French Chic

I can't help noticing the current level of interest in French style furniture, particularly bedrooms, and thought I would have a look around to see what there is and share my findings!

Starting with bedrooms, the obvious statement piece is the bed and the options are endless!  From the quite plain to the elaborately French Rococo inspired pieces, they all share one thing in common - soft, flowing lines.

Sweetpea & Willow do beautiful French style furniture and will be featuring a lot in this post!  Firstly, here are a few beds in different styles .......

Colonial Rattan Bed
Sweetpea & Willow

Classical White Upholstered Bed
Sweetpea & Willow

Cream Upholstered Bed
Sweetpea & Willow

Leporello also have a range of highly decorative French style beds taking inspiration from a bygone era.  The bed featured below is the Elysian Painted Bed:

Elysian Painted Bed

The bed below was featured in Good Homes magazine, May 2011 and is upholstered in a raw silk.  The bed (made of mahogany) has been finished with double piping. 

The Pearl Silk Bed
Sweetpea & Willow

Detailing on the Pearl Silk Bed (left)

Another upholstered bed is the Gustavian carved bed from Chelsea Textiles.  Shown here in the single size, it's also available in double and king sizes.  It's beautifully detailed as shown in the picture.

Gustavian Bed

Gustavian bed detail

The elegant Louis style Lucian Middle Bed from Leporello (below) is painted in French Grey with classic double curve headboard and low end foot board with tulip finials.

Lucien Middle Bed

Elvie Silver Rococo Bed

If you're looking for over-the-top decadence, this ornate Elvie Silver Rococo Bed from Sweetpea & Willow could be just what you have in mind!  Hand carved mahogany covered in silver leaf.

To go with your bed, you will need a bedside cabinet or two ....

The bedside table above is from the French Bedroom Company and Sweetpea & Willow do a similar (if not identical !) table as shown below. 

                      

For cleaner lines, the three drawer bedside table below from Chelsea Textiles' Gustavian range would work well in a French styled room.  Hand carved and hand painted.

We recently took delivery of two of these for a client and they are beautiful!

A perfect partner is the Small Bureau ....

Sweetpea & Willow have this lovely Pure Grey Pearl Bedside (also available in pure white).

A larger chest is this 18th Century Commode by Julian Chichester shown here in an antique green finish (it's also available in a light limed oak finish).  In the right environment this looks stunning! 

18th Century Commode

A similar chest to the Julian Chichester one above (and more affordable) is the Manon chest from The Sleep Room. 

Of course you would also need somewhere to hang your clothes (and somewhere to put all those shoes), so here are a few Armoires with painted finishes, glazed doors and in different sizes:

Halcion White 2 Door Armoire
from Sweetpea & Willow

Sweetpea & Willow
Narbonne Armoire

Karelian Armoire from Leporello

The Karelian from Leporello is also available in a 3 door version with painted (rather than glazed) doors:

Karelian 3 Door Armoire from Leporello

Finally, a few chairs - not necessarily to sit on, but just to look nice!

Provencal Lady's Chair by The French Bedroom Company

Chantal Chair by Oka

Gold Gilt Emanuel Ribbon Chair from Sweetpea & Willow

If you have the space, how about a chaise .......

Classical White Victoria Chaise by Sweetpea & Willow

Finally, and particularly relevant to this post, as William Morris said:

 "Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful".