The French Influence

See how French kings influenced furniture styles in their day.

All About

Product Ideas

Walk into any furniture store and you are bound to see the influence of five French monarchs all named Louis. As each king came into power he commissioned his own furniture:

King Louis XIII liked furniture that was bulky and rigid. Louis XIV believed furniture designed during his reign should show off his power so it was massive and ornate. Both styles lacked grace and were large in scale so they are rarely reproduced and found mostly in museums. Their importance lies in the fact that they were the basis of later French styles by Louis XV, Louis XVI and Louis Philippe, which are often reproduced today.

Think French if you want to bring a classic touch to your home because it's such a timeless design style. This ageless quality is due largely to the influence of King Louis XV who liked curved pieces and intricate carvings of shells and flowers, which was largely influenced by Madame de Pompadour.

With the invention of springs, chairs became more welcoming with open arms and cushioned seats, which were larger and deeper to accommodate the huge dresses popular at the time.

Louis XV furniture is symmetrical and incorporates motifs such as shells, leaves, flowers and scrolled toes. It's also known as the Rococo style, which is derived from the French word "racaille" meaning rock and shell work.

When Louis XVI took the throne in 1754, furniture evolved once again. One of the major influences in the design was the king's queen, Marie Antoinette. It was her interest in the classics that predominated the look of furniture and simpler lines replaced the free-flowing forms of previous styles. Legs became straight and tapered like a Roman column without scrolled toes.

King Louis Philippe's style reflected the times so it was much simpler than all the previous ones. People were wealthy and wanted to buy a lot of furniture so craftsmen had to produce it faster.

Armoires are unmistakably French with carved doors, interesting hardware or decorative painting. They were originally used for storage before closets existed.

Fabric and rich paint colors bring an old chair back to life with French influences.

Painted Chair

Materials and Tools:

wood chair with padded seat
sandpaper
paintbrush
primer/sealer
paint
acrylic craft paints
polyurethane
fabric

Steps:

1. Sand chair and wipe off dust. Apply primer/sealer.

2. Once dry, paint entire chair in desired color and let dry.

3. Paint decorative floral motifs and protect design with polyurethane once dry.

4. Reupholster the seat to give the flavor of the period.

Louis armoire, Louis buffet (Baker, Knapp & Tubbs)

Louis XV chair, Louis XVI chair, Louis Philippe chair, Louis Philippe armoire , three Louis XV armoires, Louis XVI buffet
(Olivier Fleury, Inc.)

Resources

Guests
- Olivier Fleury
  Owner, Olivier Fleury, Inc.
  708 Oakbourne Road
  West Chester, PA 19382
  Phone: 610-692-0445
  Fax: 610-429-0947
  Email: ofleury@chesco.com
  URL: www.ofleury.com
- Chuck Soldano, Owner
  Work in Progress
  1135 Pine St.
  Philadelphia, PA 19130
  Phone: 215-925-9675