On a recent trip to Paris we visited friends who were living in a beautiful Apartment. The building was part of a typical Parisian street scape, complete with grey stone buildings, wrought iron balconies, pots of red geraniums and a Patisserie at the end of the street. Inside, the apartment featured high ceilings, tall windows and a feeling of much history.
My observations to pass on to decorators who would like to capture some elements of French styling, Parisian Apartment Style, in their décor were several.
- Large vintage style mirrors were everywhere, catching the activity and reflecting the furnishings of the room.
- There were numerous clocks on display.Not all the clocks worked but they looked good.
- The walls were alive with pictures and posters of Paris and its landmarks, especially the Eiffel Tower.
- Much of the furniture was painted black or grey with high lights of gold. The furniture looked well used but not shabby. The term is 'shabby chic'.
- Elegant chairs covered in richly coloured fabric were placed about the room. As were small tables displaying ornaments and items of personal interest.
- There were beautiful chandeliers in the dining room and the sitting room.
- Vintage candelabra, silk cushions, porcelain figurines and fresh flowers caught my eye.
- The floors were painted boards with large rugs.
- The window coverings included a mixture of materials. The main bedroom reflected the intimacy of the room with drapes that included valances, braiding, silk cording and tassels.
- The colour palette was white with coloured feature walls in some of the rooms such as the study, accentuating a more personal space.
- Black and gold were used as accent colours for pictures on the wall and for the accessories in the room.
How to get this Parisian Apartment decorating look?
This style of decorating would be rewarding but may challenge the budget.
Here are some decorating ideas that will make such a decorating project easier.
- The interiorinstyle Eiffel Tower wall sticker in Black or Gold on a feature wall offers an affordable solution to the theme of using Parisian landmarks as wall decoration.
- Other Parisian landmarks available from interiorinstyle as wall stickers include the Parisian Skyline and the Moulin Windmill. Add a whimsical touch with the Parisian ladies walking their French poodle from the Paris about Town wall stickers.
- Chandeliers are very expensive. Capture the elegance of a chandelier with interiorinstyle's Chandelier wall sticker. You will find this a much more affordable option.
- interiorinstyle have a Parisian styled Giant Antique Clock wall sticker with includes a working clock.
- Be daring, add a Dressed Mannequin wall decal as bedroom decoration.
- The Parisian Chair wall sticker adds a touch of style to a small space.
- interiorinstyle's Vogue Wallpaper wall sticker is a rich blend of gold and black. Above a bed or used as a feature decoration in a sitting area, the blend of colours will evoke a feeling of French opulence as seen in the great salons of Versailles.
A glimpse of Parisian style.
This was my personal glimpse of Parisian Apartment style. Unfortunately I did not take photos at the time of my visit. As a guest, it would not have been appropriate. I have however found reference to a similar styled apartment on the net. Decorators who may be interested in the Parisian Apartment style of decorating can follow the link. I have included photos from this site to illustrate the style of my friends' Parisian apartment which was very much like this one featured by NY decorator Claudia in her blog article. Enjoy looking at the photos and soaking up the Parisian Apartment decorating style. http://parisapartment.wordpress.com/2010/05/26/paris-when-it-drizzles/ Thank Claudia for sharing these beatiful images on your blog.
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