French Night Recipe

 

Tonight I am hosting a French wine tasting and dinner. The centerpiece on the buffet table will be a wicker basket filled with French baguettes. At dinner, a baguette will be distributed to each table.

Blue and White

Apartment Therapy

This is a wonderful combination - a vintage grain sack armchair from One Kings Lane with a blue and white Chinese garden stool. This is a great choice for Farmhouse, Cottage, or French Country decor.

Although I have not seen this combination before, I could really see grain sack used with a lovely vintage Chinoiserie toile like this one.

Vintage French Chinoiserie Toile

A Chinoiserie Kitchen

Many of us have posted the photo above of this wonderful French influenced kitchen from House Beautiful with its Chinoiserie touches. I thought it would be fun to look at it in greater detail. Note the red tole pagoda lantern by Vaughan. The curtains are Bailey & Griffin's Canton Toile in Cherry Vanilla backed in Brunschwig & Fils Paola taffeta in Pepper Red. The stools are in Brunschwig & Fils La Mer in Pompeain Red.

The hand painted tile mural is from the Chinoiserie series by Tempest. Note the red knobs on the Wolf range.

A paper towel niche

A pull-out cutting board with hole so scraps go directly into the trash below

The breakfast niche with cushions in Brunschwig & Fils Chancellor Strie in Pompeian Red

Bailey & Griffin's Canton Toile

Saturday Inspiration

Is your decorating style a wonderfully eclectic mix of Chinoiserie, modern, and country? Then you'll love this dining room with its Chinese ancestor portrait, farm table, and yellow metal French cafe chairs. Simple and stunning.

The classic French cafe Marais Chair at DWR for $275.

A well priced alternative-a set of 4 Wrap Dining Chairs from West Elm for $316.

Style Quiz

In case you haven't heard about the style quiz on Sproost.com, it's really quite fun. I came out 100% French Eclectic. The picture it selected for my style with its soft green walls and upholstery, antiques, gold, black and pink accents, fresh flowers, and gilt mirrors, is all spot on. In fact, add a few pieces of Chinoiserie and you have my home. It describes my style as formal but casual, classy but unassuming, filled with antiques from flea markets, garage sales, and hours of eBay hunting. Spooky! Please go take the quiz and report back on whether you agree with your results. P.S. The results are slow to load-take the quiz and give it a few minutes!

French Chinoiserie and Cote de Texas

As you know if you are a follower of Chinoiserie Chic, I am a firm believer that Chinoiserie elements work in any style home, adding elegance, sophistication, whimsy, beauty, and individuality to your space. Joni Webb from Cote de Texas has certainly shown us all that French design is alive and well in Texas. But what about Chinoiserie? Today is a little photo journal of the home, design work, and designers admired by Cote de Texas to show you how beautifully Chinoiserie melds with French interior design. All photos are courtesy of Cote de Texas.

Cheri and Chinoiserie

Over the weekend I rented Cheri and was transfixed by its sumptuous interiors and elegant period fashion. Set in Belle Epoque Paris, it is replete with interiors filled with Chinoiserie, animal skins, velvet, gold, and palms, wonderful hats and gowns, French chateaux, Maxim's, the Hotel du Palais in Biarritz, and a seductively compelling and decadent love story. We follow the love affair of aging courtesan Lea played by Michelle Pfeiffer and her much younger boy toy Cheri played by Rupert Friend. If you love French design and Chinoiserie, pop a good bottle of French bubbly and enjoy this visual feast.