Tuesday, November 28th, 2017
French. Just the very word makes you think of style and elegance. Whether you’re thinking of architecture, food or design, it’s all the same. The French have also mastered the mixture of classic with contemporary which makes them a dominant force to reckon with.
But are there really secrets to their style? Or are there characteristics that you can confidently use right in your own home?
Find Comfort in Juxtapositions
As mentioned, you have to be able to mix the traditional elements with the contemporary stuff. Do not afraid to experiment so that you get to see the different possible combinations of furnishings.
A truly chic French Romantic home should be able to stand the test of time. it must be resilient to the interior design trends. It must also balance the Old World charm with the contemporary style. Make it a point to stimulate the five senses with the design elements that you bring into your home. Visually, the objects must be there but they must also satisfy the tactile sense through the textures.
Design is not about being perfect, it’s about defining, redefining, experimenting, making errors, correcting them, and finally arriving at a style that you can truly call your own.
Basically Chic
French romantic interiors are basically simple. They make use of a neutral color palette so that balance can be achieved in the living spaces. Pair the complementary colors which sit on opposite sides of the color wheel. These hues will naturally jive without you even trying.
A neutral palette is also awesome to use because it is easy to live with. It is not complex, so, a wave of calm will automatically be felt when you enter a home in these calming colors.
Add a Touch of Vintage
The French are also known for their rich history. Just pay a visit to their museums and architectural marvels, even their streets, and you would see how amazing the people are.
Mix modern with traditional by, say, adding bronze furnishings to parquet flooring. You can also hang artworks and vintage sculptural pieces on walls. Find interesting vintage pieces from our collection here.
Bold French art can also add a different level of fun to your home. You don’t have to be serious all the time. Even the French know how to have fun now and then so inject some abstract paintings on the background or even some of your framed black and white photographs. Even your sketches – when properly framed – can become the conversation pieces in your home.
Learn to Layer
Paris is known for its robust flea markets so be able to layer your furniture, décor, lights, paintings, knickknacks, mirrors, and even your silverware. Use an anchor palette then slowly build from there.
The layers throughout your home should add a level of sentimentality that your guests can feel the moment they enter your place.
Mix and blend the artworks, colors, and furniture in a surprisingly fresh way. The rooms are supposed to be opulent, of course, you’re recreating French lavishness, but you also have to add a dash of roughness to the refined pieces.
Mix attitude with a little warmth. Group furniture and artworks according to textures or create intrigue by making the pieces as diverse as possible.
Say Yes to Blush Tones and Gilding
Paris is no less than the most romantic city in the world so create the fairytale charm that it is supposed to evoke. Use gilded bronze furnishings. Add blush pieces to the mix and you’ve just recreated Marie Antoinette’s le salon.
Tags: French design, French design elements, French furnishing, French furnishings, French interiors, French Romantic, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings
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Monday, June 19th, 2017
Elegance is the first word that would come to anyone’s mind when French style is mentioned. Whether you’re thinking about French clothing, food, wine or their interior design, there simply isn’t anything bad to say. French interior design, in particular, effortlessly combines both the traditional and contemporary ways of design principles.
The French Personality
French interior design is sophisticated, daring yet chic. It can also be quirky as well as personal. If you would travel anywhere in France and would take the time to look inside French homes, you would notice that no two homes are look or even feel alike. Their confident vision in terms of designs is the key to getting away with the one-of-a-kind flair.
So, are there any rules in going French this summer season? At first glance, you may think that there aren’t any. The truth is, French interior design also has some do’s and don’ts.
The French Do’s
The French Don’ts
Now it’s time for the do nots. Of course you would also want to know about these so that you won’t go wrong with your chosen design –
French Colors
French style also centers on what sort of hues you are allowed to use – think of royalty, regal beauty, and sometimes, even simplicity. After all, after the French Revolution, more and more people turn their back on frilly aesthetics and went for things that are simple – you should do the same.
French interior design is flexible when it comes to colors. Just allow your personality to shine through to your palette. If you want calmer surroundings, then go for white, off-white, mushroom, taupes, gray, light green or powder blue.
If you are bold enough, then try teal, shades of red or emerald green. These will surely create an interesting feature wall, for instance, if not some pops of color in a mainly neutral backdrop. Nothing is every practically off limits when it comes to French interior design.
Tags: French design, French furnishing, French furnishings, French interior design, French interiors, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings
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Thursday, July 14th, 2016
Many designers have been approached by clients and asked if they can create a French style for their house. This may not be the correct term to use but if you ask enough, you would then learn that what clients mean are whitewashed furniture, candleholders, lanterns, chandeliers, white lace and linen towels. Silver trays work, too.
Apparently, French style actually means French provincial or shabby chic. Some can even see elements of this style inside French homes. So, what makes a home essentially French?
A Little Geography Lesson
Each region in France comes with its own identity and style. There are also different decorative materials and building structures. These give the regions their own distinctiveness along with a unique regional culture that is too hard to ignore.
Don’t think of Versailles as the capital of everything that’s French. This could prove to be true if you were living in the time of King Louis XIV. His was an era of royal debauchery and the excesses the monarchs had unsurprisingly led to their downfall.
If you’re thinking of going French then you have to learn to do things in moderation. Being excessive like Louis XV is not going French. In fact, moderation is the very concept of French style. Use deliberate designs but not in such a way that they are no longer discreet. The features must look effortless.
Even children’s bedrooms that are done in French style should be minimalist. The color palette should be simple and the rest of the space, clean.
Aim for Harmony, Not Luxury
Almost all French people don’t like vulgarity and garishness. To them, what’s elegant and beautiful are those that have zero glitz, shine, travertine, gold brocade, polished mahogany or fine silk. The lesson here is, for as long as the design elements feel right to you, then they’re just that – they’re right for you.
Materials that are good for French style are wood, terra cotta, stone, plaster, iron and steel. You should consider using prewashed linen because it is soft but has creases, it’s never perfect but it feels just right.
All’s Not White
French people don’t live in an all-white home. While many people believe that white is the fundamental color of anything French, this isn’t the case at all. French people actually feel that this color is too impersonal.
If you want to do it the authentic way, then you’d have to settle for neutrals. The French palette is all about being subtle so use a lot of gray, beige, light blue, black, taupe, brown, or sage. The patterns have to be discreet just like the rest of the design elements.
French Can Be Colorful, Too
When you have to use color, then you’ll have to embrace the vibrant hues that tend to make a statement. Make sure that you keep it simple, though. Use no more than dual colors since having too many colors in a room is just wrong.
Since French homes tend to be small, they use color in order to maximize space or to define zones. A one-room apartment, for instance, would do well to reduce its clutter and to have small cabinetry and accent colors in lime green, peacock blue, terracotta orange, red, hot pink or mustard yellow.
French Is Eclectic
If you’re also thinking that going French also means being traditional, then you’re wrong again. Instead, you’d have to embrace eclecticism. This is because the French have undergone evolving civilizations; hence, there isn’t a single French identity. So go ahead and mix styles and eras and you don’t even need to apologize for that.
The French has a complex history so if you try to sum it all up in one box, then you’re going the wrong way. While you can use whitewashed furnishings, you are also welcome to use anything rustic.
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Thursday, February 25th, 2016
Art Noveau became fashionable around 1890 till the First World War. This style was a reaction to the 19thcentury designs showing so much of history, especially Neo-Classicism. Art Noveau pushed the idea of design and art being crucial parts of everyday living.
Artists, from then on, did not overlook the simplicity in everyday objects. To them, aesthetics were added to make the functional more visually pleasing. New Art is Art Noveau and it was applied in all forms of art including architecture, applied art, fine arts, and decorative art.
Art Noveau was partially rooted to the Industrial Revolution, also the Arts and Crafts Movement. It also shows Japonism influence especially the Ukiyo-e prints brought about by great minds like Hokusai and Hiroshige.
Celtic designs were also common.
After the 1900 Exposition Universelle held in Paris, France Art Noveau spread across the European continent, even to Australia and the U.S. The Italian name for it in Italy is Stile Liberty, in Austria it is known as Sezessionstil, and in America it is called Tiffany style.
Art Noveau as Style not Philosophy
Art Noveau is perceived as a style more than being a philosophy. This is a style that wanted to break free from the bonds of historicism. It sought to bring about a fresh analysis of natural forms, functions, and aesthetics. Some see it as useless patterns but once you see the art with your artistic eyes, you are bound to see a marvellous sequence that was never before noticed.
Art Noveau represents many different moods and looks. We can be reminded of the gentle breeze, of the harshness of the stormy waters, you can even just see ornate vegetation. Everything is organic, though, as this style focuses on making sense out of life’s order.
Art Noveau: Characteristics
If you are trying to look for a single definition for this style, then you will be looking in vain. There isn’t a single definition for it. It has, however, several distinguishing factors.
Art Noveau is all about the application of art into everyday living. No stuff is too functional or beautified.
Art Noveau also thinned the line between the principles of fine arts, decorative art and applied arts. This style is a beautiful reaction to the concise mathematical representations of the Neo-Classical era.
Art Noveau also presented a fresh graphic design language. It has gone far from the classical models that were embraced by art academies in the past. There are various stylistic interpretations for Art Noveau. There are artists that prefer low-cost materials while others give value to high craftsmanship.
Art Noveau features flat yet decorative patterns that can be employed in many forms of art. Typical elements include tendril, leaves, the curvaceous shape of a woman, and other organic forms.
When it comes to architecture, architect Antoni Gaudi from Spain exaggerated the bulbous forms. Hector Guimard, on the other hand, gave the world his stylistic Parisian Metro entrances.
Art Noveau in Interior Design
This style has two distinct looks that you need to keep in mind – the linear look propagated by artists like Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the beautiful, elongated lines. Other features include vertical lines to highlight height and the whiplash line.
Flowers, peacock feathers, spider webs, thistles, and locusts were found on wallpaper, accents and many furniture pieces. Iridescent glass, exotic woods, semi precious jewels and silver were also the distinct materials that represented Art Noveau.
Art Noveau furniture is renowned for the high-backed chairs and the glossy black lacquer finish. Conservative options included curvy shapes, floral fabrics and upholstered items. Glassworks also came in opaque matter and precise etchings. Silver and pewter also dominated much of the ornaments.
Period colors for Art Noveau are always elegant yet subtle. Say yes to sage, brown, olive, mustard, gold, shades of purple, salmon, peacock blue, and robin’s egg blue.
Tags: art, European interior design, European interiors, European style, French design, French interiors, McCreerys, McCreerys Home Furnishings, Neo-Classical, Spanish, Spanish design elements
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