Tag Archives: dining

How to Decorate a Room With French Finery for Christmas

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There are a lot of festive trends for 2011 that are worth noting if you want your home to look festive and contemporary but one of the most popular this year is going to be the “decorating in French Finery” trend. This is a very formal and opulent look that is a bit retro but also very classic.

Technically it is a shabby chic look. Most things are painted white but walls should be a pea green or a very light yellow. Second hand crystal chandeliers are part of the look as are tall mirrors with window pains. Lace, white chenille and curtains with tiny fringes or prints are also part of the look.

Objects are also showcased on tall Greek columns, that are also painted white and interspersed through the room. Faded chintz chairs and tall painted cabinets help this look come for life. Candles, in white metal lantern cases, also complete this vintage look as do gilded framed portraits of deceased members of the family and pillar candles surrounded by boughs of greenery.

It is also very traditional with this look to place plaster or ceramic busts about the place. To make these busts look more in tune with the holidays try wrapping green and red velvet Christmas ribbons around the subject’s necks.

Rooms done up in French Finery very often feature a Fainting Couch. This is as chaise lounge with a floral print that has a side table that is also covered in the same floral print. A crocheted throw and a few Christmas cushions in green and red complete the look. Usually a framed mirror is hung over the fainting couch and augmented with a big Christmas leaf.

The best Christmas tree for this look is the spiniest and most skeletal spruce you can find that is then gently flocked with fake white now. Decorate it with many yards of thick sheer gold ribbon that are intertwined with very tiny white Christmas lights. You can h harmonize the entire effect with a natural cedar garland that has been spray painted gold. This tree does not have the usual ornaments on it. The idea is that the tree looks wrapped in gold ribbon.

This type of room should have its own formal wrapping dining table. This can be a table that is rate and old and shabby chic in style but painted all in white with touches of gold.

How to Decorate in Maritime Style

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Decorating in the Maritime style is a bit rustic, a bit whimsical but also very practical in an old-fashioned way. Any home can be decorated in this style but it really does suit homes that are on a waterfront the best.

Stripes say “nautical” as do anchors and any motif with whales, manatees, dolphins or other ocean life on it. Decorate your bedroom in striped white and blue fabrics. You can get beautiful natural blankets and linens with a lateral blue and white strap as well as sheets with anchor imagery on them.

Another interesting nautical theme is bluebirds. For years bluebird tattoos were boasted by sailors as each bluebird tattoo symbolized an ocean vogage. Bluebirds look great painted as motifs on door frames and other places. You can also buy curtains and pillows that have this theme.

Anything with an anchor on it will give the idea that you are expressing the Maritime theme. On your dining table be sure to have plates with crown and anchor motifs. You can also buy place mats made out of rattan and rope baskets to drive the point even further home.

A cute touch are photographic frames that look like life preservers. There is a company called Mariposa that is making these out of recycled aluminum. Also nothing says “Maritimes” more than the classic sailing ship trapped in a bottle sitting on your mantel. Model ships, both antique and modern, displayed on shelves or hanging from the ceiling also express a nautical theme.

In the kitchen hang a nice big chalkboard in a battered frame in a color like sea foam or a buttery yellow. Look for key holders, cork screws, tea towels and other accessories in aquatic colors with sailor or ocean motifs.

Anything made out of rope emphasizes the maritime theme. You can buy mats made out old recycled lobster rope that come in different brilliant colors. You can also buy doorstoppers made out of a classic monkey fist knot. A company called Uncommon Goods makes a very nice example of this.

A bronze outdoor lantern hanging from a chain helps keep the front porch looking friendly. These lights tend to be coal colored frames that hold bright white glass shades encasing a clear shade encasing a sheer bulb. Even in the thickest of fogs this type of touch will make your visitors feel welcome.
Finally anywhere in your home you see fit to put collections of sea shells or sea glass will help you achieve that nautical look.