Flourishes and French motifs give bedrooms feminine charm.
French decorating schemes typically punch up the style on both functional and purely decorative pieces. Decorating a bedroom in a French theme can be as simple as adding a trim of fleur-de-lis on your walls or purchasing a large armoire with hand-painted scenes on the doors. You can also opt to invest more time and money to integrate French architectural elements, furnishings, textiles and artwork.
Instructions
1. Select a type of French theme for your bedroom decor. For a classic, frilly look, antique French pieces or reproductions work well. Go with a distressed, timeworn aesthetic with a French country bedroom. If you prefer a bohemian bedroom, decorate the space in the style of a Paris art salon.
2. Set the tone with French paint colors and finishes. Mellow beige, gold, cream, rose and blue establish a backdrop for a classic French interior. Cornflower blue, mustard, terra-cotta and soft poppy seed black evoke a French farmhouse. Mismatched colors and patterns have the funky look of a Paris pied-a-terre. Accent walls might feature flocked wallpaper or a stenciled or stamped pattern of climbing ivy or fleur-de-lis.
3. Select French-inspired focal point furnishings. A sleigh bed or scrolled wrought iron bed frame with posters or a canopy have a rococo look. For the modern look of a Paris apartment, go with a low platform bed or a contemporary box-like canopy frame with no canopy. Other classic French bedroom furnishings include armoires and desks with curved, skinny legs.
4. Accessorize your French bedroom with pieces from France or inspired by French design. Landscape paintings, photographs and mirrors in ornately carved frames have classic style. For a more rustic look, hang simple metal signs advertising French products. Stack framed and unframed artwork and art postcards on a narrow wall or around a door frame to imitate the look of Paris art salons. Silk or linen textiles in faded florals, toile and paisley soften surfaces.
5. Illuminate your French bedroom. A drop crystal chandelier over the bed has formality while an acrylic version painted startling periwinkle or fuchsia has bohemian modern funk. Flank a large painting with wall sconces to make it the room's focal point.
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