Tag: French Provence

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The Extra Room- 6 French Provence Decorating Ideas

Sewing Room: No Cats Allowed

Coorengel And Calvagrac Bordeaux Library

Coorengel And Calvagrac Bordeaux Library- Elle Decor

Perhaps your children have left the nest, or you are newly married without children and you have that one extra bedroom that seems to be void of any life. You sit at the entry way deciding what to do but haven’t found a use for the room, other than a second bedroom or storage.

If you are wondering what to do with a spare room, and are looking for ideas to fill the space, we give you 7 really practical ideas to make that extra room functional, while at the same time fitting in with your French Provence countryside style.

1.  A Library

The suggestion of turning that extra room into the library, instead of a craft room,  just may convince your husband to fork out several hundred on a new built in for his, or should I say….. your books.   Men love cigar rooms, rooms where the can watch football games, so if you are into compromising, this may be the perfect idea that would work for the both of you.

Consider Provence Colors For The Extra Punch

The library of a French château decorated by Michael Coorengel and Jean-Pierre Calvagrac (above) features a French style, brighter color palette.  Colors like bright green, sunny yellow, vivid turquoise, and deep teal are exactly the type of shades that originally would have been used at Versailles. Lets face it, colors fade over 300 years, so the colors we today in Versailles, are not the colors that were originally chosen. Don’t be afraid of going with brighter paint colors.  Have fun accessorizing with a French settee and reading chairs.

Don’t Get Overwhelmed With The Cost Of A Library

Yes, built in’s can cost thousands, but it doesn’t have to.  Blogger Joni Webb transformed an extra bedroom into a library and reveals some of the in-progress photos.  In this photo, you can see how one would assemble the bookshelves, which then would be completed using strips of wood which gives the overall look a professional finish.  Paint your bookcases, and add custom lights, and a window bench and you have a room that looks and feels French.  Look at Joni’s room after here. It is a dream library.

Perfect French Furniture

-Zentique  Jute Bastille Sofa, Jute $3930, matching chair, $2600

-Wingback Chair, Natural Oak/Linen $1020

-Zentique Genevieve Sofa $3500

-Zentique Maison Sofa Natural Oak Natural Linen $2300

2.  A Serious Closet

Now that the kids are out of the house, you can spend some serious money on those handbags you always desired, show case the jewelry you have collected over the years, and the shoes you can only wear in the summer.  You can finally shop at home, and it costs you no money!

If your spare room is on the smaller side, it could make the perfect dressing room.  Custom wall-to-wall built-in shelving could be sensational for storing shoes, belts and accessories, and hanging clothes.

– Get the wood look for less.  Consider the Martha Stewart shelving systems available through Home Depot.

– Use Metal Brackets- For all our closets, we decided to work with the Closet Maid products at Home Depot. I installed 4 Shelf Tracks in most of our large closets,  spray painted them with an oil based primer before installing, and spaced them in our closets using a stud finder.  After installing all the shelf tracks, simply paint over them using the paint you plan on using for the walls.  The shelf tracks then just blends into the wall.  Instead of using the wire shelving that is sold in the line at home depot, go for wood.  Purchase one foot solid wood boards in the length of your closet, and then simply paint them the same color as your wall color.  You get the built in look without spending the mega bucks.  For all of my closets, I used the lager 16 inch bracket from Closet Maid.  Using an oil based primer which will stick the existing paint, spray paint the brackets, which then can be painted in the same overall paint you choose for your closets.   Create ceiling to floor shelving for your shoes, and customize boxes by painting them the same color as your walls, for that extra designer touch.  Go for dark color inside your closets to make your colorful clothes pop, such as a navy, or rich gray. Having everything painted in one solid color brings attention to your collections.  Add corner brass hardware to bring your closet up that extra notch.  The details can go a long way.

Lisa Vanderpump’s Closet

Lisa Vanderpump’s closet is one of the most beautiful closets I have seen.  In this picture, you can see the closet is painted in white, which nicely shows off all her colorful designer clothing. Consider adding an island with drawers for jewelry like Lisa did.   In this photo, you can see all of her pretty heavy jewelry on display.  Clothes and handbags are organized by color.  Custom floating shelving on the wall show off a variety of pretty handbags and accessories.   Make room for a decorative full-length mirror and stool, bench, or French chair.

3.  An Old Fashioned French Game Room

Family time now can be set as a priority.  All in one games are perfect for kids. This 6 in 1 Multifunction Sport Game Table can be set on a table top, and has a variety of games that can keep grand kids busy.

If chess is your game, order this beautiful wood chess table.  Add two French chairs, and enjoy endless nights as your husband teaches you chess.  Game rooms can be perfect for connecting with your better half.  Conversations can be ignited in a game of cards, something we think is so ancient.

A game of darts, ping pong, or pool are great activities to play with another person.  Coffee dates with your best girlfriend can be rather fun over ping pong than sitting in the back yard.  These games don’t have to be out of plastic.  Today you can buy high quality sets in wood that work with an upper scale theme room.

Here are my favorite links:

– Rome 8 Foot Pool Table- Buy it on Amazon for $1549 , available in Maple

– Athens 8 Foot Pool Table- Buy it on Amazon for $1799

– Marietta 8 Foot Pool Table Buy it on Amazon for $1549

-Stiga Insta Play Table Tennis Table Buy it for $560

– Worcester Arcade Style Dart Board Cabinet Buy it for $349

4.  A Multi- Hobby Room

A hobby room can be the best use of space out of all the options.  Having a room dedicated to a passion can turn the available space into a serious second income.

This Atlanta Homes Magazine picture features a hobby room that could serve multiple hobbies. Book shelves and baskets serve as good storage options.  Two large tables work great for sewing crafts, quilting, photography and scrap booking.

Arts and Craft Hobbies:

Painting, Drawing, Photography, Pottery, Quilting, Sewing, Knitting, Crochet, Scrap booking, Jewelry Making, Candle Making, Soaps making, body scrub making, Flower arranging, Dressmaking, blacksmithing, dollhouses, knife making, musical Instruments, candles, sculpture, film Making, stained glass, shadow boxes, doll making, sewing, glass blowing. Paper Crafts such as origami, decoupage, and quilling.

– Harbor View Craft Armoire Buy it on Amazon $272

– Knotty Alder Raised Panel – Scrapbooking, Jewelry Making, Hobby Storage Armoire- Buy it on Amazon for $1230

– Minibox Sewing Supplies Organizing Desk $945

Music Hobbies:

Music can be so rewarding and bring so much pleasure.  Learn to play an instrument. Play guitar, piano/keyboard, the violin, or learn how to sing.  Create a dance studio, and learn how to Latin dance, or create a ballet room for your daughter.

Electronic Hobbies

Electronics is a popular past time. This can include building circuits, robotics, R/C Cars, Boats, Planes and Helicopters

Science Hobbies

There are a wide range of science hobbies that a room dedicated to the love of scientific advancement can be thrilling. Many of these hobbies include astronomy,
microscopy, model airplanes, and rock collecting

-Scrapbooking collections can easily get out of control when storage isn’t available.  For those who love scrapbooking,  in this post, I detail furniture specifically designed for scrapbooking from Martha Stewart.   Paint additional furniture in the same color to get a built in look.

French Accessories

– The Alvin Heritage™ Basic French Easel not only has the antique charm of the past, but could serve as a centerpiece in a painting room.

-Alvin Pavillon Art Table – Unfinished Wood Top $182

– Wood Drafting Table with Pencil Ledge and Storage Drawer -$319

Choose furnishings that double as storage and seating, such as convertible storage benches, ottomans and stools. Line the room with open and closed door shelving to store and display hobbies.

5.  Home BUSINESS Office

A home office can be a great place to get organized. A desk can hold the supplies that often get dumped into the kitchen’s junk drawer.   Lots of people love to write but don’t know how to get organized.  Write on a blog, write an e-book, or write poetry.  A library, or room dedicated towards your dream of being published might be the best way of really getting serious about putting a plan into action. 

A room dedicated to a home office also could allow a second income to earn you money.  If you are an attorney, a seasoned accountant, able to do payroll, or any online medical jobs, a second room dedicated towards work can pay the bills and afford you a vacation that you have never taken.  Additional jobs that can be done at home are graphic design jobs, website development, and software creation.  Any editing jobs can also be done from home.

6.  A Simple Drop Dead Great Gorgeous Extra Bedroom

Go buy that dream French bed, and create the perfect French guest room, while at the same time having your hobbies in the closet.  Yes, I said closet!  Transform the closet into your hobby desk and organization area.  If you plan on regularly hosting family and friends, make your spare bedroom a comfortable place for overnight guests.  Transform a closet into your storage space for your hobbies, an extra seasonal closet.  Save space by using a trundle bed, positioned against the wall.

Additional Ideas- 5 Ways to Makeover Your Spare Room- Cabinet Hardware Ideas

French Provence Decorating

Christophe Laurent Durand Rouffio – Nov. 2011- pictures from maison-deco.com

French Bedroom

An 18th-century portrait of Marie-Joseph of Saxony, daughter-in-law of Louis XV, in the Polonaise bedroom; the Louis XVI daybed is upholstered in a chintz based on an 18th-century fabric, the chandelier is 18th century, and the walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s French Gray.

Picture –Elle Decor

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French Provincial Looks: Stone Floors

Chateau Montgeoffroy in the Loire Valley

Chateau Montgeoffroy in the Loire Valley

Choosing the right flooring is the simplest way to get the French Provence style in your home.   If you are considering decorating in this style, laying down tiles, or simply polishing the existing concrete is an easy way to get this old world style in your modern home.

The Provence style is associated most commonly with stone floors, plaster walls, french styled furniture, raw wood, and rustic interiors.  The ceilings in these old country homes were often ceiling beams of distressed raw wood and timbers, and irregular walls of plaster.  The walls often looked as though they were faux finished, and had the appearance of many colors layered upon each other.  This effect was a result of thin paint, which didn’t cover well, and so, as an addional layer was added, it gave it a washed appearance.  Stone floors are a common element seen in the Italian and Provence styled homes.  Here are a couple ways to get the look of stone flooring in  your own home without spending a bundle:

1.  Faux Stone Molds 

Stone is a must in any home which is being decorated in French Provincial style.  If you are like me, you really have no idea where to begin when it comes to construction.  If you have the money to invest in real stone, I say go for it.  If you are on a limited budget, consider faux stone.

You can make your own stone with concrete and stone veneer molds that can be made for just pennies and save up to 90% off retail prices of stone veneer, pavers, tile, brick, and stepping stones. The beauty of molds is they can be made out of cement, plaster, or concrete. This project can be made over the winter and installed in the summer months.  You can find a wide variety of stone molds on ebay, in different sizes which can be made over a couple months and installed room by room, without spending thousands.  Consider using a combination of molds, perhaps a series of rectangular molds along the walls, and cut stone in round and square shapes in the center of the room.

Stone Master Concrete floor block mould - World

Stone Master Concrete floor block mould – World $47 US +$15 Shipping

12X12 HEXAGON SLATE Texture Concrete Floor Tile Mold– $19 Free Shipping

If you want to make an interior wall of stone, you simply buy the concrete or plaster and buy colorant to the mix.   You can mix both plaster and concrete for a mold that doesn’t take on the weight of concrete, but has a bit more durability that is found in concrete.

The colorant will give you a foundation of color which you then can glaze paint over top for a more detailed look. You can start with orange styled plaster colored stones and gradually build up white paint which is mixed with glaze which could give you a white washed appearance.

Create custom floors with concrete tiles made from molds.  The opportunities are endless when you are working with molds that cost you pennies each.  This can save you thousands and allow you to put more money into the authentic furnishings of this period.

2.  Polish Existing Concrete

Most modern buildings are built on a concrete slab, making polishing the exposed concrete a budget friendly option.  Polished concrete floors are low-maintenance, as they are more durable and easier to clean than many flooring options.  Polished concrete reduces dust mite and allergen problems, and does not support mold growth.

How to Polish Existing Concrete:

Heavy-duty polishing machines, for example concrete grinder, are used to gradually grind down surfaces to the desired degree of shine and smoothness. The closest equivalent example would be polished granite or marble.

Polishing can be done wet or dry depending on the location in the house.  The benefits of wet grinding eliminates crystal silica exposure of dry grinding.  Stains can be added, and additional polishing will give you the high gloss shine of marble.

Videos- DIY How To Polish Concrete With A Concrete Floor Grinder – Youtube

Simple Gray Polished Concrete- From Pinterest

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5 Paint Color Choices For Provincial Furniture

Painting furniture can be an outstandingly satisfying craft. You can find an old, outdated piece and breathe new life into it with a simple color of paint. Once it’s in a new space, it can brighten and invigorate it, adding charm and drama all at the same time.

Sometimes the hardest decision of all is what color to use. When you want to go bold, here are some top color choices to consider.

Emerald Green

Emerald green is the hot color of 2013, according to the design industry. It connotes thoughts of riches and a recovering economy, and its lushness can bring a look of jewel luster into your home.

Because neutrals are still popular to decorate with, a splash of bright, bold, emerald green can be a lovely contrast against beiges and tans. Think about painting a chest or end table emerald green and adding some gold or silver accents or hardware. You’ll have a standout piece that will take charge.

Red

It seems red is a classic for painted furniture, one that can last through the years. Every room can hold a bold piece of red painted furniture, and the colors can range from candy apple to deep garnet. Like emerald green, a deep jewel tone will add drama, and a brighter red will add cheer.

Whether it’s a chair, table, or something else, a red accent piece of painted furniture will work well with almost any other color schemes, from neutral palettes to brighter colors ranging from blues to greens to yellows. Red can add freshness, drama, or whatever look you’re going for.

Blue

Colors of nature are very in right now, so painting a piece of furniture with the bold tones of blues in nature will be just the thing to do in 2013. Blue can be soothing like the sky, or invigorating like the sea. Choose from any blue shades to create a bold standout piece that will bring the natural world indoors.

Like red, blue tends to work well with most other color palettes and is a wonderful contrast to black and white.

Lavender

Whereas pink or purple may be too young to place in areas other than girl’s rooms in the home, lavender is like pink all grown-up. A single painted piece of lavender furniture will pop in a room and add that vintage drama that can bring the room to life.

Lavender is a great color to mix with other bold tones, like yellow and green, or use it against a white palette for extreme drama. Have fun with it – go bold – remember, it’s not a kid color anymore!

Yellow

Yellow is taking off on the runways now, so why not bring it in the home. A bold piece of yellow painted furniture, from chests to chairs to dining tables, will add a fresh new feel to any room.

Yellow can brighten darker areas and works great with natural woods or metallics. Don’t be afraid to go bold – lean towards the canaries, lemons, and golds rather than the softer butter and cream yellows.

Adding that piece of boldly painted furniture to your home will invigorate your home. Take a look around at what you have already; you never know, the very piece you want may already be in your home…just waiting.

Heather Legg is a writer who writes about small businesses and Spokeo removal, the art of creativity and keeping a positive perspective every day.

DE TONGE Provincial Table- Famous French Furniture Manufacture-Coco House, Palm Beach, FL

Wrought Iron Leaf Iron Chandelier In A Happy Yellow- dos gallos

Antique Yellow Painted Wicker Fiddelhead Chair – BG Galleries -Weymouth, MA

French Painted Tole Garden Table – Milord Antiques

 

Cabinet de curiosités Clément Lafaille, après 1766. Style néoclassique. Muséum d’histoire naturelle de La Rochelle. Source

Yellow Reproduction French Vaisselier- Traditional Home

Yellow Painted Provencal Armoire – Cote Jardin Antiques

Louis XV Painted Buffet – Bremermann Designs

French Commodes – Available Through Cote France

Marieclairemaison

French Painted Buffet Deux Corps-  Jean Williams Antiques

Blue Painted French Furniture- European Paint Finishes

Etienne French Painted Furniture

Cote France Tables

Green Painted French Provence Styled Furniture- Available Through Cote France

Louis XV Period Painted Console Table,  Bermingham and Co – New York

Au Rendez-Vous de Montmartre, Paris And Beyond Blog– Red Painted Desk Cote France

Red Painted French Louis XV Chest- Cote Jardin Antiques

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10 Tips To Keeping Your French Furniture Looking New

French Bedroom- The World of Interiors Nov 2011

When it comes to expensive antique or vintage furniture, you want to keep your furniture in good shape for as long as you can.  Upholstery can get messed up fast, especially if you have kids. Their sticky fingers and accidental spills can leave your furniture looking beat up and grungy. However there are some ways to keep your furniture looking nice:

1.    Fix scratches – Scratches on wood can easily be fixed with something you probably already have. No it is not a chemical or stain. Instead rub the scratch with a walnut. Somehow the nut removes scratches faster and better than anything you can buy at the store.

Also consider getting Minwax wood finish stain marker to fix those small scratches on wood based furniture.

2.    Remove stains – Some stains seem impossible to remove, but have no fear. Almost every satin can come out if you have the right stuff. My first go to for stains is Oxyclean. Safe to use on almost all fabrics and carpets, this miraculous cleaner helps me to get out stains like blood, wine, and even grape juice. This works well for stains in the car also, so it is well worth investing in a bucket of the wonder powder.

– You would be surprised how well plain white soap works.  With a bit of water, and white soap, stains usually lift right away.

-If your upholstery starts to look dingy, or has developed stains and spots, before you do anything, it is important to vacuum it. This will lift the dirt up off the upholstery so that when you go to remove the stains with water, you won’t be grinding in dirt and dust which, when wet, can further dirty your couches and chairs.

– When a spill occurs, blot the spot, don’t scrub or rub.  Clean up the spill with a dry white cloth as quickly as possible to prevent the stain from spreading.  Blotting is perhaps the most crucial, and also common sense part of how to clean upholstery.

3.    Use Tablecloths –The best way to keep your dining room table looking new is to prevent accidents from happening in the first place. When kids are around try to keep delicate fabrics and woods covered. A thick tablecloth will help to keep your table shiny and new looking.  Exchanging out tablecloths will keep your kitchen and dining areas looking fresh.  Use white linen for special dinners and beige linen for every day use.

 

 

4.  Use Satin Wall Paint- This French interior walls are painted in a vibrant shade of red.  This living room, designed by Miles Redd, shows the red interior we all dream about.  Redd adds a feminine feel by using  pelmets around the window.  A red upholstered French chair brings this red room together.  Use Satin Paint which can be cleaned yearly, which can brighten up dull wall paint.  While flat wall paint is quite lovely to look at, it cannot be cleaned.  Satin has a bit of a sheen to it, allowing you to gently wipe down the walls year to year.

5. Use The Right Outdoor Paint.  Rich rattan furniture can be seen through out the French cafes.  Copy this style for your own patio, by updating it with a rich cherry red.  Outdoor paint is formulated differently than indoor paint and often extends the life of your furniture.  Many more additives are used in outdoor paint to keep the color rich through sun exposure, and rain and the winter season. Painting wicker furniture can take a lot of time, so it is important to use the right paint.  Using a paint sprayer that hooks up to a compressor will allow even coverage, as well as be able to paint all the areas the brush cannot get to. A sprayer will allow you to paint all 6 or 8 chairs in an afternoon.   Spending a bit more for the right paint will ensure your furniture will last for years without peeling, or loosing its color.

6. Save Your Paint For Touch Ups.  Over time, furniture will need touch ups.  Save your furniture paint for future re-painting.  From year to year, patio furniture will scratch or flake off.  Having the extra paint on hand will allow you to re-paint table tops or areas of the furniture which tend to scratch.  If you are thinking about adding an additional piece to your collection, your stored paint will save you time from matching paint and making another run to the hardware store.

7.  Invest In A High Quality Vacuum Cleaner– These old fashioned mattresses have become very popular with Zentique, Home Decorators Collection and Restoration Hardware.  Although this style presents a primitive look, you truly don’t want to keep mattresses exposed over time, as dust and dirt settles in quickly.  Mattresses are often not cleaned in most homes, yet we spend 8 hours on them in a day.  In this video, you can see how much dirt a Kirby Vacuum picks up off a clean-looking mattress.  Consider investing in a high quality vacuum cleaner that is of professional quality.  Kirby vacuums and Dyson Vacuums are considered the best vacuums on the market.  Check out both vacuums in this video.  Cleaning your mattresses, furniture, and carpets will extend their lives restore the air quality in your home.

8. Invest In Slip Covers- Joni from Cote De Texas wrote an excellent article listing  the top 6 must haves for the year, and slipcovers was one of them.  Slipcovers are the covers that protect the furniture from dust and stain. They can be removed and are easy to wash and clean.

Slipcovers also allow you to exchange out one pattern for another.  Perhaps having two slipcover sets – one for the winter and another for the summer.

9.  Use Slipcovers For Your Dining Chairs- Your kitchen or dining table is used regularly, so consider making or purchasing slip covers for your chairs.  Chair seat covers come in a variety of styles that fit with any décor. Even couches can have a blanket tossed over them to prevent sticky hands from ruining it. While a blanket can be tossed into the washing machine, a couch can’t. By taking precautions you can keep your furniture looking brand new.

Items to Consider:

-ViveVita Linen Dining Room Chair Covers in Sets of 2

-Sewing Slip Cover Patterns From McCalls, Vogue and Butterick on Amazon

–Simply Slipcovers: Stylish, Practical Solutions for Tried-but-True Furniture

–Custom Slipcovers Made Easy: Weekend Projects to Dress Up Your Decor

-The Complete Photo Guide to Slipcovers: Transform Your Furniture with Fitted or Casual Covers

 Ruffled Slipcovers From Tumblr

Shannon Bowers Home – Featured On Cote De Texas

 10.  Keep Your Furniture Out Of The Sunlight.- If you have a choice in upholstery, consider upholstering the backs of your french chairs in a different fabric if they sit near a window with sun exposure.  Over time the fabric which has been exposed will fade in color.  Having the front upholstery different than the back will allow the back to fade naturally, without the front looking quite a bit different.

Light is important, and you don’t want to have to close your curtains just to preserve the furniture.  Slipcovers can also allow you to exchange out linens over time, giving you fresh prints and fabrics to change up your home through the seasons.

These are just a few of the ways that you can preserve and protect your furniture. From antiques to words of modern art and design, it is much easier to prevent then it is to repair. So be alert to dangers and do not be afraid to cover up delicate pieces.

About the Author:
Ken Myers is an expert advisor on in-home care & related family safety issues to many websites and groups. He is a regular contributor to www.gonannies.com. You can get in touch with him at kmyers.ceo (at) gmail.com.

Source Magazine Juliette & Victor 2012 – Photo credit Louis-Philippe Breydel

Photo Originally Appearing on Belgian Pearls Blog


18th Century French Interiors- The Essence Of Frenchness Blog

French Table Cloth Looks From Art et Decoration

Linen is a staple of French decorating. Not only does it have a wonderful texture, it also gets better with age, softer each time it’s washed. – Photo Credit Home Life

Classic French Country Decorating- Browse the full range of Mamie Carreaux

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5 Tips To Combine Both Antique And Modern Styles In Your Home

Sébastien and Raphael Llado Levavasseur

There are some people, who just can’t stop gushing about their Provence inspired elegant bedrooms. You may also come across people, who hold minimalist contemporary furniture, in very high esteem. Yet, every once in a while, comes a creative soul, who wishes to incorporate furniture designs from widely varying historical ages, in his home.

The ensuing unique mix of tradition and modernity that their homes possess becomes an extension of their quirky and eclectic personalities. If you happen to be someone, who falls in this category, then the following 5 tips are sure to give you some great ideas.

1. Existing Furniture Must Be Removed

It doesn’t matter if you plan to combine tradition and modernity, in one particular room of your house. Your eclectic vision might even encompass your entire home. Whatever might be the case, a clean space is necessary in order to invite timeless design ideas to inspire your mind.

This means that rather than moving things around, and making haphazard additions and omissions to your design area, you should remove all furniture from it, and start from scratch.

2. Retain Pieces That Match Your Larger Schemes

Once you have removed all furniture from the particular room that you wish to design (or redesign, for that matter), you can proceed to think about what goes and what stays, in them. Here, you need to be objective about the furniture pieces that would mesh into your design, rather than letting your emotions rule.

Remember, only the truly deserving furniture pieces must find a place of honor in your eclectic home.

3. Rethink about Your Walls and Flooring

Sometimes, it is easy to get caught up in the larger designing scheme of your house, so that you completely ignore the finer and subtler details. If you are not careful, you can end up with all the right furniture in your eclectic home, only to realize that the color of your walls, and the material of your floor, totally kills all your efforts.

In order to avoid this, it is advisable that you dabble with neutral colors and designs that go well with all kinds of furniture, be they from the 19th century, or the current era.   This will give your home the poise and balance to carry off an assorted look.

4. Add New Pieces

Once you have got the basics right, then you can proceed to adding more and more appropriate furniture pieces to your room. The key here is to maintain a delicate balance between furniture from differ rent historical periods. You can approach several furniture West Palm Beach stores that have in-house design consultants, who can help you to acquire the right look.

5. Accessorize Leniently

In order to have a really eclectic house, which also feels like home, it is essential to add some personal details to it. You home will look more and more inviting, as you inject drapery, mirrors, framed photographs and art that mix well with the larger plan of your home.  For instance: a postmodernist painting can strangely work well with old-fashioned motifs on a wooden chest of drawers, beneath it.

A combination of eras, in your home, is all about experimentation. Yet, with a bit of luck, you can also chance upon customized furniture packages Miami that make your task easy.

 

With its elegant decor based patinas, furniture and unusual objects unearthed in the region, ” Gustave  “is a small house of the sixteenth century, in the walled city of Belleme, transformed into a delightful tea room, deli and curio shop.  Read the original article at Magazine e-magDECO 

Raphael and his dog Donut.

Sébastien and Raphael Llado Levavasseur
18 rue Ville Close, 61130 Bellême
Telephone: 00 33 (0) 2 33 73 94 89
Website: http://www.maison-gustave.fr/

A Louis XV Style Gilt Metal Mounted Painted Side Table

At the entrance of the teahouse is the deli.  Two-body Swedish early nineteenth Lisa Martino “The House Fassier” display and confectioner Louis XV style chair XIXth “Stephanie Mayeux Antiques”.

Petite Antique French Lady’s Writing Desk w/Orig. Tooled Leather

Provence Style Chest –Benjamin Wilson Antiques

Distressed paneling sits behind a Louis XVI style caned seat

Portrait of Lord Swedish Lisa Martino 

 Gustavian clock with a Louis XV style hunting table, with a  Caned Louis XVI style bench


Pair of Louis XV Painted and Parcel Gilt Chaises a la Reine

A fruitwood table -Louis XV period

A Pair of Louis XV Style Fauteuils

Provence Style Chest Greenwich Living Antiques & Design Center

A 19th Century French Carved and Painted Provincial 3 Tier Table

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36 French Landscaping Looks For Your Back Yard

French style decorating has become so popular because of beauty of the the old world looks that are associated with the style.  There are a couple of elements that you can incorporate into your landscaping and the type of furniture you choose which will give you the classic French looks found in Provence.

1.  Consider replacing your lawn with gravel.  It sounds like a bad idea right?  Create texture using raised garden beds, and add in patio furniture, water gardens, which adds a lot more texture than just plain grass.

Consider showcasing the lawn that you do have.  If you have rectangular backyard, consider cutting around your lawn, forming a circle shape in the center of your property. A circular or square pattern which you can edge with stone or coordinating greenery can give you more of a designer look.

2.  Add In Rustic Container Gardens- Garden style urns can really capture the old world romance that you see in Versailles.  Paint can do wonders to those new resin urns that you see at home depot.  To get a rustic look, start with painting your urn an oil paint in flat black.  After it dries, mix together sand and brown paint and apply it to the urn.  When it is almost dry, take the hose, and spray water on the urn.  The pressure of the water will create a natural distressed effect that doesn’t look like you painted it yourself.  Consider using this picture as your inspiration.

3. Create Order In Your Backyard- Pair common elements together to create a landscape that looks like it was designed by the pros.  Plant fruit trees, instead of regular trees that will mature and produce dozens of fruit from year to year.  Line up urns, and patio chairs along the edges.  Line up shrubs and hedges in a row to draw special attention to these selected areas.

4. Consider investing in metal furniture that you don’t have to shelter over the winter.  Having a large yard is a lot of maintenance.  Wood furniture over time can root if it is left in the snow, while metal furniture, does a lot better in winter conditions. If you can shelter your furniture, do!  If you cannot, purchase clear plastic shower curtains at your local dollar store to drape over some of your furniture.  Wood, and metal furniture can be touched up with paint from year to year.

5.  Folding outdoor furniture is really popular in France.  Consider investing in a set of folding chairs which you can paint.  Any sort of metal furniture will create the French mood you are after.  Don’t worry if the furniture you choose is vintage, as anything can be improved with paint.  Metal garden pots, posts, fences, chairs are all elements that are commonly seen in the French countryside.  You cannot go wrong with anything metal in your back yard if you are after the French look.

 

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