Ian Perryment

French furniture is opulent, charming, graceful, beautiful, sumptuous and luxurious, but above all, it’s timeless.This is something that can’t be said about any other furniture style. Trends come and go. What was fashionable in the 1930’s was out of fashion in the 1960’s. And what was trendy in the 70’s is dated and old in current times.

Throughout history, furniture has traditionally always been made of wood, until the industrial revolution took place, and new materials - such as steel, glass, aluminium, plastic etc – were sourced to create avant-garde furniture. The art-deco and Bauhaus movements used less wood, and more modern materials.

When we talk of French furniture, we instantly think of the amazing Versailles palace. It’s probably this palace that made French furniture become so well known and sought after all over the world. The French royals loved being surrounded by beautiful possessions, and their furniture had to be sumptuous, lavish, rich and beautiful. Pure luxury!

Our homes are a great place to express our personality. Nowadays, homemakers describe their style as "eclectic", because they are happy to mix different styles, as well as combining expensive items with more affordable ones. Popular trends in home furnishing include mixing old and new, classic and contemporary. If you are not lucky enough to have any antique furniture, you can easily get hold of beautiful reproduction furniture.

The Regency style is very much a transitory period in which pieces from the Louis XIV period were transformed by the use of bronze fittings rather than reinvented. This period refined Louis XIV designs to be more practical and comfortable for everyday use. The Duke of Orleans introduced an era of lighter, more graceful French furniture.

When it comes to the elegant things of life the French have no rivals. Whether we are talking about fashion, interior design or furniture style, they have that “je ne sais quoi” that makes everything they touch desirable and glamorous.

You will agree that the perfect modern home should be elegant, yet comfortable, eclectic, and yet consistent. You may think that you need to buy so many things and spend a fortune on furniture and home accessories to make your home look great.

A good interior design plan cannot include all the latest trends. Ideally, you want to create home interiors that are up-to-date but classic.

January and February are usually gloomy months. New Year festivities have long past and winter feels like it’s here to stay forever! Use all this time spent indoors to take a good look at your home and its decor.

So you’ve decided to update the look of your whole home, or maybe just your living room or your bedroom, and you have no idea where to start, what to do, and how to do it? Don’t worry; you’re not the only one in that position.