Caxton magazines staffThe French are masters of effortless style. Here’s how you can add some quintessentially French touches to your bedroom
French bedroom furniture can be as flamboyant as you like, with opulent chandeliers and oversized ornate mirrors. Rather than using conventional bedside cabinets, consider chests of drawers or vintage metal café tables.
TIPS: For the French, decor rules are made to be broken, so place your bed in front of the window where natural light will highlight the intricate carvings of the head- and footboards. If you’re decorating on a budget, scour junk shops for iron trellises that would make a pretty wall-mounted headboard.
Interior designer Amanda Walters decorated this French style bedroom. Here’s how she did it:
“I based the entire room on beautiful embroidered linen fabric from St Leger & Viney,” says decorator Amanda Walters. “It set the tone for the serene cream and blue palette and for the romantic French-inspired mood.”
“The Aubusson carpet was the final touch and it worked beautifully with the crewel work scatters,” she says. “Overall it was about creating a calm, cool space that’s easy to live in, yet will look good for years to come.”
Amanda used a metallic silver paint on the wooden bench. The chest of drawers was given a paint wash to create the slightly aged effect.
