Look to Versailles or Provence for decorating ideas.
France is known for food, creativity, royalty and romance, among other things. From Paris to Provence, the styles of French decor resonate with culture and a particular passion that often intrigues tourists and designers from afar. When you want to create your own bedroom using a style like those from French history, you have your choice of going bold or keeping it subtle. Look for antiques and follow some basic traditions for colors, art, metal and details to begin decorating your French bedroom.
Instructions
1. Start with the walls. Good paint colors to choose from are white, cream, ivory, ochre, yellow, gold, pale greens and pale blues. If you are going for the "boudoir" effect, use red for wall color or in the trim work. Black is an alternative that can also be used for trim. You'll have a wider range of options if you stick to colors for which you can find complementary furnishings. Antique wallpapers can work as coverings for an entire wall or as trim sections near the ceiling.
2. Use terra cotta tiles or hardwood for flooring. Top the floors with ornate area rugs.
3. Purchase drapes, curtains or appropriate window treatments. Select colors that work with the wall paint. If you're using an ivory color, choose red, gold or pale-colored drapes. Poufs and swags work well in this design style, and patterned fabrics suggesting old France are ideal. Use ultra-sheer, long white curtains when in doubt. These suggest the romance of both the era and place.
4. Choose your bed to reflect the old days of France. A top choice is a heavy, carved dark wood headboard and footboard. Wrought iron beds with scrollwork or filigree are also popular. Add a brocade or lighter canopy to the top third of the bed or place a light-textured canopy around the entire bed frame.
5. Locate antique furnishings such as very dark or very light wood nightstands, and one or more small curved chests. An armoire and vanity or dressing table also fit the motif.
If you can't find or prefer not to spend large sums of money for antiques, shop for
distressed furniture that suggests years gone by. Add antique chairs and benches in the French style.
6. Hang at least one large and very ornate wall mirror. Find one with scrollwork or is oval, diamond-shaped or has a carved frame. A grouping of three smaller ornate or gold-trimmed frames can also work.
7. Purchase paintings of exotic French landscapes, succulent plants, flowers, fruit or people from early France. Hang these on all the walls of your bedroom. Artwork doesn't need to overwhelm the room, but should enhance the style and provide a sense of elegance, beauty and romance.
8. Choose bedding that suggests richness, softness and a very full look. An example would be to add a feather bed above your mattress and use silky, large-floral sheets, a thick down comforter, a plush duvet and multiple pillows and shams. Vintage stripes or plain colors can serve as well for sheets, bed skirts and covers.
9. Place metal sconces to each side of the bed's headboard at least 1 foot away from either side. Add sconces to hold flower vases or candles elsewhere around the room.
10. Place beaded lamps or those with small, hanging colored crystals on nightstands, dressers and the vanity table. Add wrought iron scrolled candleholders around the room and top these with colored candles that match the walls or bedding.
11. Complete the room with small accent pieces. Use carved or marble boxes for your jewelry. Find statues or busts, an antique French clock, colored cut-glass bottles for perfumes and colognes, carved bookends, and crystal bowls to hold potpourri or precious stones.
Train your cat to lie perfectly still atop the bed covers when the friendly folks from the design magazine drop by to photograph your French bedroom.
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