subject: How To Choose The Best French Style Furniture [print this page] I have heard people talk about French style furniture as though there is only one single style of furniture that can be called French. This seems a little odd, since France has been around for quite a little while, and it is safe to assume that throughout France's few years of existence its style of furniture and decoration has changed slightly.
People aren't surprised when they walk into stately homes in the UK and witness a whole variety of styles of furniture and interior decor, yet they quite happily assume that French furniture means only one thing. But the real sticking point is the fact that when it comes to stating categorically what one thing French style furniture is supposed to be, people rarely seem to agree.
It's based largely on your experience of French style furniture in the past, as well as your character and personality. In fact it is true to say that whatever style of French furniture you deem to be the standard, or at least the best and most preferable, this says much more about who you are, your character, personality and inner secrets or fantasies than it does about traditional French style furniture. In fact a lot can be deduced simply from people's choice of bedroom chairs, as these reveal a great deal about the people who sit in them.
In fact the style of French furniture over the years has changed more dramatically than furniture styles in most other countries, largely due to the French Revolution. If you're looking for bedroom chairs which are indulgent, extravagant and highly elegant then you're probably looking at wooden chairs which are cream with guilt inlaid or gold details. Usually such bedroom chairs are very ornate, with a lot of detailed engraving and embellishment, quite possibly asymmetrical.
This is absolutely typical of the rococo period which followed the late baroque period of style which was extraordinarily flamboyant, but in a very serious and geometric way. Rococo style French furniture is light-hearted, elegant and very often extravagant. But this period of flamboyance did not last forever, and after Louis XV and the French Revolution French style furniture turned to the neo-classical style which was typical for a significant period of time.
But all of these styles contrast tremendously with today's contemporary French style furniture and bedroom chairs, most of which incorporate bold, linear styles usually either black-and-white or bold colours, usually with lighter coloured woods, such as cream or white. But if you're looking to buy French style furniture and French bedroom chairs today there is still a wide range of choice, and while some people will be choosing contemporary style furniture, many others still hark after the rococo period and the extravagant style and flamboyance which it offers.
Then again a romantic style of French furniture is often reminiscent of Provence, with a cottage feel that incorporates white cotton, and shabby chic or distressed white wooden furniture. If choosing French style furniture and bedroom chairs it is important to be aware of these widely differing styles, and to choose one which not only matches your own character and personality, but also the size and style of the bedroom.
