Tag: French Provence Furniture

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White Painted Vintage French Provincial Country Furniture

Painted French Provincial End Tables – Jacki Keenan

Vintage Foot board Stenciled In Red For A Fireplace Surround – David Abrams

French Provincial Dixie Vanity Desk – $700 (West Roxbury)

French Country Linen Daybed – Craigslist

French Provincial Chest of 6 Drawers by National Furniture Co

A unique way to make over a vintage French Provincial Coffee Table

– Amy Staton Pruchnic

White Painted Vintage French Provincial End table – Lorri Posey Fowler

Kathy Allen Walker Vintage Sewing Basket

Vintage French Provincial Chest – Jim Bobrik

French wrought iron folding daybed – $750 (Branford)

Painted French Provincial Furniture – Megan Fulbright

Painted French Provincial Furniture –

Painted French Provincial Furniture –

Painted French Provincial Furniture –

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18th Century French Style By Coorengel Calvagrac

Michel Coorengel

Michel Coorengel Photo Credit  April 2013 Elle Decor

Photography by William Waldron

When interior decorator Michel Coorengel and his partner Jean Pierre Calvagrac first met, they discovered a mutual passion for antiques and decoration. Born and raised in Holland, Michel is half Dutch and half Indonesian whereas Jean Pierre is a native of France. “We had both studied law and had similar tastes,” explains Michel who started his career working for antiques dealers and decorators during his school holidays.

This 18th-century estate above had fallen to disrepair over the years when designer Michael Coorengel and Jean-Pierre Calvagrac, of Coorengel and Calvagrac, were hired to renovate the estate, which lasted over three and a half years.  The pair transformed this estate by selecting age appropriate paint colors, drapery and antique furniture.  Through the process the designers stumbled upon a thrilling discovery.  Several rooms which had been boarded up and forgotten for decades revealed antiques untouched for years. It was there that they revealed 18th-century painted chinoiserie panels and gilded-bronze candelabras, and so much more.   Read more about this at Elle Decor

Here are several more spectacular rooms from this team of designers.

Previous Works

-Louis XVI armchair covered in Verel de Belval silk in drawing room with renaissance walnut table and grey taffeta window hangings, also by Verel de Belval – See Here

-A satin covered Louis XVI canape in front of a wooden sculpture of Saint Joseph in a drawing room with grey taffeta window hangings from Verel de Belval” – See Here

-Three plaster head busts placed on glass columns designed by Coorengel and Calvagrac – See Here

-A restoration daybed or lit de repos covered in red silk satin by Prelle in a blue room, with white columns, gilded wall sconces and lion skin rug with mounted head- See Here

-A pair of vermeil and jade candelabra by Puiforcat on a restoration gueridon with white marble top in blue room with lion rug and red daybed – See Here

-A mahogany Louis Phillip bed and circular table in bedroom with Jansen 1940 bronze and brass chandelier and a wrought iron astrolabe from ‘Aero’ in NY. A 17C portrait of Louis XVI hangs on the wall. – See Here

-A head bust of Voltaire on a Louis Phillip table along with an astrolabe from Aero, NY. A mink blanket is draped on an 18C chair in front of a marble mantelpiece. – See Here

-A pair of rattan chairs by Jean Michel Frank flank a 1940’s plaster column and vase in room with wrought iron table with a mercury glass top and parquet floor- See Here

-A portriat of the Count de Quelen above a Louis XV style desk in room with a white vase in faience and a silk chinese lantern. On the desk is a sterling sillver bowel by Jean Puiforcat – See Here

Michel Coorengel Photo Credit April 2013 Elle Decor

Michel Coorengel Photo Credit  April 2013 Elle Decor

Michel Coorengel Photo Credit April 2013 Elle Decor

Michel Coorengel Photo Credit  April 2013 Elle Decor

Michel Coorengel Photo Credit April 2013 Elle Decor 2

Michel Coorengel Photo Credit  April 2013 Elle Decor

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French FEED

Great French Provincial Design Is a Philosophy More Than a Look

French Provence Style

French Provence Style-magazine.pierrefrey.com

New York interior designer Miles Redd says, “Life in the 21st Century means taking the best of history and making it work for you.” That is a good philosophy to adopt, whether your design preferences are for contemporary, island chic, British Colonial or French Provincial. Selecting the best of the design traditions and adapting them to your individual lifestyle is the very essence of the design ethic.

What a Feeling

“Most of all, country French is a feeling,” according to French Heritage. Speaking of furniture, the company, which was founded by French-born Jacques Wayser and his American wife, subscribes to the adage that there is no one “period” in history that encompasses French provincial. It is, rather, a way of life, and a philosophy that encompasses the past and adapts to modern needs, uses and sensibilities. In that sense, it is neither rigid, nor formal; it is, however, very personal and always changing to meet new needs and new circumstances.

That accounts for its undying popularity. French country design is seemingly always fresh, always appropriate, and always evolving.

Flexible and Inventive

Remaining true to the beloved French Provincial style ethic is simple when you first adopt the philosophy: Respect for the styles of the past and a willingness to revise, modernize and “make do” when necessary. The essence of court-originated style during the reigns of French monarchs was captured in informal style and inexpensive woods for the “common” folk in the provinces.

Well-made, sturdy furniture lasted for generations. However, years of use took their toll, and inventive families had to make repairs and replace parts, adapting to changing needs. In time, the painted finishes and well-used looks became well-loved as well.

Personal Choice Dictates

Today, the range of options in interior design is sometimes overwhelming. It can be daunting to face the myriad of decisions involved in completing an interior design scheme. The choice of country French as a decor, however, is a wise one, allowing a wide range of available choices with an emphasis on lasting comfort and individuality.

For all your choices, ranging from wall colors to floor coverings, from furniture to window coverings, and from accessories to art, you should realize that there are no hard and fast rules. If you prefer an uncluttered modern look, you can leave windows bare if there is no issue with privacy. On the other hand, wood blinds from TheShadeStore.com, in your choice of finishes, would give you room-darkening possibilities and be perfectly suited to a provincial scheme. You could soften the look with flowing draperies in a colorful toile print, or with gathered panels in a bright country check.

Animal-ish and Whimsy

Charles Faudree and Betty Lou Phillips are two of the most respected interior designers in the country; each has a personal style. They rely on a bit of “whimsy” to make a room come alive, utilizing color, layers of fabric, and a mix of textures and themes. Iconic French symbols appear as well: The fleur-de-lis, an occasional Napleonic bee, chickens, gold braid, and French words. According to their sites (CharlesFaudree.com, and BettyLouPhillips.com), advice given by each designer is the same: “Enjoy the style!”

Guest Post by Timothy Allen

 

Timothy is an interior designer with an eye for straight lines and Mediterranean styling.

Chateau Montgeoffroy

Chateau Montgeoffroy- www.ot-saumur.fr

Chateau Montgeoffroy

Chateau Montgeoffroy- magazine.pierrefrey.com

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3 Tips To Getting A French Look For Your Home

Picture Credit –themalibubergdorfblonde on ebay

18th Century Home Located in Located in Uzeste, France Maison-Deco

18th Century Home Located in Located in Uzeste, France  Maison-Deco

Here are three tips to get the French looks in your own home.

1.   Painted furniture shouldn’t look freshly painted.  Black furniture, can be left alone, although lighter colored furniture should have some sort of washed glaze over it.  Blue looks fabulous with a white wash.  Green paint looks great with a cigar glaze.  White looks great with distressing and a slight aged look.  It is amazing what a simple step of glaze can do for any painted piece of furniture.

2.  I never clued into sheens until several years after I started painting.  Your walls should always be eggshell, or matte.  Glossy walls don’t work with antique styled interiors, although work terrific in Hollywood Regency, or modern homes.   Matte walls show no flaws, because the light doesn’t reflect off of them, making them appear like fresh drywall.   Furniture on the other hand should never have a flat finish.  Even if you finish your furniture using a flat paint, furniture should be finished with wax, glaze, or polycrylic.  I have learned that an eggshell or a satin works the very best on furniture.  Glossy furniture should be very carefully selected for bombe pieces, or regency furniture that has a slight modern touch to it.  Again, specific styles call for specific finishes.  If you want your pieces to have a flat sheen to them, consider mixing a water based polycrylic with water.  Paint on a light coat, and the overall effect will look matte, but will stay protected.

3.  Architecture can be just as important as furniture.  Consider investing in faux finished walls that look like limestone, or washed plaster walls.  Brick, or stone flooring is a trademark design of the French Provence style.  Invest in anything with stone or metal.  Makeover that fireplace with rough white stone, or consider installing faux brick to 1/3 of the wall.  Find the elements of the French style and collect the main elements of the style, but also focus on the architectural elements.  Focusing on both elements will pull together your look with a designer edge.

Classic French Interiors

Classic French Interiors – classic-french-chateaux.co.uk/

Classic French Interiors

Classic French Interiors – classic-french-chateaux.co.uk/

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Exceptional French Provence Reproduction Furniture

For more than 40 years interior designers throughout the United States and Canada,  Sarreid Ltd has been known as being an innovator in the home furnishings field since 1967. After receiving many requests from customers to provide them with identical pieces of the best selling items, Sarreid Ltd finally decided to manufacture the best of their furnishings that could be then made available to the public on a wider scale.

Their goal was to make exact replicas of the original antique that they had in their possession, so they could produce quality pieces that look identical to the originals. Every item could be made using the original techniques seen on the pieces themselves by skilled craftsmen who restore Sarreid’s genuine antiques. Their reproductions look like thousand dollar 18th century antique furniture.  This is partly due to the amazing skills of their craftsmen, (whom they recruit from all over the world), but also the steps they take to make the furniture look genuine.  They start with reclaimed wood, and every item is hand finished by their  team of antique restorers, replicating the finish of the original antique in every detail. The end result is that each replica is unique in its own way, just like the original. Expansion, shrinkage, small cracks, and wood imperfections are all inherent qualities of their product.

Sarreid sells exclusively to fine furniture stores and design galleries.

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Distressing Painted French Provincial Furniture

The best way to practice distressing techniques is on an old piece of furniture that is either a thrift store find, or something you don’t mind donating if the end result is not what you expected. Don’t begin your experiment with pieces that are valuable or antique furniture passed down in your family until you have tried this technique and are confident in the results.

Distressing adds a lot of interest and detail on painted furniture. It is the one technique that will improve a painted finish guaranteed! Over the years of selling white furniture, I have had more men love distressing than women. Distressing can look primitive, rustic and even masculine.

Your painted furniture should either have one coat or multiple coats of paint in the same color with bare wood under the paint. When distressing the piece of furniture, you should see the top color and the wood.

For a layered effect, use a neutral color as your base coat such as gray or black. When you distress the furniture, black will also show along side the natural wood color and your top coat paint color.

The worst thing you can do with distressing is have a white primer under a color. If your top color is white, then, it works just fine. Although you don’t want a red dresser with white paint peeking through.

The way to get around this is to fully sand your furniture before painting so you will have one coat of paint and your natural wood color which shows through distressing.

1. Distressing can be very simple. The first way of distressing is with sandpaper. Start by sanding it with fine sandpaper in the direction of the wood grain. This will greatly improve the look of your finished piece. Sand in the areas which would get banged up over time. The edges of the chest, the feet, the areas around the handle. You want your distressing to look as natural as possible. Use a hand sander, or a foam sander for great results.

2. Heavy distressing involves more than just sandpaper. Metal chains whipped on to a wood chest can depressions to the piece. Be careful that your distressing is random, and not obvious such as a screw driver, or a hammer. Chains work quite well for heavy distressing because the indents will be random than purposeful.

A. Now you want to emphasize the marks you made. You can either use a wood stain in walnut, or brown glazing. Either of these two colors will give the impression of dirt. Both techniques are simply done by painting on a coat of glaze or stain, and wiping it off quickly. Be sure not to use flat white paint with either two approches, as both the glaze and stain will permanently stain the white.

Antique Walnut Polyshade in Satin, or Pecan Polyshade in Satin are great stains to use over white or a color. Apply it with a brush and paint thinner, and wipe it off with a rag.

Be sure to wear throw away Vinyl gloves through this process, as it will save the time getting the chemicals off your skin once you are finished. Vinyl gloves stay on your hands easier than latex and can be used many times before throwing them away through out your painting projects

Simply paint on the stain or the glaze, and within a couple minutes after it sets and dries, wipe the stain off the piece which should leave just enough stain to collect in the holes to emphasize the distressed wood. Often times after glazing I like to add a polycrylic sealant to the furniture. With stain no sealant is necessarily. Enjoy your new antique looking white furniture!

This beautiful bathroom vanity is constructed in a size that is perfect for small bathrooms and is suited perfectly for any French Provence country decor. It has a durable resin top, one faux drawer, one door with one adjustable shelf inside, and a sliding back for easy plumbing connections. It is featured in a striking off white Bordeaux finish with rub through and antique finished fixtures with a biscuit ceramic sink. The Bordeaux collection also includes dining room furniture.

Floor to top of faucet: 41H Floor to top of backsplash: 39H Floor to top of counter: 35H Hardwood Solids with Red Birch Veneers; Resin; Ceramic; Metal

Bishop Coffee Table is shown in Antique White finish on base and Signature Stain top. This solid wood table has one drawer with antiqued drawer pulls.

LOUIS XV CONSOLE;Vintage Cygne Blanc finish on six drawer console with drawers finished in Heritage Stain. Antiqued hardware.

The Provence cabinet boasts hand carved detail and beaded trim for storage with feminine flair. Its antiqued mirrors and Vintage Cygne Blanc finish lend a nostalgic appeal.

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