My Own French Home....

My own French Home is evolving! As I mentioned in my first post on French Velvet, in 2011 when I visited France for the first time, my life changed forever! Slowly and as I have found furnishings that are truly French.....I add touches of France to this room. The sofa was my first purchase. I found it worn and beaten [yes, it had seen it's better day] and 
knew immediately it could be gorgeous with the right fabric and a new long cushion. I found a wonderful Irish upholster who did an excellent job. I described word by word how I desired it to look and he caught my vision!   We used French tacts to accent the fabric. The desk, was an investment years ago when we lived in Nashville and the small painted table was purchased in Jackson, Mississippi a few years ago and has French accents painted beautifully on the top and sides. The other items, along with the books, I have collected for years.  Many of the photographs I took myself in France on my travels and have found antique frames for each one. This room takes me to France....time and time again.....it is a place I find inspiration and blessing.  If you have an interest in furnishing your own home with a touch of France, I suggest you go slowly and only buy what you truly love and take your time...you WILL find what you are looking for. Create a mood that takes you to France!   The chairs shown below are a good reason why it can be rewarding to wait!

I found these beautiful chairs in the back of a "junk" antique shop.  A month later, I went back, they were still there. I bargained with the dealer and we agreed on a price!  I felt like I had stolen them!  I began to search for the perfect fabric to recover them in the French style.  I knew I wanted a French toile du jouy and I found a beautiful Fabricut sample of what I eventually decided upon, I waited and waited though. One day while browsing a fabric store in a town near where I live, I found the exact fabric at a discount price so I knew it was the right one.  The upholster I chose was not my favorite, but he worked hard to please me though and I am so appreciative. They are perfect for my French room. I did replace the cushions he used with my own down filled cushions.  They finished the room perfectly.  I chose a sisal rug from Pottery Barn to give it a more relaxed feel.  We live in a coastal town so this also works perfectly all year. The window dressings are silk, which I made with French pleats and a covered button at each pleat to give the drapes a finished look.

Investing in furnishings over time will give the impression that the pieces have been handed down from generation to generation.  This is what I hope for in my home....that it will give those who share my journey a part of my life forever....and a true French experience!

Tomorrow I will be sharing some beautiful postcards from Paris....vintage 1940's!

 One of my favorite places for inspiration, Avignon, France!