Dragonfly Francaise

Real plaster walls, old beams, a carved limestone fireplace, and fantastic floors...  these are some of my favorite essential French architectural details.  Any one of them will give a modern French-inspired home that elegant timeless French quality.  But add an antique stone floor and you are upping the French beauty factor beau coup.  Yes, stone floors are expensive, but this is an investment in knock-your-socks-off style that will pay off in spades.

Here are some inspiring photos of jaw-dropping stone floors from Paris Ceramics.

Antique black and white marble.  This is certainly a wow in a room with a black and white color scheme!

New distressed Jerusalem stone floors.  The random shaped pattern and distressing on these floors gives them an antique look.  I think the coloration is just yummy and perfect if you're a fan of today's neutral color schemes.  Just add some antique linen upholstery and sea grass mats and you're good to go.

These stone floors make a simple classic anchor for this stunning grouping of modern French furnishings and artwork.

Classic French country.  It's still working for me!

Antique Jerusalem Stone.

Antique Parrafuille.

A custom mosaic floor from Paris Ceramics.

These two stone floor photos below are from a project my friend Cheryl Tague worked on:

Of course, every single item in these rooms is so perfectly selected that it seems unfair to give the entire credit for their fabulous-ness to the floors alone.  But still, these stone floors make an undeniably major contribution to each of the rooms.

And here is a similar floor in the kitchen of the house of Sarah Anderson, owner of Chateau Sonoma, below.

And a French limestone version from a house I built in the 1980's.  The kitchen is looking a little dated, but that classic floor does not.  By the way, when I had this floor installed they used a sealer on it to protect it.  However, I learned that in actual French farm houses, limestone floors are often smeared with olive oil.  Instant "aged" floors! 

And above, a bedroom from that same house with antique French chateau pavers.  These pavers were installed in the entry of this house in beautiful shapes and patterns and mixed with some subly colored glazed tiles,  It was stunning but, unfortunately, I can't find a photo of it.

I love this mix of old stone and wood pickets.  A number of the tile houses make very good faux wood pickets out of tile.  These are nice to use if you like this look, because you don't have to worry about the grout joint between the wood and the tile moving and deteriorating over time.

This floor is in a restored mas in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in France.  The floor dates from the 1700's.  Still beautiful!  And don't you adore the stone around the door frame and the way the plaster curves to meet it!

Sorry about the grainy quality of this picture, but these are original 16th century floors from a chateau from Aubergne.  This gives you a sense of the historic context of French stone floors.  These floors could use some renovation, but even so, they are beautiful.  In fact, this kitchen is wonderful, isn't it!

Sure you could buy the Pottery Barn Transitional-style bed and stick some smart looking contemporary bedding on it.  But, if you want something special and you can have your druthers, think French, think fabulous, think Lit a la Polonaise! 

From 1stdibs.com

The LIt a la Polonaise is the ultimate bed for romance, beauty and 18th century elegance.  It's you, dear!  Absolutely you.

Did you know that the French are crazy about beds?  They put almost as much effort into their beds as they do into their fashion.  That's why French bed linens are so fabulous. 

 From the Getty Museum  (circa 1755)

Over the centuries the French have created dozens of styles of beds which were copied throughout Europe.  But, of course, French style has been influencing Western arts and culture for centuries. 

Have you ever wondered how bed hangings came about?  Imagine trying to sleep in a cold damp drafty castle.  Bed hangings were used to create a warm enclosed and cozy space that essentially became a room within a room.  And did you know that guests were often received into bedrooms where the lady of the house (fully dressed in her best) would be laid out in bed to greet her guests.  Yes, it's nuts, but true!

A fabulous canopy bed with elaborate carvings and hangings was, of course, a measure of social standing, rank and wealth. There were rules about who could have these spectacular beds.  Only the nobility were permitted a full canopy.  Other aristocats had to settle for a partial canopy called a half-tester.

During the 18th century, the French used bed hangings in many creative ways.  There was the lit d'ange where the canopies were attached to the ceiling or the walls behind the bed.  This is a good way to go today if your bedroom is short on space.  The lit a la colonnes was a four poster bed with rods connecting each post at the top and bed hangings hung on all four rods.  Finally, the lit a la Polonaise had a dome-like canopy and billowy leg-o'-mutton curtains cascading from all four corners of an independent metal bed frame. 

By the way, the French often placed these beds parallel to a wall or within an alcove.  If your bedroom is large, you might think about floating a lit a la Polonaise in the center.

From the French house of Georges Sand.

Here are a number of Lit a la Polonaise done up in today's houses that can be used for inspiration should any of you wish to create a fabulous modern version in your own home. 

Above, by Charles Faudree.

Charlotte Moss does the Lit a la Polonaise.

From a Christy's auction.

A fabulous custom bed from Nierman Weeks with elaborate hangings.

Domino Magazine

Elle Decor

House Beautiful

Above and Below, a Lit a la Polonaise in a house owned by Karl Lagerfeld.

What's my favorite past-time?  Why, it's flea market shopping, of course!  And my idea of a perfect day--flea market shopping in France. 

This weekend is a big Flea Market weekend in France - pretty much the start of the summer season. If you are heading into France, buy yourself a copy of the magazine Aladin (sold at most newsagents in Paris) and look for the antique fairs and flea markets closest to you.

If you'd like to plan a summer trip around important French flea markets, a helpful book to buy is "The Flea Markets of France" by Sandy Price.

Oh, and if you happen to be in France this week, don't miss the Dijon 38th Salon des Antiquaires from May 15-24th.  There is a special exhibition on St. Petersburg as seen by its painters.  More detail on the Salon website. 

Actually, Cheryl was first the friend of my sister Debbie.  Debbie used to live in Westchester County on an antique farm with a pond and horses and the creakiest (but charming) old farmhouse from the 1700's.  Cheryl was a horse pal and used to come by frequently to ride.  I met Cheryl there on my trips to visit Debbie. It was fun getting dirty and horsey with her. 

Later, Debbie moved to California and Cheryl to London.  A few years ago, Debbie and I met Cheryl in Paris for the Maison de Objèt home and gift show.  We had so much fun shopping together that we made plans to visit Cheryl at her home in London the following year to shop the flea markets and antique stores there.  Of course, that turned out to be a fabulous trip and Cheryl opened my eyes to all kinds of English design trends.

Cheryl is back living in the US now and working on a number of beautiful projects.  Here are photos of one of her recently finished client homes.  I think you'll agree with me that Cheryl Tague has fabulous style!

Cheryl's surface finishe selections are just stunning.  Love the limestone floors, the lime-washed wainscotting, and the gorgeous hand-stencilled wallpaper!

Beautiful furnishings set amongst more stunning surfaces.  The draperies and roman shades are so elegant and I love the pickled wall paneling that sets off that wonderful textural canvas hung on the wall behind the chair.

Beautiful antiques with a shot of modern art to add a little tension.  Perfect!

The floor is to-die-for and I love that she has added some color to this room.  In a house with subtle soft tones everywhere, the red curtains and chairs set this room up as a special place--exactly what a dining room should be.

Cheryl does a lot of her own furniture design.  She works relentlously to make meticulously comfortable and beautiful chairs.

Elegant.

Again, the modern jute console and chairs mixes it up with an antique French fireplace and antique wood floors.

This kitchen is peaceful, clean and functional.  Wouldn't you love to cook in here?  I know I would!

Beautiful modern white pottery contrasting with an old heavily distressed cabinet.

More of Cheryl's beautiful chairs. 

To see more of Cheryl's work go to cheryltague.com.

 Sarah Anderson is the proprietor of Chateau Sonoma and she has a taste level and style that is being widely copied across the country.  She lives in a beautiful old Victorian home in the town of Sonoma.  Here's a link to a beautiful video tour of her house.

Sara Anderson

Her beautiful 1870's house in Sonoma

She has a fabulous dining room featuring a miles-long farm table.

A gorgeous "hang-out-all-day" kitchen!