After spending last week in England, we decided to continue our
old fashioned
"Summer Tour" and head across the sea,
or should I say
Channel...
When I first went to France several years ago, it was only because
it was between me and my final destination ~ Belgium. Like most
Americans, I had heard every story about the inhospitable people, over sauced
food, etc. And although some of the cliché's may be true in some areas of
the country, I found that after surviving a train strike, less than perfect
weather in Paris and the narrow miss of the volcanic ash cloud upon departure,
I love France!
And of course the designer inside of me is fascinated by how the
French can
create the beauty of Versailles
in a space the size of a postage
stamp!
So let's begin.
Our inspirational space this week is a living
room in a rental property located just a few steps from the Champs~Elysees.
 |
| Courtesy ~ Paris Haven |
The most important element in this space is the color. Trying to capture the light of Paris is
impossible and matching the perfect gray/blue hue you find in almost every
French space is equally difficult. I
myself spent many weeks with several gray/blue mixtures in my kitchen trying to
find the one that made me feel I was breakfasting near the river Seine.
The one that came the closest was
Sherwin
Williams Conservative Gray 6183.
(Design note ~ lighting, room orientation, cabinet colors all
affect the final outcome of a wall color so ALWAYS paint LARGE test samples on
each wall the color will be applied so you can experience it in multiple scenarios. And never trust color in a photo!)
The next element I would concentrate on
is the beautiful, gold gilt mirror
 |
| Courtesy of Layla Grace |
With this vintage mirror
your space is almost speaking French!
Lighting is one area of design that I find to be very personal,
almost like selecting jewelry. There is no rhyme or reason, you either
like a specific style of lighting or you don't. I personally love antique
fixtures with worn gold
finishes and crystal drops so I frequent Ebay in hopes of finding
fixtures that fit whatever
space I am currently working in...
...but if you are someone who prefers
something a little edgier (like Reese)
by
all means mix things up a little and
add a contemporary fixture in an
elegant finish
like the one below
by Troy Lighting
Now for chairs.
The French Bergere chairs shown
are easy to find.
Everyone from Ballard Designs to
One Kings
Lane has a version of their own.
For me,
I prefer the small stature of this antique version recently offered up at
auction.
So that's it! That is about all it takes
to add a little Joie de vivre to your project,
except maybe some fun stemware to toast a glass of French Champagne!
As daughters of veterans, we are proud to share
this week's "giving back" opportunity
honors our veterans by flying them to
Washington DC to visit their memorials with
top priority given to the
senior veterans from WWII.
And for all those left behind and their families,
we say Thank You.
 |
| Normandy France |
 |
| Normandy France |
For more French Interior ideas, visit our Across the Sea board on Pinterest.
~Maggie
