#French #Rococo #Furniture #Lavish #Beauty #Bridgerton
French Rococo Furniture is recognizable for its immense opulence. There is nothing quite as lavishly decorative and whimsically ornate as furniture from that period. In order to understand the design tastes of the era, we turn to media.
Some of our favorite TV shows and movies offer a remarkable look into furniture tastes of different eras. Even in exuberant modern television spectaculars, grains of historical truth can bring to life the lifestyle of a bygone time.
So, too, with French Rococo. It may be difficult to interpret what constituted tasteful décor at the royal courts of the 18th century at the hand of individual pieces. With the help of set decorators on shows like Bridgerton (Netflix), Rococo furniture comes to life for modern viewers.
While Bridgerton may skirt historical accuracy in many ways, its décor is charmingly indicative of the actual tastes at the court of Louis XV, for whom the Rococo and late-Baroque period is sometimes named. Journey with us into a world of exuberant furniture and find treasures to match the aesthetic in our catalog.
A Review of Rococo
Rococo is a period of the Baroque, noted for its cherubic, gold-plated, swirl-heavy furniture. When you hear Rococo, think of beautiful wood and marble pieces suffused with exceptionally crafted ormolu gold motifs. Plants, cherubs, and fruits are commonly represented.
French Rococo furniture may strike some as kitschy or overblown. But when harnessed properly, and in the context of the correct space, a Rococo piece can whimsically enliven a modern interior. At the hand of Bridgerton’s interiors, we can begin imagining how best to do that.
Palatial Grandeur
When you encounter a golden lounge space like the one picture in Bridgerton, you might immediately be struck by how over-the-top it all seems. Gilded wood and crimson velvet create an atmosphere of lavish luxury.
But when you focus on certain elements of the space, you find lots to be enamored with. Take the table: a marble top is accented by gorgeous, decorative swirls and leaf motifs. It seems both elegant and impressive.
A Louis XV Commode may offer you exactly that kind of effect in your living room, hallway, or lounge. Its exquisite marble top is an artwork in and of itself, while the dark brown brings out the gold décor with aplomb.
A Louis XV Drop-Front Desk like this is a unique object for a living room or office space. Its tall shape suits the period: note how the columns and furniture legs of the Bridgerton set draw the eye upwards. This desk is remarkable for its plentiful storage possibilities, as well.
And to emulate the seating pictured in Bridgerton, consider this single Louis XV Armchair as an accent for just about any room in your house. With gorgeously crafted wood and a regal blue fabric, it is certainly elegant, but less ostentatious than some other French Rococo pieces. Perfect for a modern interior with charm!
French Rococo’s Tasteful Potential
There are more ways that one to approach Rococo décor. It doesn’t all have to be white and gold. Take this gorgeous, green-tinted room from Bridgerton. In many ways, it embodies the contemporary style potential of French Rococo furniture. By letting the color of the room play the leading role over the gold ornamentation, the designer of this space conjures a comforting, elegant atmosphere that doesn’t feel ridiculously over the top.
Pieces that might fit into a color-led contemporary room include this Louis XV Secretary Desk. A more understated Baroque piece, it features gorgeously compatible dark wood and simple geometric décor. Nevertheless, it boasts elegantly curved legs and an ormolu gold lock.
Similarly, this striking Bureau Plat Desk could become the centerpiece of your office space with ease. It’s impressive and doubtlessly elegant, as well as wood-forward enough to be whimsically compatible with modern spaces.
If you’re craving plant motifs, but want less gold, check out this Louis XV Desk, which has one of the more striking Baroque veneers in our catalog. Fall in love with the light wood and stay for the floral artistry.
Bringing a Rococo Palace into Your Home
It’s a daunting task, no doubt: to fall in love with a piece of French Rococo furniture and not know how to best integrate it into your home. But it need not be as daunting as you might think. There are tons of ways to combine something opulent with something modern and understated.
Our favorite way to combine pieces from periods that seem at odds with one another is through color. We love choosing new fabric to span onto original antique chairs, for instance. Those fabrics frequently offer wonderful points of connection to modern décor.
But how do you approach a gilded, marble-top commode, for example? How can you make a large object without fabric feel at home in a modern space?
The answer lies in how you decorate and use the piece in your room. If you place a contemporary vase on a marble-top commode, for instance, you immediately draw the eye towards their contrast. Once that contrast is established, you can freely connect objects in the space to the modern aesthetic of the vase – which will anchor the commode in a unique, tasteful place.
Summary: Timeless Awe
No matter how you feel about French Rococo furniture in your own home, you can’t deny its exceptional decorative quality. When we encounter a well-decorated set on a period piece like Bridgerton, we fall in love with the beauty of a different time.
That beauty could become part of your home today. Browse the Styylish catalog for more inspiration – and bring a touch of palatial magic into your space.
