13 Ways To Make Your Home Feel Like Versailles - House Digest

13 Ways To Make Your Home Feel Like Versailles - House Digest,If you love French design, you can't get more luxurious than the Palace of Versailles. Luckily, there are a few ways to incorporate this style into your home.

13 Ways To Make Your Home Feel Like Versailles – House Digest

One of the most beautiful structures in France, the Palace of Versailles has a long history of reflecting and influencing European style and décor. Once a simple hunting chalet owned by Louis XIII, in the early 17th century, Louis XIV, the famous “Sun King” himself commissioned an epic remodel involving the work of famous architects, artists, and craftsmen to build a palace to put all others to shame. While Louis XIV and his successors lived there for another 150 years, none were perhaps quite so notorious as its most famous resident, Marie Antoinette, who was executed with her husband, Louis XVI, in 1793 at the top of the French Revolution (via History).

The Palace of Versailles drew from the prevailing Baroque style spreading across Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries, as well its distinctly French variation, Rococo style. The palace is a historic marvel, with a more staid classical exterior hiding a treasure trove of costly and luxurious furnishings, art, and antiquities within that displayed the wealth and power of the French monarchy. While its decadence and grandeur, combined with Marie Antoinette’s famous “Let them eat cake!” attitude, ultimately led to the monarchy’s demise, the style of Versailles remains untouched for its beauty and history, which New Home Source describes as equal parts glamour and gaudiness. If you’re looking to add a dose of Versailles style to your interior, some key elements will add instant luxury to any room — even without a royal treasury at your disposal.

1. Mirrors

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One of Versailles’ most famous rooms is the Hall of Mirrors, with more than 8,000 square feet of glistening gold, crystal, and opulent mirrors (via Paris City Vision.) Look for gilt and silver frames with detailed carvings that instill a sense of glamour in any room. Consider a dramatic floor-length model or create a gallery wall of smaller mirrors.

2. Floral walls

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Marie Antoinette’s chambers, with their beautiful floral walls, are one of the most iconic scenes in Sophia Coppola’s 2006 film “Marie Antoinette.” Wallpaper is definitely making a comeback in modern interiors, including easy peel-and-stick varieties available in a host of gorgeous floral, regal stripes, and damask patterns to make any room feel royal.

3. Molding

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Wall moldings and other architectural elements like ceiling medallions and picture rails are a great way to easily add an antique French feel to even newer spaces, coming in a variety of sizes, styles, and cuts that transform any room into a gorgeous chateau feel.

4. Soft pastels

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While there is a fair share of many rich colors decorating Versailles, the Rococco style of the 18th century favored pastels, making rich, beautiful furniture in candy-colored shades a favorite among French royalty. Think pale pinks, blues, and lavenders with accents of soft ivory, dove gray, and gold.

5. Curvaceous furniture

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The Baroque and Rococo styles, which dominated the design of Louis XIV’s palace, loved curvature and wide, rounded styles. Look for pieces with turned-out legs, claw feet, and intricate carving or inlays to get a similar look.

6. Tromp l’oeil

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Trompe l’oeil accents, French for “fool the eye,” first arose in ancient Greece but were perfected by the French, who often used them on walls to give the illusion of 3-D architectural elements, making them a great addition to bring dimension and texture to blank walls.

7. Chandeliers

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Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors is as much about lighting as it is about mirrors. The entire palace is filled with beautiful and ornate chandeliers in gold and glass. Here, antique pieces are complemented by a trio of stately gold and crystal chandeliers with a slightly modern Art Deco style that freshens the look but gives the same elevated effect.

8. Velvet

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Versailles and French chateau-inspired décor loves tactile and luxe fabrics, including velvet, silk, tapestry, lace, and embroidery, which were readily available in 18th century France due to the country’s domination of fashion and textiles during the reign of Louis XIV. Look for chaises and antique chairs like this one in soft, pale shades of pastel or elegant florals.

9. Luxurious beds

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Marie Antoinette’s much-photographed, hugely decadent, canopied bed is as legendary as the ruler herself. Incorporate tufted headboards, beautiful linens, and other luxurious touches like candelabra and fresh flowers on the bedside table to your bedroom.

10. Clawfoot tubs

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An ornate claw-footed tub immediately adds a sense of grandeur and luxuriousness to any bathroom. While the 18th century wasn’t known particularly for their bathing habits, often using smaller copper tubs (via This is Versailles), we’re certain Marie Antoinette would approve of a wide and deep-scented bubble bath in a gold-accented tub.

11. Marble statuary

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Most European palaces are known for a wealth of history-laden statuary, decorating everything from interior hallways to public gardens. Adding a marble bust is a great way to bring in a sense of history and old-world richness to any décor scheme.

12. Gilt accents

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Versailles was known for its sumptuous gilt and gold accents, often decked out in carefully applied gold leaf. To get the look, consider adding a touch of glimmer and gold anywhere you can, including furniture, mirrors, vases, and artwork.

13. Dressing table

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Adding a dressing table or vanity of any style makes a bedroom seem extra glamorous, particularly in gold with ornate carvings and an antiqued, rusted mirror, as well as ample drawers for stashing jewelry, cosmetics, and secret love letters that would make any queen envious.