chapter 1
The bergere chair was first made in the early 18th century, partly influenced by newly imported Chinese chairs with low, rounded backs. The shape of this wooden-framed and padded chair has since been adapted in many different ways according to region and fashion. The gold paintwork of this particular example—a bergere en gondole—has been covered in Old White, which has then been rubbed away over the flower and shell carvings. Fully upholstered in a dark gray silk, it is edged with tacks rather than braid or piping.
Versailles and the great aristocratic houses of the 18th century have given us a lasting legacy of elegant living. It is thanks to this period of French history that the central feature of today’s living rooms remains the comfortable, upholstered furniture developed for the salon.
ROCOCO ELEMENTS
The salon was softened with fabrics and its furniture was given a rounded shape. The wood used for furniture and paneling was lightened with paint and glittered with gold embellishments that were reflected in chandeliers and mirrors. Comfort was introduced as it had become fashionable to recline rather than sit upright in hard chairs. Low, wide chairs with pillows and upholstered backs and sides were introduced. Fabric colors were lighter and brighter. Designs on fabric and porcelain were mostly pastoral scenes with milkmaids, and romantic figures from mythology. The style is recognizable from any grand salon.
THE BERGERE CHAIR
The bergere chair epitomizes the French way of decorating more than any other piece of furniture, and its influence can be felt from the château to the country manoir and village house. Bergere literally means “shepherdess,” a name that comes from rococo pastoral fantasy.
This simple, linen-covered bergere chair is painted white in the style of the 18th century. To combine whites successfully, different textures, from paint to voile, silk, and linen, were used to give depth. White paint would often have gilded moldings and carvings. The rest of the room has the Italianate influences found particularly around the Riviera. The table is covered in a matt damask patterned fabric with a protective sheet of glass. Ingeniously, the lamp base has been given a marble effect by covering it with marbled paper.
A bergere chair in the neo-classical style has been covered in beautiful soft white but coarse-grained sack linen with double piping and brass and black studs. The curvy cabriole legs of the earlier rococo style have been replaced by straight column-like legs, and, in another architectural reference, the back is shield-shaped rather than rounded.
The bergere chair has been so successful because it can take on so many different interpretations. It is essentially wooden framed with a padded back and cushioned seat. It may have caned sides, or it may be open. It may be a small, rounded tub chair, a medallion backed open one, or be wide and fully padded with arms. Different styles have been given names such as bergere marquise or bergere en gondole but, whatever the particular style, the essential characteristic is the padded upholstery.
There are many regional variations. For instance, the Provençal style in the south is likely to have a curved ladder back with a simple, open carving, such as a basket full of flowers, while the canapé—a long chair resembling a padded settle—may have open or closed sides and looks very dignified.
The robust floral fabric of this comfortable chair complements the rural subject of the painting hanging above it.
Other items of furniture that would have been deemed necessary in the salon were the console table, the commode, and the bureau. Of these, the console table has found popularity again in recent years. We like it nowadays because it allows us to keep things tidy when we try to declutter our homes. The console is essentially a long narrow table with cabriole legs and a shaped front or top. It often has a central drawer. There are simple Provençal examples or fancier ones with marble tops and bases made from painted ironwork.
ADAPTING ROCOCO STYLE
To recreate, or at least to take elements from, this rather feminine rococo style, the chair is probably the best starting point. The original 18th-century chairs are beyond the pocket of most of us but, fortunately, many more affordable new reproductions are on the market. The original chairs would have had tapestry or silk brocade coverings, either striped or plain, but these days we are as likely to cover them in anything from tickings to toiles or even rough linens. Although this is not historically accurate, that should not stop us—it’s good to know and understand the history of a style but it is a shame to feel restricted by it. Fashion changes as our needs change and new products become available.
This 19th century, neo-classical painted daybed, decorated with softly carved flowers, combines a French mattress with a simple box frame. It is covered in an elegant silky fabric with an array of silk and linen pillows, including the traditional bolsters down each side.
The tradition of lining walls with fabric is probably more prevalent in France than in other countries, and the technique has been used in houses from the grandest château in the Loire to the maison de maitre in a village. The idea developed in the 18th century, as part of the Rococo idea of comfort, when expensive tapestries, damasks, and silks were being made, partly influenced by hand-painted and embroidered Chinese silk as well as cotton fabrics and Kashmiri designs from India. It softens the room as sound is absorbed by the fabric. These days northern France, where linen used to be produced, has a thriving fabric industry again, as does Lyons, where silk was traditionally made. A formal effect can be achieved by covering rigid panels in fabric and attaching them to battens, or tacking fabric directly to battens, with or without padding. The battens are then hung from special attachments, which are widely available in France. This method makes covering walls with fabric relatively easy. However, the style is also particularly good for creating an informal impression because, when applied directly, the fabric always molds itself to the contours of the wall.
Elements of many influences are evident here but the underlying style is neo-classical. The console table and the urn on a pedestal in front of a large mirror all have strong architectural design features. The grand statement is made in typical French style by putting a large object in front of a mirror.
NEO-CLASSICAL ELEGANCE
When the decorative rococo style became too frothy, towards the end of the 18th century, it gave way to the uncluttered and more severe neo-classical look. This introduced the classical daybed with high, bateau-style sides, and the chaise longue, or long chair, often with round, Ottoman-style bolster pillows. These chairs may not seem particularly luxurious to those of us used to lounging on modern sofas but wide, upholstered versions can be very comfortable. Curvy cabriole legs were replaced by fluted columns, and console tables became less decorative and more architecturally inspired.
LUXURIOUS COLOR
Neo-classical color was lively and intense in comparison to the soft, pastel tones of the rococo period. Bright greens, rich blues, lilac pinks, and claret reds were used on walls and fabrics, with plenty of black and white for emphasis. Grand materials and references were used to enhance the feeling of affluence. One of the secrets of achieving the rich and luxurious look was the use of gold.
This is not a shy, mousey style but one that demands attention, so be prepared to make a statement with shape or color. For a contemporary interpretation of neo-classical think of the modern designer Versace. This is a style that shouts grandeur and opulence.
Two tones of the same color give this neo-classical style table a characteristic look. Over a solid turquoise blue base, a thinned-down deeper gray blue paint has been dragged to give depth to the color. The original classical carving looks distressed and is emphasized with gold to give it the necessary rich look. The strong but dusky cerise pink of the carpet provides a lively contrast to the table.
Old painted beams given a wash of off-white or putty colored paint help integrate new wooden railings with the rest of the house. Many people are afraid to paint beams but farmhouses all over Europe would have been lime-washed annually as part of a general spring clean. It not only makes small spaces seem larger but also ensures walls are not divided by oppressive dark lines. Beams can be painted in solid colors or by giving them a light wash, depending on their tone and whether you want any of the wood grain to show through.
The style of château living naturally filtered down to the manors and gentillehomme residences of villages and countryside, where the basic furniture of the peasant farmer met the refined embellishments of the château. However, while manoirs may have had separate living rooms, in farmhouses this would have been rare. The living area was much more likely to be incorporated in a large kitchen, although a separate dining room was not unusual.
Characteristic of country living spaces is the armoire, which, like the bergere chair, is a quintessentially French piece of furniture. The armoire often has shelves inside for keeping linen, china or other household items, and is used in the kitchen, dining room, and bedroom as well as the living room. Although usually a country piece, an armoire can nevertheless be very fine, and well-made examples can be found with intricate carvings.
CLEVER COLORS
While the armoire was originally often painted, especially in the north east of France, it could also be made in fruitwood and polished. However, this look is not popular today. Painting armoires in light colors makes them look smaller and helps to bring out the shape of moldings and carvings, especially with the help of some light distressing. The very oldest and highly decorated armoires are expensive but it is possible to buy reproductions, or new ones, cheaply to paint.
In Provence and many country areas the armoire was often painted in one color on the outside and another on the inside. Blues of all kinds were popular—possibly because it was thought that the color repelled flies. Whether or not this is true, soft powdery blues and duck egg greens look particularly pleasing when you open up a light brown or gray cupboard to reveal the interior. Red, yellow, and pink also look good, perhaps with a cream color on the outside. The colors and patterns of sunny Provence have always been distinctive—rather than just white, furniture and walls are often painted in soft creams, light greens, and cooling blues.
An English Chippendale style chair has been given the French treatment. Painted in gray over deep blue, it has then been lightly distressed. Its seat has been covered in some old French linen. Next to it, a French buffet has been painted in the same gray. The moldings have been picked out in white while its top is a graphite black to match the urn and drawer handle. All the paintwork has been waxed.
Parisian
Black with turquoise blue and touches of red make an edgy combination. As the eye travels from one item to the next it carries a color to connect them. Here, the painting is the key because it contains all the colors on the mantelpiece.
So many artists and designers have lived in Paris that it is not surprising the city has developed its own style of living and decor. Jeanne Lanvin was just one fashion designer to make her mark, and a recreation of her blue-embroidered, silk-lined living room is on view at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.
COCO’S LASTING INFLUENCE
However, probably the most important influences for elegant, chic style comes from Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, whose apartment has come to epitomize the design extravagance of the Parisians.
Unlike her fashion style, which was uncluttered and tailored, her apartment was very theatrical. One high-ceilinged room had shelves of leather-bound books, walls painted a pale celadon green, two large mirrors, and a wide, rectangular sofa covered in fawn-colored suede.
It was, though, the objects in this private sitting room that made the place so extraordinary and baroque in expression. Several came in pairs, such as two life-sized black deer that grazed in one corner, two very large oriental coromandel screens that flanked the fireplace, and, at the entrance to the room, two large, gilded blackamoors who held torches high. Either side of the fireplace two tall, gilded art deco carvings of figures and drapery made an eye-catching feature.
COMBINING RURAL MOTIFS
In contrast to these grand statements, Coco Chanel loved the simple countryside image of ears of wheat, as shown in a round, glass-topped table with a gilded metal wheatsheaf as the base. By its side, a big vase was often filled with real wheat, while on the wall hung an image of a gilded wheat ear by Salvador Dali.
The room was also furnished with a beautifully painted bureau and an ornate gilded console table. Above all this hung a huge crystal chandelier. This is the Paris of the grand gesture. It is not an easy style to achieve and requires at least one piece of decoration that is special. The high street is not the place to look, but for those who enjoy browsing in markets and who can see how something unusual might work, this challenging style may be just right.
This beautiful 1950s screen is painted in a style influenced by Chinoiserie. The screen is a great device for giving a theaterlike ambience to a room. The table with its shapely cabriole legs has been painted, leaving the central leather top uncluttered.
The red of the buttons and the curtain fabric are picked up in the rest of the room in small ways. The pillow on the bergere chair has an inset that is made from the same black and white toile design as the curtains, and set into plain red with borders of a spotted fabric that matches the line on the drape.
HAUTE COUTURE ADDITIONS
Coco Chanel’s clothes have inspired Parisian interior design as much, if not more than, her eye for unique decoration. The neat, clean elegance of her famous black and white tailored jacket can be adapted for curtains and pillows. As well as this, haute couture in fifties and sixties Paris used large and interesting buttons on jackets and coats. These are a wonderful way to add decoration to curtains, pillows, and lampshades.
A huge, beautifully textured stone pot filled with real wheat ears sits on a painted table by an elegantly upholstered chair. The stone finials were bought in a flea market in France and are in the original colors. They act like an architectural folly in the room—quite useless but very decorative. The ram’s horn that is now a lamp base continues the rural theme.
BOHEMIAN STYLE
The other predominant style from Paris is inspired by the artists who made the city their home and can be explained by looking at their paintings. The art scene has largely deserted Paris these days but, particularly before the Second World War, the city was a hive of intellectual and artistic activity, the home of dada and surrealism.
The Paris style of the bohemian is inventive—turning mannequins into lamps or using them for some other form of decoration is a note straight out of the surrealists’ book.
unlined linen
curtains with braid
YOU WILL NEED
Scissors
Linen (cut to length)
Braid (cut to length)
Needle and pins
Tacking cotton
Cotton to match braid
Unbleached linen with an ecclesiastical braid along the leading edge makes a simple but practical curtain in a study. The linen is fairly heavy but has quite an open weave so it offers protection from bright sun while allowing a little light to enter the room. Use a braid that matches the style of the room—it could be vintage or modern. So that no hem is visible, the fabric is folded to the front and the braid is sewn over the top to cover it.
1 Cut out the fabric for the curtains to fit the window. Hem the top and bottom conventionally or leave the edges unworked if the braid is to cover the top, sides, and bottom. Fold over the edges to be braided into a hem and iron flat. The hem, which should face into the room, should be small enough for the chosen braid to cover.
2 Pin the braid on to the linen in line with the edge. If you are having to turn corners, miter them by folding the braid in on one side.
3 Tack the braid on to the linen with cotton thread and remove the pins. Using cotton thread that matches the color of the chosen braid, sew neatly down the length of the braid on both sides so that it is well secured.
crackle varnished
console table
Crackle varnish is a technique that copies the look of old varnish, which, over time, has cracked like the surface of an old master painting. In previous centuries, finely painted furniture, perhaps decorated with flowers or découpage, would have been varnished. Over the years the varnish cracks due to movement in the wood or temperature changes. On an original piece of old furniture these cracks would not cover the furniture but would be seen perhaps on a drawer front or part of a table top and they would be uneven. Today, we see this crackling of varnish on furniture as a decoration in itself. Although a rural look, this is one that originated in the château. The technique is carried out in two stages using a water based proprietary kit, and is best done on flat areas rather than carving or molding.
YOU WILL NEED
Fine sandpaper
500 ml Old White
Chalk Paint
Crackle varnish kit
3 large paintbrushes
Hairdryer
100 ml dark wax
100 ml clear wax
Dry cotton cloth
A modern console table with simplified cabriole legs has been given the château look by crackling the top only, and applying brass leaf to the molding. The remainder of the table has been given a gently distressed paint effect (see page 107). The first layer was Louis Blue, which can be seen inside the drawer, then Old White was painted over the top before distressing.
crackle varnished
console table
1 To prepare the piece, rub with fine sandpaper to make the surface smooth, then apply two coats of Old White paint. Apply the first part of the kit over the main flat surfaces. Allow to dry. You can assist this process by using a hairdryer. For finer cracks, apply the liquid thinly, altering the thickness to give variation. It does not matter in which direction the brush strokes are applied.
2 Apply the second part of the kit. In the pot, this is a viscous liquid but it is easy to spread. Paint it all over the area to which you have applied the first part of the kit. Treat each area separately. As both parts of the kit are the same color, it can be difficult to see if the surface is completely covered, so tilt the furniture in the light to find any areas you may have missed. Vary the thickness of the application but take care not to make it too thick, or the result may end up looking like liquid puddles rather than cracks. Layers applied to vertical surfaces may drip.
3 For the cracks to appear, the surface needs to be heated. This can be done artificially by using a hairdryer, or it can be done by leaving the furniture in a warm atmosphere, either a heated or sun-warmed room. The cracks may take from five minutes to half an hour to appear and will at first be seen at certain angles only.
4 To make the cracks more visible, apply dark wax over all the surfaces, making certain you brush it in all directions so that it penetrates deep into the cracks. It may look messy at this stage but don’t panic. Don’t let the dark wax dry out as it will be difficult to remove.
5 Wipe off the excess dark wax using a clean cotton cloth, rubbing into the cracks as you go, making certain that they are all filled. You should be able to clean off a large amount of the wax.
6 Wipe some clear wax lightly over the surface. The aim is for the surface to be as clean as you can make it with the dark wax remaining in the cracks.
alternative uses
Use crackle varnish on any small, flat area of furniture such as a stool top, panel, or plain frame. As it uses transparent varnish it also works well over découpage and stenciling.
Lining walls with fabric instantly makes a room soft and calm, whether using formal toiles de jouy—as in the living room opposite—or a finely woven linen, which would suit a cottage room. The ambience is also improved as the fabric absorbs sound and covers any blemishes. Sew lengths of single-width fabric together into panels or simply overlap them and iron flat.
YOU WILL NEED
Lengths of fabric
Scissors
Staple gun
Length of braid
Fabric adhesive
1 Cut the fabric into the length you need for the wall—overestimate as you can always cut off the excess. Hold the fabric so it aligns down a door post, and staple it to the wall halfway along the top to establish a firm connection. Pull the fabric down towards the floor, making certain to keep it straight and taut, and staple in the center, at the bottom, and on both sides. Return to the top, pulling the fabric again so it stretches, and work from the center outwards, stapling as you go along the top and then down the outer edges.
2 Position the second length of fabric so that it slightly overlaps the first. Staple it then pull it tight and fix at the bottom. Pull it taut enough so there is no need to fix the fabric down the overlapping sides.
3 Choose a braid or ribbon to glue lightly around the outer edges of the fabric panels. Here a light herringbone tape has been used to cover the unsightly staples.
A very beautiful 18th century wooden cherub standing on a pedestal graces this entrance hall, its wood bleached almost white with age and its paintwork distressed and flaking. Pieces like this are rare but you can achieve something similar using an ordinary stone statue from a garden center—this one is several years old so already has a bit of patina.
YOU WILL NEED
100 ml Old White
Chalk Paint
Medium paintbrush
Dry dirt
Soft brush
1 Paint the statue in places with Old White paint using the edge of the brush to go over the raised areas rather than pushing the paint into the recesses. This will bring out the design and shapes of the statue. Apply a little at first, then add more as you become more confident about the way you want the statue to look.
2 Using some earth from a pot plant (it is likely to be clean and light) rub it into parts of the wet paint and into the recesses. It will mix with the white paint to make it a little dirty and grayed, knocking back the white highlights such as on the rounded tummy and cheeks so that they don’t appear to stick out too much. Also darken some of the crevices with the dirt.
3 When the statue is dry, get rid of any excess dirt by dusting it with a soft dry brush.
painting an old
gilded mirror frame
This old frame had been painted with a gold colored paint that made it look rather flat and cheap. The design of the molding is the classical acanthus, making it perfect for transforming into a French-style mirror frame. Gold showing through white suits the genteel look of the country manoir so, to achieve a similar look, find frames with pronounced carving. The technique could be adapted to suit any look by choosing the right colors.
YOU WILL NEED
100 ml Old White
Chalk Paint
Medium paintbrush
Paper towel, cloth
or sponge
1 Apply the soft chalk paint over the frame, making certain it goes into all the recesses. Allow it to dry thoroughly.
2 Using a damp paper towel, cloth or sponge, wipe over the raised carving, leaving paint in the recesses. By wiping just a few times, paint can be left as a wash over some of the raised areas so the effect is soft, or it can be wiped quite cleanly so the difference in the gold and white is strongly contrasted. Work over the whole frame so the effect is even. Allow to dry. Then put a mirror in the frame, or choose a picture for it.
3 An alternative method of achieving this look is to pass a flat brush of dryish paint lightly over the raised molding. The effect leaves more gilding than paint, and may suit a different room or picture.
provençal armoire
with cicada fabric
This is a new armoire from the south of France, near the Spanish border. It was first painted entirely in gray, then with Duck Egg Blue and Celadon Green, with Louis Blue on the inside of the cupboard and on the drawer fronts. Finally, it was distressed all over using clear and dark wax and sandpaper. The textured painting, especially on the top carved area, is emphasized with the use of dark wax rubbed into crevices. Like many armoires, this one has doors that can be either glazed or covered in fabric—here the voile chosen has an embroidered cicada design, the cicada being a popular motif in Provence.
YOU WILL NEED
Length of fabric (voile)
Needle and cotton
Sewing machine (optional)
Dowling
Bradawl
Eyelet screws
The French often hang a voile fabric in cabinet doors instead of glass, because the fabric allows air through but keeps out insects. This cabinet has been made using my own part linen, part cotton voile with embroidered cicadas.
1 To give the fabric the right gathered look, use a piece half as wide again as the opening it will cover. Hem the fabric around all the edges by turning under 1 in., turning under again and stitching. At the top, fold over 3 in., stitching along the folded edge. Stitch again about 1 in. above this stitching line. The gap between the lines of stitching should be wide enough to inset your length of dowling.
2 Mark with a pencil where the eyelet screws must go, then use a bradawl to make holes in the wood.
3 Secure the eyelet screws. Put up the curtain by pushing the dowling through the eyelets. Pull down the curtain gently until it is fairly taut and hanging as you want it.
alternative uses
Use the same idea on a glazed door or window. Thin cottons in faded stripes or vintage linens give a more rustic look while brightly colored fabrics evoke the Riviera.
For these curtains my inspiration came from the haute couture, and in particular Chanel, jackets of the 1950s—a soft yet tailored design classic. Instead of using the characteristic braiding on the leading edge, I have used two other devices from dressmaking—a different colored thread that emphasizes the hems around the curtain, and large vintage French buttons, sewn on at intervals. For the top of the curtain, or heading, the turnover is big enough to look like a collar or cuff. Instead of a gathered heading, I wanted to be able to draw the curtains so that they pull out to resemble a panel. I therefore decided against a traditional curtain tape and have used buckram, which keeps the heading upright and firm. The curtains have been made with my own heavyweight creamy white pure Manoir Blanc linen, then lined with a red spotty fabric, just like a jacket.
YOU WILL NEED
Annie Sloane’s Manoir
Blanc linen cut to length
Buckram cut to length
Needle and cotton in contrasting color
Sewing machine
Buttons and same color thread
Hook pins
The curtains have been hung on an old brass pole. The weight of the linen helps to give softness to the tailored design so the folds are not too stiff and rigid. By using strong fine cotton, the curtains could be more formal looking. Set against the muted tone of the taupe wall with a neo-classical mirror, a purple pitcher and Château Grey paintwork on the table and lamp base, the red and amber buttons are bright and clear.
alternative uses
Add braid instead of buttons along the edge of the folded hem or make a hemmed edging at the bottom of Roman blinds, adding buttons too. Give pillows the tailored look with buttons and edging.
1 Decide how big you want the heading to be—I decided on about one-eighteenth of the total drop but you could make it even larger. Place the buckram into the heading, as shown, fold and iron the sides.
2 Open out the heading and, on the right side, pin the buckram into place by folding over the top and side hems. Tack in place then overstitch along the sides of the curtain using brown thread. If hand stitching, use thicker cotton and larger stitches.
3 Fold over the fabric along over the front of the curtain, iron flat, then pin and tack as shown. (If you are going to line the curtains, this is when to do it.) Machine stitch around the heading to help keep it stiff and firm.
4 At the base of the curtain, fold the hem around to the front, pin and tack. Overstitch as before using machine or hand stitching. Choose a selection of buttons varying in shape, pattern, and size to go down the sides and even along the bottom. Measure out and mark their positions with pins. Sew the buttons on using the same color thread as the buttons. Take care to conceal the knot in the fabric so nothing can be seen on the reverse.
5 Measure the width of the curtain and mark with a pin where the curtain hook pins should be placed. Make sure the hook pins are attached so the curtains will hang properly and straight. They may need adjusting because your floor may not be even.
The bureau has a been given a Parisian look, making it a fitting partner for the old French mannequin from the turn of the last century, which has been covered in newspaper and adapted into a lamp base. The outside of the bureau has been painted in a combination of deep lilac and dark blue. These have mixed and merged so that the change of color resembles the patina of age. Around the drawers, the inset border has been painted an off-white to give an extra feature.
This oak desk, probably from the 1940s, looked heavy and dark, and was without shape or grace in its natural state. However, being a useful size, I decide to paint it and bring out its boxlike qualities using colors inspired by Coco Chanel’s famous jackets. An inset border around the drawers called for a contrasting color, like braid on a jacket.
YOU WILL NEED
500 ml paint in two similar tones
Old White Chalk Paint
Small square paintbrush
Pencil (optional)
Large paintbrush
500 ml clear wax
500 ml dark wax
Cloth
1 Choose two colors that are near each other on the color wheel, such as the deep lilac and warm dark blue used here. While the first coat was still wet, the next color was applied, working it into the wet paint so there is no apparent line. Paint the front of the furniture at the same time, so that the drawers do not stand out from the frame when they are closed.
2 With white paint and a small square brush, paint around the edge of the drawers. If there is no border, draw one with a pencil then fill it in.
3 Use a big brush to apply first clear then dark wax. Work both of them all over the surface, leaving fairly clear areas as well as dark ones. Try to make these areas merge so there are no obvious patches.
4 Wipe off the excess with a clean cloth. Polish the bureau the next day so that the paintwork develops a slight shine.
