have the extra cabinet storage in the buffet.

A buffet cabinet provides the storage space you may need to store glasses and extra dishes, while the top is a tabletop you could use for display or extra space to hold food when family comes over and the dining table is crowded. It is great providing extra food space, allowing you to feature your food instead of cramming it all on the table or ushering your company into the kitchen.

Buffet tables usually do not provide any storage, but are attractive in that it is an extra working table top simular to the buffet cabinet but without the storage. The table serves as an extra tabletop for entertaining, and also allows for decorative display in your dining room, living room, and kitchen.

Brilliant Brown Walls, Gold and Brown Wood Tones complete this room for this classic french style.  Picture Credit :Coastal Living Magazine

Vintage Bassett French Provincial Buffet

Louis Chairs From Southern Living Magazine

All Decked Out By Southern Accents Magazine

1760 Incredible Antique French Painted Louis XV Buffet, Seller Antiques on Old Plank Road Located 331 E Ogden Ave,Westmont, IL 60559, USA 

French Chairs ~Southern Accents Magazine

Painted antique French Louis XV with wooden peg construction and hand-dovetailed drawers. Awesome storage abounds in this exceptionally deep buffet making it a great candidate as a bathroom vanity or as originally intended in a dining room holding extra tablecloths, napkins, and such.

Seller Antiques on Old Plank Road Located 331 E Ogden Ave,Westmont, IL 60559, USA

Old-world French Romance By Southern Living

Vintage French Provincial Buffet Table

French Dining Set ~  Home Beautiful Magazine

French Provincial Buffet Table

 Swedish Noclassical Blue Buffet Sideboard with a Farmhouse table

A Classic Vintage French Provincial Headboard

There are a number of great styles when it comes to antique French beds, but if you are on a tight budget and you really want the look of a French home, why not go for the reproduction French provincial beds of the 50's and 60's? Many of the beds were made to mimic the antique Louis styles but on lower end scale. The 1960's French provincial furniture is pretty easy to find, and relatively inexpensive in price.

1. Painting- One way of recreating the antique looks is to paint the frame of the bed. There are three main French styles you can paint.

A) Classic Gold is a very traditional French look. Gold works with every single upholstery as it acts like a neutral, so you are free to choose a variety of fabrics, as gold goes with everything. One very simple way of painting your piece gold is to spray it gold, letting it dry and gold leafing it for a realistic sheen of actual gold. Tips on leafing can be found here. Once the leaf has dried, you can rub on gray and with a damp cloth wipe the excess paint off which will stick in the cracks.

B) Classic cream is always a beautiful French choice. Be sure to get a creamy white with a green undertone. Once your paint has dried, add a brown glaze to add to the antique feel of aged furniture. You can buy glaze at your local home hardware store, or home depot, or Here - Wm Zinsser 04201 Blend & Glaze Decorative Painting Liquid

C) Swedish Grays are always an upscale French look. It is often a grown up style because it is not found on new furniture, but classic antiques. You can get that antique feel with gray and finish it off with a yellow wash. I have tried most of all colors with French furniture, and a cornflower yellow works the best over gray. Like the steps above, (after your gray has dried) paint on the yellow, (doing small sections) and wipe it off using a damp cloth. The muted yellow should give your piece the feel of a white wash but leaving the gray color intact.

Classic French Provincial Headboard

{Photograph source, Sugar Pop Tarts}

2. Upholstery - You can create the rich looks of higher end antique French beds by simply buying the curvy headboard that was popular in the 60's and upholster them with rich French fabrics. Classic antique French patterns were floral and landscape scenes. It is a relatively easy process to upholster a bed frame, so don't feel overwhelmed.

You will need 4 major things to complete the task. 1. Batting 2. Fabric 3. A Stapler 4. Nail head trim.

The batting can be found at your local sewing fabric store. Ideally you want to find a flat foam padding, or cotton felt. You can always stuff inside the flat felt if it isn't fluffy enough, but you will always have a smooth surface when it comes time to upholster. You do not need an industrial upholstery stapler, but they cost just as much as your basic stapler, (check below for links)  . A t-150 will work just fine, which can be purchased at your local hardware store for 20 dollars.   (I have been using a T-150 for years, and haven't bought a electrical upholtery gun, but after seeing how cheap they are, I might order one!)

When it comes to finishing off your project, I would highly suggest getting nail head trim which you apply with a real nail every 3rd nail head. It gives you a nicer and cleaner appearance, and saves a lot of energy of lining up each nail so it is perfectly straight and in line with the rest. You can buy 30 feet for around the 7-15 dollar mark from Nails to You on ebay.  With that said, you can have your stunning French bed with fractions of the cost of an antique.

Hitachi N3804AB3 1 1/2-Inch 18-Gauge Narrow Crown Finish Stapler

Surebonder 9600 Pneumatic Fine Wire Staple Gun with Carrying Case

Arrow Fastener T25P Wire Staple Gun

Cotton Batting Medium Grade Roll Natural
Hillman Fasteners 122682 Upholstery Nail (Pack of 6)

Today with the convenience of ebay, you can shop around for antiques from all across the nation (and world) from the comfort of your home. Many antique dealers are now listing their inventory online which has made it easier to locate the antique you are after. With all the antiques in one location and the option of comparison shopping, it has made the prices honest, in addition to healthy competition to get the consumers business. Always go with a seller with a strong reputation of positive feedback. Be sure to get shipping quotes before committing to the bid to buy.

French Style Luxury Gilt Headboard From Hermes Hotels

French Style Luxury Interior Picture Taken From Hermes Hotels

French Gilt Upholstered Headboard From Hermes Hotels

This Antique Louis French Bed Photo Credit Castles Crowns Cttages Blog

(Disclaimer- Any type of babies furniture should be properly tested to insure the safety of children.  Servers are obviously not built to be children's furniture, so please do take the proper safety precautions)

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's Twin's NurseryRoom with a french chair and wrought iron cribs. 

This beautiful interior features all white French Provincial Furniture.  From the classic white 3 drawer dresser to the white french armoire wardrobe this room features a clean crisp feel for your brand new baby.  With elegant creams and yellows, this room is an upscale elegant look for any baby room.  The french footstool holding linens, and the french provincial chair, makes for an elegant accessory to this french room.  This room is very simple to create.  You can layer in the white, using different tones, such as an egg shell wall, with satin finished furniture, and a gloss white chair with a white fur throw. 

This server from Laurel Auctions in Maryland would be the perfect baby changing table.  Add a custom cushion and you would have the supreme elegance in french furniture~ 

It is amazing how well white and gold work together.  The clean crisp look of white, and the luxury of gold work hand in hand.  This room has a french provincial chair along with a french provincial vanity. 

Babies' Rooms: From Zero to Three, Planning a baby's room involves not only providing a pretty nursery but also tailoring your living space to the new arrival's needs. Babies' Rooms by Judith Wilson shows how to tread a fine line between tasteful decoration and the requirements of a small child, and address issues of proacticality and safety, plus planning for future development.  The book concludes with useful checklists, a question and answer section, and an extensive resources list. Judith Wilson is a former decorating editor of Homes & Gardens.

Christope Living Features Classic French Provincial Furniture.  They have such good ideas such as the subtle canopy over the crib. 

Children's Spaces: From Zero to Ten

This picture has been recycled a lot around the net.  Almost every blog has this picture, because it speaks such elegance and serenity.  Classic contemporary colors make this room popular.  Add a french chair to nurse in and you have luxury and comfort. 

French Chair Sold ThoughRed Ticking in Seattle Washington

{This cute French Provincial Furniture set is not vintage, but rather new painted in a shabby blue.  Colors transfer so easily on french provincial furniture.  This picture was taken from The Fancy Shack Blog, where they have many more painted furniture to feature. }

There were many furniture manufactures who produced high quality lines of furniture, and there were also companies who offered the same look but with lower quality materials. Every company carried a number of lines, and still maintained the same level of quality as their higher end lines. You will find that with Drexel, Union and Thomasville french provincial furniture. They both carried a number of different styles, all vertually high quality made from solid wood. 

The vintage children's french provincial furniture is often featured in white and gold, with melamine tops, and baked on white paint.  Depending on what you are after, we always recommend looking for the provincial sets made out of solid wood.   Even if you decide to paint them, the higher quality dressers are not plastic and they last longer, because of the quality of wood and materials used.

There is nothing wrong with the classic white and gold french provincial furniture.  Many of the sets are high quality wood under the paint, and are outstanding examples of reproduction french furniture. 

Below I would like to show you out of my own experience a line to avoid.  I honestly do not know the name, but they can be found everywhere.  If you have the choice to buy this set or wait for a better set, I would recommend waiting.  They can be very pretty painted up like the beautiful set below in black found on a craigslist add, or the pretty red dresser I painted up myself.  They both have great appeal when painted up, but you really have to dress them up with hardware and bottom line they are low quality.  Below I explain the three areas of disappointment with this line. 

My Red French Provincial Dresser with Vintage Handles

Granted, this dresser looks pretty in white than the manufacture finish, but here are some issues with the quality of the dresser you should know about. 

 1.   If you have ever shopped at Ikea, you know how poorly pressed wood looks.  You can  paint up pressed wood, and it still looks shotty at best.  Bump pressed wood the wrong way and it is ruined.  The same goes with this dresser, much of the dresser is cheap pressed wood, and plastic.  I didn't really realized how plastic this dresser was until I painted one for myself.  (See the red dresser)  The feet come off, and if you look closely at the french feet there is a line that appears down the center of the foot that even when painted, it looks plastic. 

2.  This dresser comes with plastic architectural elements.  Perhaps to some people, it is ok, but it is just gives it a  low quality appearance.  If you do have this dresser, I would highly recommend you take off the plastic elements and use wood filler to fill in the holes.  Circled in diagram 3 is another cheap design in plastic.   There is nothing seamless about this dresser. 

The best way to spot this dresser is the make up of the bottom section of the dresser chests.  Below are pictures to identify these dressers.   The drawers are poorly made, and in some lines just stapled together. I didn't realize how low quality this dresser was until I began seeing so many other lines of french provincial furniture, that this brand was the worst comparied to all other french provincial manufacture comparions.   This dresser in my opinion give French Provincial a bad name.  This line at best is a 3 out of 10, (being kind) - The bottom of the barrel of french provincial furniture because it is so cheap.    I don't blame the company, they were just producing a style that was hot, which everyone could afford.

This painting took place before Louis XIV began enlarging the château, Picture Credit Wikipedia

The view of the château de Versailles as seen from the Place d’Armes, 1722”, ca. 1722, by Pierre-Denis Martin. This painting was after the end of Louis XIV’s fourth building campaign. Picture Credit Wikipedia

The palace incorporates some of the most beautiful colors. Combining the peaches, apricots, and light blues and grays are typical french colors. Many of these colors can be used in your own home decor and interior designs.

Some of the most noteworthy persons involved in the design process are architect Louis Le Vau, landscape architect André Le Nôtre, and painter-decorator Charles Le Brun, all accomplished men in the arena of design.

The French Gardens of Versailles

Painter Charles Le Brun was the originator of Louis XIV Style, and primarily worked for King Louis XIV. It was the king who called him "the greatest French artist of all time". Charles Le Brun was in charge and directed all that was done in the royal palaces. Some of his drawings can be found at the Louvre today.

Painter Charles Le Brun, whose portrait was painted by Nicolas de Largilliere. In this painting you can get an idea of some of the interiors, and what was featured in rooms. The staged bust, and draped fabrics can give any french lover at heart an over all sense of accessories that can be incorporated into a french room. Brun added draped velvet and gold cloth and outstanding marble walls and thick Persian carpets. He added crystal chandeliers and rich tapestries and beautiful rococo gold clocks among his own paintings to Versailles's beautiful interiors.

André Le Nôtre was a French landscape architect and the principal gardener of King Louis XIV of France. He was later put in charge of all the royal gardens of France, and also became appointed Controller-General of the Royal Buildings. Louis Le Vau also worked closely in the design of the château of Vaux Le Vicomte, and Versailles.

Some of the most beautiful pictures of the Versailles's gardens can be found on Ania Vincy's Flicker

Louis XV France by Louis Michel Van Loo

The French Interiors of Versailles

Versailles Photo Credit Rappy's Photostream

The most costly element to the design of Versailles was the furnishings. Louis XIV insisted on silver furniture, which was an incredible cost for Versailles. The silver balustrade contained in excess of one ton of silver. In 1689, the cost of the War of the League of Ugsburg was incredibly high that all the silver furniture was to be melted in order to pay for the costs of the war. Even though the cost of the furnishings were high, the labor came cheap. During slow periods, the army was used in labour and construction. Versailles became the show piece of Frances wealth and what it could accomplish as a nation. Today it is one of Frances most toured venues.

Versailles

Marie Antoinette Kristen Dunst

Inner chamber of Marie Antoinette 1784 Writing Table

Inner chamber of Marie Antoinette 1784 Writing Table

Marie Antoinette's Private Apartments Versailles 

Marie-Antoinette, 1786 Secretare

Marie-Antoinette, 1787

Versailles Outstanding Silk Settee

Marie-Antoinette Room , 1787

 Marie Antoinette Kristen Dunst

Marie-Antoinette's Bedroom

Another Marie-Antoinette's Bedroom 

Gilded Louis XIII-Style Console

Trianon Music Room French Chairs ~ French Settee

Bedchamber

Grand Cabinet Du Dauphin Appartement Du Dauphin

Grand Cabinet Du Dauphin Appartement Photo Credit Rappy's Photostream

Nicholas Heurtaut C. 1760 for the boudoir of Marie Antoinette wife to King Louis XVI of France

Louis XVI

Louis XVI's Personal Desk

King Louis XVI Desk, Louis's Personal Desk

Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI at Madame Tussauds Mharrsch's Photo Stream

(Picure Credit Drapery Connection)

Purple French Provincial Sofa Re-Upholstered Photo Credit Sarah Klassen