French furniture, pros and cons, characteristics of models

True masterpieces do not go unnoticed, because French furniture has had a lot of fans in all ages. She was always chic, elite and popular, she never went out of fashion. It is impossible to confuse it with other models of ethnic styles. The presence of French charm brings elegance, charm, luxury and provincial simplicity to home comfort. In any space, it brings its own flavor, becoming a functional decoration of the most diverse interiors of prestigious clubs, fashionable restaurants, cozy hotels, apartments and houses.

Character traits

Having become the owner of French furniture, the owner of the apartment gives himself an invaluable gift: he receives a public assessment of his high status, refined taste, respectability. The cozy home space created on high examples of furniture art is a compliment to the impeccable aesthetic taste of its designers. Such furniture is made of solid materials, decorated with rich ornaments. Undeniable advantages are the style of French furniture, which is a brilliant atmosphere of ancient Europe. It carries an atmosphere of carelessness and celebration, created by its characteristic features:

upholstered elegant furniture upholstered with elegant fabrics of pastel stripes or delicate shades of floral and vegetable colors;
it is characterized by a combination of polished surfaces with dull gleaming gilding;
the furniture is distinguished by impeccable execution and curved flowing lines;
models are made of expensive natural wood;
minimal use of metal gives it sophistication;
the design is a stylish inlay and excellent carving;
having a regal look, it is simple, convenient and practical.

The presence in the home interior of this furniture is associated with being surrounded by works of high art. The furniture was made by the great court masters who created their own style. Modern designs retain it, even if they are performed in series. The selection of material, texture, models is given close attention. Furniture in French will be a brilliant choice for those who want to create a unique interior.

Advantages and disadvantages

Each person adheres to their own views on the best furniture style. Many homeowners are fanatically professing a sophisticated, elegant French style in the interior of the apartment. Before choosing such a design, you need to analyze its pros and cons, weigh all the nuances associated with the purchase of furniture, the selection of decor elements, accessories, and the combination with design elements of the entire home. If the house is decorated in the French style, none of the rooms can not get out of the general design. Every corner should carry the splendor of the palace. Violation of this feature creates disharmony by crossing out the original idea: to create a French flavor in the interior.

The advantages of using French-style furniture are as follows:

it is impossible to make a mistake in choosing furniture, because it meets a certain list of characteristics: it is elegant, refined, stylish, has a palace flavor, despite the simplicity of forms;
a large selection of furniture sets for every taste;
owners of luxurious French furniture grow in their own eyes, the opinion of society, their social status rises;
a house decorated in this style causes aesthetic pleasure;
beneficial effect on the health of inhabitants of a harmonious combination of soft pastel shades of the interior with the quality of natural materials.

Cons of similar furniture also has:

this furniture is not combined with ultramodern fittings and decor elements;
the decision to choose French furniture will entail great waste. You will have to spend money on accessories and decorative elements in harmony with the general style of the interior;
there will be problems with the possibility of choosing antique jewelry that matches the style;
the richness and sophistication of the facade decoration greatly complicates everyday care.

The style of French furniture has a main feature, the violation of which leads to the replacement of its chaos. It does not combine with other styles, has permanent features that are the guarantor of its integrity.

Kinds

French furniture appeared in the Renaissance and has come a long way in development. All this period until today, she remained popular in the world to the same extent as cosmetics, jewelry, perfumes, only because she bears the imprint of France: high quality, thoughtful design, sophisticated appearance. French furniture reflects the era of its creation, which gave rise to masterpieces that have survived for several centuries.

The revival dating back to the 15th-16th centuries was a time in which all art forms reached their peak. It is also associated with the emergence of new types of furniture, which include:

chest and chest, for the decoration of which use medallions in the form of heads;
armchairs made of wood were decorated with carvings on a high back. Models have wicker elements. Armchairs, chairs decorated with fringe, fabric, braid, upholstered in leather are included in the everyday life;
the chest, raised to the legs, has become a new kind of furniture. In shape it is a cabinet for storing dishes, which was called the dresser. Ornaments in the form of pilasters or columns divided it into parts (panels), tightly decorated with carved relief patterns;
the bed made of their walnut is a miracle of artistic perfection, an architectural masterpiece: a rich carved ornament is placed at the head of the bed. The construction is crowned with a magnificent canopy. The furniture is decorated with intricate decorative elements:
- fire salamander, with a royal crown on his head, coat of arms of the king;
- columns, balusters, candelabra with flames;
- depicting profiles of heads decorated with luxurious wreaths with ribbons;
- cornices, pilasters, panels with arabesques.

The appearance of cabinet cabinets decorated with architectural elements is characteristic of the late Renaissance:

the front side is decorated with the facade of the building with the image of gables and columns;
on drawers marble plates are placed;
figurines of figures of ancient gods are placed in niches of panels.

There are tables for ceremonial occasions, characterized by splendor of decoration. Side openings are made in the form of arches, on both sides of which are massive columns. Shields are connected using a thick bar, which is located near the floor. This massive base is decorated with chiseled balusters.

There is a tendency to place a small amount of furniture in residential premises: stools and tables with vases arranged along the walls. Furniture is finished using two different techniques:

samples of case models are finished with wood veneer and decorated with inlay, as well as metal overhead elements;
tables, stools adorn with gilding.

For the first time, such furniture as a bureau (desk), cases for a standing clock appear, and ebony is used for their decoration. Gilded and bronze embossed ornaments are applied to corners, boxes, legs.

Particular attention is paid to the decoration of cabinets. For their manufacture use ebony:

the front part is decorated in the form of a building facade, on which decor elements are placed: balustrade, cornices, ledges and pediments;
the boxes are closed with richly decorated sashes, behind them is a portal with a theater stage and decorations depicted on it;
columns and groups of caryatids were taken for supports.

Armchairs, for the upholstery of which various types of decorative fabrics are used. The legs with balusters as a decor with four faces are a set of square and pyramidal elements. They are connected by straight or curved elements. A new view of them appears, called a deck chair. The furniture has a bent back, a long seat so that you can stretch your legs. Armchairs are provided for older persons. Armchairs, sofas, chairs with high backs. They are decorated with profiling or curls. Their tips have a termination of acanthus leaves. The sofas, upholstered in luxurious fabrics in rich shades, consist of three adjacent chairs.

Tables, the edges of which are decorated with rich inlay or carving, have a round or rectangular shape. There are processing options in the Italian manner, where the legs are stylized as an image of a lyre. The vertical legs are coated with a rich inlay decoration. Their top is decorated with an ornament of female heads, having a luxurious hairstyle and long faces, their hair smoothly turned into a pattern with curls.

The author of tables, massive cabinets, a standing clock, chest of drawers is Boule, the founder of the style of French furniture. All these types of furniture were covered with black wood, decorated with intricate intricate ornaments:

many furniture samples had luxurious vases in the middle of the ornament, fluttering exotic butterflies placed around them made of different types of wood of various colors were placed around them;
on individual models depicted patterns consisting of tin turtles curling on a copper board;
the furniture is decorated with elements of a large bronze decor;
various ornaments depicting the finest patterns, leaves, curls carved from tin, copper, silver plates are applied to the surface of the tortoise shell in the form of plates.

Console decorative tables having two legs began to be used. They mounted mirrors. Their legs had bizarrely curved shapes. The middle of the connecting element is usually decorated with a royal coat of arms.

By the beginning of the XVIII century, new types of furniture appeared:

deep armchairs, called "berger";
pedestals for sculptures;
tables, all kinds of tables for work;
chests of various designs;
bedside tables of various shapes;
secretaries with a large number of various departments, a board with a folding design, legs, differing in height and harmony;
cardboard box (a small cabinet designed to hold papers).

All types of furniture are characterized by characteristic soft smooth lines.

Rococo brought with him new types of wood:

mahogany and rosewood;
a nut;
maple;
pears
apple trees;
Lemon
palm trees;
amaranth;
rosewood.

New technologies and fabrics for upholstery upholstery where velvet is used. Bronze plates follow the woodcarving. And today furniture is being made, stylized as modern materials and trends in the design of the French interior. Ancient traditions skillfully combine with elements of novelty. Modern furniture harmoniously absorbed historical traditions. On this basis, new stylized models are formed, the samples of which were created over several centuries. The main feature of French furniture is exquisite luxury. She always remains refined, elegant and unsurpassed.

What styles are suitable

Modern furniture French style was formed for a long time. Over the long history of development, neither its time nor fashion has changed its appearance: it does not lose popularity, it is characterized by thin lines, magnificent forms, exquisite luxury with notes of romanticism, novelty in harmony with antiquity. Having made a choice in favor of the French interior, it is necessary to sustain the design in its traditions. French furniture fits perfectly into the following styles:

Empire, strict classical style, in which everything is balanced, symmetry reigns in everything;
Rococo, who introduced light pastel colors;
Baroque with gilding in furniture, sculptures, beautiful tapestries, magnificent forms.

These styles are relied upon to create a modern French interior. In addition, several modern design styles influence the interior:

Parisian, with elements of modern decor, combined with old models of furniture. It is noble and refined, luxurious and magnificent style;
Northern, Norman, combining historical and modern elements;
southern style of a french village, provence.

When creating the interior, you need to pay attention to French-style furniture, which should have its basic elements. It is important that it blends harmoniously into it. All items would complement each other. New styles have given furniture designs simpler forms, but traditionally there are natural materials in it: (wood, stone), stucco work, which goes like imitation, carving elements, forging, noble fabrics. Modern French furniture looks in the interior of the apartments as simple, noble and luxurious as several centuries ago, and the photo is a perfect confirmation of this.