Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

Here is a close up of one of the original chairs in the Queens bedroom.  Bonnefoy du Plan oversaw the creation of the furniture pieces which featured carved and painted trellises, basketwork, floral forms and rustic garlands. The furniture is called “wheat-ear” [...]]]>

Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

Here is a close up of one of the original chairs in the Queens bedroom.  Bonnefoy du Plan oversaw the creation of the furniture pieces which featured carved and painted trellises, basketwork, floral forms and rustic garlands. The furniture is called “wheat-ear” furniture, so named for lily-of-the-valley, pine cones, and ears of wheat found in the design The third floor is known as the Mezzanine and was for the Queen’s staff. The room reminds me of classic Swedish Style. The Louis XVI furniture is known as the basis to much of the Gustavian style.

The comparison between the relatively modest room of the queen at the Petit  Trianon and the royal apartments of the Palace of Versailles is striking. The  small dimensions of the bed of the queen in her room at the Petit Trianon show  well that here she lived as a single woman away off her royal husband.

It is  known that Marie-Antoinette in her married life had known a humiliating  experience. Louis XVI had been unable during 7 years to consummate the marriage.  This was known in France as well from the royal courts of Europe.

The  room is entirely authentic, the furniture of origin was found, repurchased and  restored. It is refined furniture signed Georges Jacob. The clock of the Queen  decorated with the two eagles of the house of Austria is back on its  site.

Contiguous to this room is the cabinet “of the moving mirrors” who by  means of a system of sliding slopes allowed the queen to shut her windows when  she wanted to isolate herself

The Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

The Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette From PingulnaMA On Flicker

The Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

The Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

French Style- The Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

The Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

Private Apartment of Queen Marie Antoinette

In the fifteenth century, the ruins of Nero's Domus Aurea were discovered in Rome. The first explorers to enter the interior of this spectacular palace complex had the sensation of finding themselves in a series of grottoes, and this is why the fanciful frescoes and floor mosaics discovered there were called "grotesques." A fashionable form of ornamentation in ancient Rome, grotesques consist of loosely connected motifs, often incorporating human figures, birds, animals, and arranged around medallions filled with painted scenes. Fifteenth-century artists such as Perugino, Signorelli, Filippino Lippi, Mantegna copied the ancient Roman examples; the most famous use of the style was Raphael's Loggie in the Vatican Palace, which became immensely famous and influential all over Europe. This magnificently illustrated book covers the entire history of the grotesque in European art, from its Roman origins through the Renaissance to the late nineteenth century. It illuminates how grotesque decoration was transformed in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries into arabesque, chinoiserie, and singeries, and how it continued in the nineteenth century, leading eventually to Art Nouveau. 250 color illustrations.

This richly brocaded ensemble illustrates the style of dress worn by women at court.  Known as a mantua, the gown consists of a bodice with a train at the back.  A very wide petticoat of matching silk completes the ensemble along with a triangle of silk known as a stomacher, in [...]]]>

Ivory Silk Brocaded Gown

This richly brocaded ensemble illustrates the style of dress worn by women at court.  Known as a mantua, the gown consists of a bodice with a train at the back.  A very wide petticoat of matching silk completes the ensemble along with a triangle of silk known as a stomacher, in the centre front.

Although considered stylish daywear in the early 18th century,  the mantua had become very old-fashioned by the 1750s and was worn only for court dress.  Wide hoops were beginning to go out of style, but kept their extreme width at court.  To make up for its conservative cut, court dress was always made from the most fashionable as well as expensive fabrics and trimmings.   This gown was made from an ivory silk brocaded pattern of stylised flowers and leaves.  The motifs are accentuated by colours of the precious metal thread.  Such a design is typical of French silk weavers and the fabric was probably imported as this gown was one worn in the English courts.  English weavers copied French designs very closely.

Ivory Silk Brocaded Gown

Ivory Silk Brocaded Gown

Court Mantua Kensington Palace 1750-1760 From ArtFund

Court Mantua Kensington Palace 1750-1760 From ArtFund

French Canopy Beds originated from medieval England and Europe. Today people buy them for their looks, while in the past they served a practical purpose of preventing bugs, spiders, and flys from entering into your sleeping quarters. In Primitive times, [...]]]>

Louis XVI lit a la polonaise bought with Francois Halard's first earnings as a photographer.

French Canopy Beds originated from medieval England and Europe. Today people buy them for their looks, while in the past they served a practical purpose of preventing bugs, spiders, and flys from entering into your sleeping quarters. In Primitive times, the roofs of the homes were not in the best shape, letting the rain, bugs and dirt into your home. Bed fabric panels also added a privacy wall, from the common home where separate rooms was not common in medieval times. Privacy panels were often used to section off a particular space in a home, as well as keeping the warm air from escaping the enclosed area at night. Originally, curtains were hung from the ceiling, but as the bed evolved, a frame was added to support a canopy where the curtains hung.

One of the easiest ways of decorating with high impact is simply with fabric. Combine a few different patterns with the same color tone, and don't be afraid to over lap fabrics. Fabric is the easiest way of adding interest to a room.

Waddesdon Manor, a renaissance-style château designed by French architect Destailleur in 1874 for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild whose family line is one of the richest families in the world. The family made their fortune though owning banks around the world, and are globally known for their involvement in [...]]]>

French Styled Furniture Nicole Kidman Waddesdon Manor

Waddesdon Manor, a renaissance-style château designed by French architect Destailleur in 1874 for Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild whose family line is one of the richest families in the world. The family made their fortune though owning banks around the world, and are globally known for their involvement in creating the new world order, which has been a hot topic around the world. Waddesdon Manor is now available to the public as a museum. The chateau is was designed is after the great chateaus of the Loire Valley, and known today for its world-renowned collection of French furniture, and paintings. Several major paintings are featured such as Gainsborough, Reynolds, Rubens, Watteau, and Boucher. Waddesdon’s eighteenth-century French furniture rank in quality, rarity and are considered as valuable as items in the Metropolitan Museum, NYC, and the Louvre, Paris. Waddesdon has been picked as one of the top ten stately homes to visit in the UK.

A unique paint color such as apple green, black, or red bookcases can bring out the beauty of the books and displays in libraries. Adding multiple layers of architectural details such as stone, tapestries, wood detail and accessories will add to the detail [...]]]>

Architectural and Interior Design by Marshall Watson and Holmes Easley

A unique paint color such as apple green, black, or red bookcases can bring out the beauty of the books and displays in libraries. Adding multiple layers of architectural details such as stone, tapestries, wood detail and accessories will add to the detail and charm of classic reading rooms.  Purchasing bookcases can be an alternative way of saving money than having custom built bookcases.  If you do decide to go that route, be sure to paint your shelves, so that the various materials used will bend together.  Consider a classic gray, black or antique color that will give off a classic antique feel.  Adding an shelf  to the top of typical bookcases can give the look of floor to ceiling shelves.  There are many options to make your personal library that dream reading room.

Heirloom Small Antique Globe, Reproduction Antique Brass & Leather Binoculars, Sixteenth-Century Italian Replica Old World Globe Bar

 New Banker's Lamp Antique Brass 14.5"H Desk Lamp, Legacy Corkscrew (Antique Bronze, Brass Pocket Compass with Cover and Antique Finish

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Topiary gardens are considered the hight of luxury, and you can dulpicate this look in your own garden or entry way.  Outdoor landscaping was encouraged by architect Louis Le Vau, and landscape architect André Le Nôtre, who was the chief designer of the Versailles Palace.  How can you incorporate some of the magnificant gardens [...]]]>

Topiary gardens are considered the hight of luxury, and you can dulpicate this look in your own garden or entry way.  Outdoor landscaping was encouraged by architect Louis Le Vau, and landscape architect André Le Nôtre, who was the chief designer of the Versailles Palace.  How can you incorporate some of the magnificant gardens of France? Topiary plants are easy and simple to grow, and will provide you an outstanding unique garden if you want your outdoors to look just as beautiful as inside your home. Building up the architecture in your gardens will allow you to feel like your home is twice as big.

(Look at the fabric on the Louis XVI settee- A Neoclassical Print in light blue)

What is there not to love about chinoiserie wallpaper? There are many variations of colors and of detailed prints. Louis XV of France, gave special favor to Chinoiserie style, as it blended well with the [...]]]>

De' Gournay Hand Painted Wallpapers

(Look at the fabric on the Louis XVI settee- A Neoclassical Print in light blue)

What is there not to love about chinoiserie wallpaper? There are many variations of colors and of detailed prints. Louis XV of France, gave special favor to Chinoiserie style, as it blended well with the ornate rococo style. Entire rooms for example such as the Château de Chantilly, were painted in Chinoiserie style. It was extremely popular in the seventeenth century, which reflect Chinese artistic influences.

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A European designer at heart, Alessandra Branca  incorporates antique designs into a mix of modern day elements for new takes on old world elegance.  The 16th through the 18th century is where she draws her inspiration, as she is an avid reader always looking for an opportunity for a new direction.   [...]]]>

Alessandra Branca Red Stripe Room

A European designer at heart, Alessandra Branca  incorporates antique designs into a mix of modern day elements for new takes on old world elegance.  The 16th through the 18th century is where she draws her inspiration, as she is an avid reader always looking for an opportunity for a new direction.   Her keen eye for color and a willingness to take risks on dramatic style is what is so interesting about her. Drawn to classic looks, her intuition kicks it up a notch with bold color palettes and contrasting designs.

"If you don’t love your things, it’s much better to live in a white box.” Says Alessandra Branca.

It is very true advice to anyone attempting to decorate their home.   Fill your home with items you love is always a good starting point when debating what to do when decorating.   I always find that if a couple can pick out their favorite items in their home, there is always a design direction present.   Design around your favorites, and your design will always fall into place.

Alessandra Branca's New Classic Interiors

“You should always figure out the way you want a room to feel,”

What kind of design do you lean towards? Do you tend to decorate contemporary when you really feel more formal? Go for what you love to look at, but are afraid of trying.

"...........a wall isn't only a wall, it's an opportunity to create depth."

She hits this right on the mark. Most decorators don't put the energy into the basic elements, such as the floor, ceiling, and walls, but instead they focus on filling it up with things.   Good design is more than decorating. As she goes on saying........

"It's about layering. I love to see beyond the beautiful furniture in a room. And each room here has a vista into the next room, so you're always dying to see what's around the corner."

Layer your design, so that the little items you do put in a room have purpose and are masterpieces of their own. Great design is about putting the effort into the architectural details and layering in the details of the pictures, textures, textiles, furniture and accessories

"Red is sort of a signature of mine. But I use only touches, so it's not too harsh. That's very important"

I totally agree with her. Everyone needs to try painting one room red to experence its overpowering nature. Red works well on all walls if you can cover most of it up with pictures. Red works the very best in punches of color and spotlight accessories. Red does have to be thought out well to pull off a great design.