DO YOU KNOW YOUR FRENCH ANTIQUE DESK STYLES?

Today we are going to have a little decorative arts refresher on French Furniture. I thought a history lesson might be more fun and more memorable if we stick to one type of furniture… just to drive home the style differences and history that influenced their design. So today is “desk day”- we will compare three styles- Regency, Louis XV and Louis XVI desks/bureau plats….which come from three consecutive periods of french decorative history.  Many people find it very confusing to distinguish between the Louis styles, (and if you are a designer, that would be a major faux pas) which is nothing that a good story with visuals can’t cure. The broader context of each of these decorative styles will serve as a decorative arts glossary of terms used. Plan on some juicy backstories, decorative elements, creations and characteristics of each time … and a little gossip about the players/shenanigans of each era… nobody ever said French history was boring. [Read more…] about French Furniture: Three Desks, Three Styles and a Decorative Arts Glossary