What, When, Where: French Connection

March 4, 2013

By Erin Marvin

I leave on Friday for a week in Paris, so in honor of my grand Parisian vacation I thought I’d share some gorgeous French-inspired rooms and furniture pieces. (I’ve also been studying the latest fashions, food crazes and cocktail culture, so by the time I arrive in the City of Light I expect to be a full-fledged Francophile… albeit one that doesn’t speak the language.)

I usually don’t lean toward the traditional, but this gorgeous hand-painted Louis XVI bed would surely invite stylish sweet dreams. French-patterned carpet anchors the feminine space.

Interior design by Karen Kaali-Nagy; photography by Michael Partenio, courtesy of New England Home

Equally traditional—and charming—is this Louis XVI writing desk tucked amongst creamy silk taffeta curtains and avian-themed de Gournay wall panels.

Interior design by Anne Miller; photography by Eric Piasecki, courtesy of HouseBeautiful.com

A new line of French reproduction furniture from Soft Surroundings brings French country chic to today’s contemporary abodes. Two of my favorite pieces are the oak- and linen-wrapped Isla settee and the “more Parisian than Provence” Marlene side table.

Isla settee; Photo courtesy of SoftSurroundings.com

Marlene side table; Photo courtesy of SoftSurroundings.com

A more modern, eclectic aesthetic sets the tone for Robert Couturier’s living room, where a Louis XIV mirror shares space with a Louis XV armchair (in addition to other global elements such as a Turkish kilim and Egyptian throne-turned-ottoman).

Interior design by Robert Couturier; photography by William Abranowicz, courtesy of ElleDecor.com

There’s nothing traditional about Christophe Delcourt’s Rive Droite collection for Roche Bobois. Inspired by the French “art of living,” the Rive Droite dining table is a marriage of oak veneer and steel.