The history of French furniture shows an interesting eclectic mix of influences throughout the history of France and from French monarchs in particular.
French furniture can be dated back as far back as the medieval years between the 10th and 15th centuries also known as the ‘Romanesque’ and’ Gothic’ periods, political instability reigned in France at this time with feudal lords reigning over the populous, this was highly significant as the French furniture at that time was made to suit the needs of its people so most of the French furniture was large and simple like heavy chests, benches and stools, although intense hand carvings were evident, much to the reflection of the architecture to the country’s cathedrals and churches at that time.
The following period seen the emergence of the ‘renaissance’ style French furniture which dates between 1515-1560, French furniture starts to see heavy influences from Italy. ‘Renaissance’ is French for re-birth, applied to art and culture, it began and took shape in Italy at this time, then spread to the rest of Europe, in particular France. Francois I engaged Leonardo da vinci and many others to enhance his Chateau and lodges. French craftsmen started to create French furniture with increased ornate carvings.
Between 1560 and 1792 sees the reign of Louis XIII, Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI of France, each giving their own distinct influence on French furniture.
The Louis XIII period shows the increased wealth in the middle classes thus bringing with it a greater demand for French furniture which lured Italian craftsmen to France. The best known innovation from this period being the ‘os de mouton’ chair, which also marked the introduction of upholstered seats and backs for French chairs.
The Louis XIV period signalled for more decorative arts to be instilled in French Furniture, the chateau he built, the palace of Versailles, is a true testament to his legacy as a lover of the arts. Craftsmen were to adorn the wood with gold, polished brass and elaborate inlays. The Louis XIV style French furniture was to be the epitome of sheer luxury and opulence. The French furniture in this era is therefore characterised by intricate and ornate carvings, gold leaf decorations and scalloped shells.
The Louis XV period marks a time of peace and prosperity, women became more powerful in this period and as a result French furniture at this time was designed for comfort and the glorification of beautiful women, thus French furniture developed a more romantic, sensuous and feminine look. French furniture at this time was to exhibit curved legs, backs and seats. The French ‘bombe’ chest is also a fine feature of the curves implemented in French furniture at the time. The French roll-top desk was another fine feature from this period, pieces with hidden compartments and hidden drawers also became popular. The Louis XV period is sometimes referred to as ‘rococo’ style, derived from two French words meaning rock and shell. The rock and shell were two popular motifs of this period, the French furniture at this time therefore had a more feminine look but combined with the rococo style was also elaborately carved with intricate carvings, French beds and armoires were perfect examples of rococo style furniture at the time.
The Louis XVI period was to see the slowing demand for rococo style French furniture as people started to take an interest in new discoveries, in particular the ancienct city of Pompeii prompted this. The Parisians now had a new awareness and surge of interest in classical Rome. French furniture designs became more simple with curves replaced by straight lines and cabriole legs replaced by straight legs but the feminine influence was still strong also, as shown with the dainty writing desks that emerged.
The last 2 definitive periods to discuss are the Louis Philippe and country French furniture periods. Both these periods have in common that they draw their influence from the best of the previous periods, especially the Louis periods.
Louis Philippe French furniture was more functional in use, although taking influence from previous periods, lines were simple and sombre and mahogany and rosewood was now the more common material used and some finished with marble tops.
Country French furniture was to be found in country homes in Normandy, Provence and Bordeaux. The country French furniture consisted of large farm tables with tall ladder back chairs, large sideboards, dressers and armoires all carved in oak with various paint colour finishes.
Just like the start of our discussion on French furniture had stated, that there was an, “interesting eclectic mix of influences throughout the history of France and from French monarchs in particular”, our range of French Reproduction furniture at the Lavender Barn is testament to this. The French reproduction furniture offered by the lavender barn has distinctive influences that are drawn from many different periods in French furniture history. We offer different Reproduction French furniture ranges that portray different connotations to different people’s needs and tastes in furnishing their home today. Our Versailles range which takes its name from the influence of the palace of Versaille shows definitive influences from Louis XIV, perfect for one to furnish their home today by creating an over elaborate and opulent home. For the slightly less over the top look, our chateau, valbonne, Portofino, Moulin Noir and Elegance French furniture ranges are influenced by Louis XV so a more romantic and sensuous feel but still with ‘rococo’ style intricate ornate carvings to arms and legs. For the less daring, our Gustavian, Marianne, Fayence, Ambiance, Deauville, Amaryllis and Chantilly draw influences from past periods and have the distinctive Louis Philippe simple finishes, to create a more simple and subtle French feel. And lastly but by no means least our Harvard Oak and Brooklyn oak ranges take their influence from the country French furniture period so ideal for creating a country French feel that is well loved today.
The Lavender Barn offers French furniture that is as relevant in todays homes as it was many centuries ago, French furniture is testament to itself to have lasted as far back as the 15th century but is still popular in the modern age, French furniture is well loved, will never go out of style and will still charm us in years to come.
The Essence of Shabby Chic
Although the term Shabby Chic conjures up visions of US style ie: Rachel Ashwell, it actually derives from the UK and dates back to the 80s when it first appeared in The World of Interiors magazine the style itself represents with glorious faded furnishings and distressed well worn furniture.
With the Shabby Chic style you need to forget all the rules about matching colours and textures. Go the opposite way and mix lots of muted colours and textures ( no primary colours) the key is finding or making things for your home that you will cherish, flood the house with light using large mirrors and chandeliers fill it with white painted furniture jugs with flowers, fabulous floral arrangements, gorgeous bedding, venetian mirrors items and anything else that you truly love, don’t forget to use everyday objects for other uses, milk jugs full of flowers or a vintage collection of wooden spoons, remember “ Loved and Lived in “ Have fun..........enjoy coming home and kicking off your shoes !
Here at the Lavender Barn we have a multitude of items that represent the Shabby Chic style, we have sourced items from all over the world that have carefully been reproduced aged and distressed for the vintage country style look. From Kitchen accessories to Bathroom accessories, chandeliers, mirrors, bedding and much much more.
