French Chairs » Louis XV

Colorful Upholstered French Chairs

Admin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:35:18 +0000

White Upholstered French Chairs Featured In Lonny Magazine

Blair and Alistair Clarke's good taste and outstanding art landed their Park Ave home in the pages of Lonny's September 2011's issue. Though this wasn't the first time their home has been photographed. Habitually Chic posted pictures of their extravagant residence which was featured in the May 2008 issue of Town & Country magazine. Alistair is the worldwide head of English and European furniture for Sotheby's, while Blair, is a dealer of contemporary art. The two tastes combine rare valuable antiques and extraordinary splashy art.

Blair's includes her tips in Lonny for decorating- She tells us to mix periods and cultures. Always have a sense of humor when decorating, and avoid too much clutter.

You can see how sensational their home looks with pops of color. From the color in the paintings to the coordinating colors seen in the upholstery on the french chairs, it all works together beautifully.

You can see how much more valuable their homes looks with antique french furniture. Investing in French furnishings can make your home appear more valuable, and high-caliber, because French furniture is superior in all regards.

In fact, French chairs can be customized. Ralph Lauren has been known to feature French chairs in rustic settings with plaid and leather combinations and other times with floral chintz. French chairs can also be upholstered in bright white with splashes of color. Almost any combination looks terrific on french chairs.

Here you can see how the Clarke's home is centered around pops of color from the art work on the wall to the countless colors of the books on their wall. The chairs, are customized to work with the rest of their home. I think this can be seen from the dark stained wood floors and the black upholstered seats on the french chairs. It is a seamless transition, from the floors to the seats of the chairs. The back of the chairs are upholstered with the splash of color much like the paintings on the wall. It reminds me of a flashy brightly colored cocktail ring. The end result is vibrant and luxurious!

Blair and Alistair Clarke's Park Ave Home Featured in May 2008 issue of Town & Country Magazine

French Chairs Featured in May 2008 issue of Town & Country Magazine

A Close-up View Of These Spectacular French Chairs

Forgive me for the close-up. You can see that many of the chairs are antiques, such as the one off in the corner of the room. The combination of leather and bright fabric on the back of the chair work well in their home, amongst the colorful artwork. As you can see the dark floors really play off of the black leather seats. What a terrific combination. Looking closely at the picture, it appears as though the frame of the french chairs is painted in an off white, and distressed.

A Pair of Stunning Leather French Chairs, and Regence Kingwood Commode, circa 1730 Featured in The May 2008 issue of Town & Country Magazine

A Close Up View of the Spectacular Regence Kingwood Commode, circa 1730

Blair and Alister Clarke Home Lonny's September 2011's issue

As you can see in this picture, they have exchanged the black leather french chairs for this pair upholstered in white.

Blair and Alister Clarke Home Lonny's September 2011's issue.

Louis XV French Chair

Admin — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 15:45:18 +0000

Polly McArthur in Seattle features a delicate looking small Louis XV Style side chair with canned back upholstered in “Melograno” fabric from Colony in Rome. If you look closely the chair is painted in a light green and is finished with gold accents. The fabric reminds me of a pastel English garden, with a brightly colored set of fushia roses based in the center of the garden. The choice of the eding is very bold but works fantastic with the overall appeal! This chair sells for $1,638.

Louis XV Style Side Chair Featured at Polly McArthur In SeattleLouis XV Style Side Chair Featured at Polly McArthur In Seattle

French Chairs: Striped Upholstery

Admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 04:35:12 +0000

French chairs can be art pieces all on their own. While many people feel red is a little bold to put on their walls, they might think red would look fabulous on an accent chair. Furniture is one way many people are able to try bright colors without feeling overwhelmed. Designer Brian McCarthy featured a very bold french chair with red and white upholstery on a gold frame that was shown in the Elle Decor 2007 issue. Kate Spade and husband Andy Spade use French chairs through out their New York Apartment adding bright colors to their home with their furniture. In their living room you see a lovely pair of striped chairs in cream and white, while in front of their bathroom, you see a brightly striped red chair with a natural wood french frame. If you are looking for a lovely classic print, striped upholstery fabric in subtle colors can be a very soft look. A striped fabric with cream and beige featured on painted french frame can be a classic choice that will not date over the years. On the other hand if you are looking for a statement piece, consider a stripe in a bold print. Consider using the color wheel with your interior home colors and choosing a upholstery color opposite from your homes interior to make your statement chair pop.

Striped French Chairs Brian McCarthy Featured in Elle Decor

French Chair: Brian McCarthy Elle Decor

Ticking Stripe Periwinkle/Ivory Fabric By The Yard
Ticking Stripe Pink/White Fabric By The Yard
Vertical Stripe American Red Fabric By The Yard

Kate and Andy Spade's Apartment

This photo was originally seen on Habitually Chic Blog

Kate and Andy Spade's Apartment

Faux Fur

Admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 02:09:57 +0000

Some people are sensitive to using fur to upholster with, and rightfully so. I know for myself, I cannot think about anything else for days if I have seen a video on animal torture. Just to say, I tread on this topic cautiously, because I don't want to ever see any animal abused for the senseless greed of nice things. During the decadent 1850's, womens fashions styles were often very heavy featuring ornate designs which were often made tortoiseshell. The intricate natural designs of these turtles made them the choice material for ladies hair combs. During that time, these turtles almost went extinct just because the natural pattern of these creatures looked nice in the hair and as accessories. You can see the beauty of God's genius hand in almost every creature, from delicate bright colors found in fish, to the zebra, tiger and leopard. So, it doesn't come at a surprise that many people like to upholster with faux fur materials because the patterns are so nice. Keeping that very thing in mind,.......Is it ok to then buy a used fur coat at a thrift store or ebay and use it for upholstery? That is something that you must think about for yourself. Fur can be very luxurious. Animal prints are often seen in classical high end interior design and are used as neutrals. Animal prints are much like striped fabric, they act as a filler in most rooms, either to balance out patterns, or add some interest.

(Picture- Lovely French Louis XVI Fauteuil Chair From Stylized Design Blog)

Tip 1- Stay Away From The Typical Cheap Furs at Your Local Fabric Store Unless it is Real.

I have upholstered my own french chairs in faux fur, and to be honest, finding the right fur that looks realistic is the main challenge of this project.

There are a lot of cheap looking furs out there which could diminish the worth of a nice looking french chair. Even in the biggest cities have a lack of quality fur fabric, which cause most people to look on ebay. Even then, I would suggest ordering a small swatch of the fabric before proceeding to purchasing several yards.

Longer fur isn't the best for upholstering. In fact, rarely does long fur look nice upholstered. Longer fur works best as rugs in baby rooms, or Hollywood Regency styled homes, but not for upholstery.

Fur should always kept short on furniture giving the opportunity for a person to see the lovely frame. Fur also shouldn't be plush as if it was cotton based. (I am trying to discribe the cheaper fur fabrics that are sold everywhere.) Fur should flow in one direction such as what you would find on an animal.

Finding a fur that replicates the real thing with hair that is trimmed and short is ideal because it looks realistic. Try to find something as close to the real thing as possible.

Tip 2. Conisder Only Using Fur on Choice Decorative Accent French Chairs

Real Fur upholstery isn't the greatest material touse on a daily basis. If you think of children crawing on and off furniture, the fur can be pulled in the wrong direction over time, causing breakage.

When considering upholstering with fur, think of only using fur with a pair of accent chairs that wouldn't normally get used, but are there for display only.

I have picked up several real fur items in the past through thrift stores, and I have noticed that over time, the leather does deteriorate with a lack of moisture. What happens is the leather becomes quite brittle, and the fur susceptible to breakage. Over time the use of a real fur chair will cause damage to the hair, causing bald spots in the most used areas such as the seat. So if you are going to use real fur, consider the chair that you upholster to be a special chair for display or minimal use only.

Using fake fur, works much the same way. We have a faux fur Regency chair. The fur was quite short, and for decorative purposes, I sprayed down the chair with hair spray to get the grain of the hair to stay put in one direction. The hairspray gives it that real fur effect, and since I never sit in them, they hold up really well.

Tip 3: Use Bigger Fur Patterns

After looking around you will notice like I did, that most faux fur are sold in small patterns. The problem with this is the overall look can be imposing and look fake. The last thing you want is your french chair to look as if it has faux fur. You do want to buy something close to the real thing. The best fur, would be fur that features a large pattern, because this is more realistic. The cheaper looks often have small scale patterns which tend to look very fake. Consider bigger patterns for a subtitle luxurious look.

In addition, there are many upholstery fabrics with an animal print pattern which look just as nice.

Look at the two outside chairs in the picture below to view a nice looking upholstery pattern. The middle chair is fur, and the subtle pattern gives a hint of luxury.

French Chairs Upholstered with Fur

Some additional Maintence Tips:

Having fur in ones home can attract a lot of dirt over time, so do keep this in mind when selecting a fur. It is a necessity to vacuum the fabric regularly to keep dirt, dust and soil from accumulating. If you have a sofa with faux fur, be sure to remember to rotate and turn the cushions to prevent uneven wear.

Fur should also be kept out of the exposure to sunlight. Keeping fur out of the sunlight will allow its colors to remain vibrant for longer. Do not place any furniture in direct sunlight, as the sun acts like bleach over time.

I have a lovely leather circular tapestry that I found at a thrift store, and it was already folded when I bought it. I have found over time that the folds have further deteriorated because the natural leather is not soft anymore, from a lack of moisture. When storing real fur, it is best to store any fabrics on rolls rather than folding them to prevent difficult creases from forming.

If you find a fur that you love, don't be afraid of asking for a sample! Many ebay sellers would love to send out a sample for the possibility of selling a few yards of fabric. Once you get an idea of what you like, chances are, you will have a keen eye to figure out what you like and what you dis-like.

Decorating With Fur- Ancient Modern

French Chairs and Footstools- Decorating With Fur From Wild Chairy on ebay

Neiman Marcus's French Chair Upholstered in Fur

French Styles Decorating With Fur From Designer Suzanne Rheinstein Originally Featured on Cote De Texas

Designer Valentina Glez Wohlers Cactus French Chairs

Admin — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 03:52:59 +0000

Valentina Gonzalez Wohlers

Designer Valentina Glez Wohlers reinterpreted the classic Louis XV French style chair to incorporate her Mexican heritage. The London based designer debuted her Cactus prickly chairs at the designers block exhibition during Milan design in 09, and they were a hit. Valentina Glez Wohlers remarks on her redesigned chairs, “Prickly Pair Chairs respects the original 18th century chair, but concludes that its new, hybrid form synthesizes the ‘best of both worlds’; it evokes nostalgia for what was left behind and helps facilitate a sense of belonging in a new environment by fusing two powerful cultural symbols”. The classic french oval chair originated during the in the Rococo period of Louis XV and has since been a staple in many upscale homes through out the world.

French Louis XV Chair

Admin — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:54:05 +0000

Antique Reproductions are very hard to find, but it seems like Ebay has pulled together stock from around the world, so that particular chair that you are looking for is within reach. The Louis XV chairs without the cushions are relitivly easy to upholster yourself. All you need is a T50 Staple Gun from Home Depot and upholstery nails. The trick to upholstery is to pull your fabric tight. With these chairs, you have access to all the areas you need to tack down, which makes it a very easy fix. The Louis XV Chair is quite a extravagent chair, with a refined style that would work with any fabric, abstract, bold colors, or traditional fabrics. With the carved looks and the rounded features, it surely can stand alone and be the feature of the room in an understated way. These XV chairs are the perfect accent chair for your hallway..... or that small wall that needs filling. With low shipping costs, or free shipping with some sellers, it saves time than checking out every garage sale for the summer.

French Louis XV Chair Designer Paul Costello

~ French Louis Chairs ~

French Louis Chair Designer Hendrix Allardyce

French Chair ~ Designer Carolyne Roehm

French Louis XV Chair~ Ballard designs & Ralph Lauren

French Louis Chair Nina Campbell

Louis XV Chair Duralee Fabrics and Furniture

French Louis XV Chair ~WaverlyFabrics

French Louis Armchair ~Creative Home Magazine

French Louis Arm Chair ~ Country Living Magazine

French Louis XV Chair ~ Charles Faudree's French Country Living

Louis XV Chair

French Arm Chair ~ Sewing Room ~This Old House Magazine

Louis XV Chair ~ (Scanned From Traditional Home or Charles Faudree's French Country Living?)

French Louis XV Chair

French Louis XV Chair Designer Betty Burgess

Louis XV Chair ~ George Smith

French Louis XV Chair

Baroque French Louis XV Chairs

Admin — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:28:27 +0000

The Baroque style developed in the 1620s which appeared very ornate, with heavy carving, and extended into the 17th century. Toward the end of the 17th century, baroque furniture tended to become simpler and the use of ornament was somewhat refined and simpler. There are varied styles of baroque as the elements of the french styles gradually work their way down from excessively ornate to simpler looks. Common Baroque chairs were found highly ornate, with velvet, silks, and needlework were the common fabrics, held together with leather and nails. They often were bulky and richly ornate with detail in the wood carving. I couldn't even imagine how long one chair would take in hours to produce.

Tony Duquette Classic Baroque Interiors with many french influences such as French Louis Chairs

The Hotel Splendide Royal Classic Baroque French Interiors with French Chairs

French Baroque Interior Versailles’ chapel

Donald and Milania-Trump have decked out their home in classic Baroque french details. Marble floors and walls, and gilt chairs fill there home for that striking elaborate interior.

Milania-Trump with a French End Table

House Beautiful French Baroque Louis XV Dining Chairs

Stunning Baroque Headboard Bed ~ HW idesign's Photostream

Baroque French Louis XV Chairs Country Living Magazine

Louis XV Chairs Peter M. Trapolin Interior Design by Alexa Hampton

Home Beautiful features antique french dining chairs, and featured in brown tones is a Louis XV Chair From the Style Court Blog

The Spa at Villa Marie Hotel, & Antique French Baroque Chair Raymond Goins

French Louis XV Dining Chair

Admin — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:07:46 +0000

These open back provincial chairs are very easy to find. In fact, in the 1950's they produced quite a bit of french provincial dining room tables with the Louis XV chair as inspiration. The french designs became popular with several companies around the 1900's where many small businesses manufacturered the look, shipping their pieces around the United States, growing in size and popularity. Again in 1950, the style took off, with provincial dining sets, bedroom sets, and living room sets. A number of companies made the bedroom provincial sets, ranging from higher end quality wood, to pressed wood with melamine tops. Thomasville, Drexel are the recommended sets, as they did use higher quality wood, as well as Union Company (on the higher end), as well as John Widdicomb being one of the first to manufacture the look. Today, if you are hoping to come across one of these chairs, or are looking for a provincial set, they are fairly easy to locate. The very best thing to come from these 1950's sets is that they are reproductions of the Louis Styled furniture. They are quite affordable to pick up, and upholster or paint to subsitute for the antique Louis styles that can be a bit expensive.

You can find french bedroom sets here and here

Pair of Venetian baroque style chairs 20th Century Gallery

Antique Louis XV Chairs and A French Provincial Chair Repainted - Photo Credit The Vintage Laundress Blog

This is the typical wood chair that came with many of the french provincial sets. (The painted blue chair) They can be found very easily and for little money. They are the perfect chair to paint as you can see with the picture showing the painted blue chair that is slightly distressed. This chair shows a fantastic paint job. Often times with this sort of chair you can include two colors, either blue, gray, green or white for the main frame, and gold or white for the edging.

19th Early 20th C. Louis XV Style Armchairs Seller 1st Dibs Paris