Find the Perfect French Bench!

Available in many shapes and sizes, French Benches and Ottomans are sure to add a chic elegance to your decor.  Benches have the bonus of having a huge visual impact, yet the space they occupy is often minimal. The settees below are generally defined as small sofas or benches with a high back that may or may not have arms.  Try an upholstered armless bench pushed up to a dining table rather than traditional chairs or use a lovely settee in a foyer for an special place to take off shoes.

Ethan Cane Back Bench            Carved Antoinette Settee               Upholstered Armless Bench

Hall benches were originally put there for guests of a king or queen who,  if kept waiting outside their chambers,  were given a comfortable place to sit. Today, hall benches add sophistication and style to an otherwise empty space. Set the bench under a piece of artwork and instantly create a focal point and fill up that low, horizontal space. Try a soft-palette upholstered French Bench to add a bit of color or for a more shabby chic style, neutral tones of natural fabrics.

Dusty Blue French Bench                  Parisian Hall Bench                Pillow Top Vintage Bench

Upholstered bedroom benches are really an ideal solution if you have the room. A luxuriously tufted bench at the foot of the bed is functional but also an elegant touch to a bedroom. Demilune benches with all their beautiful curves are very popular. Scripted ottomans can also add a bit of French flair with whimsical scripted French words on a tufted seat.

Dusty Blue Bench              Curved Provencal Bench             Rectangular  Scripted Ottoman

Ottomans are the perfect marriage of comfort and function. Set one in the middle of a seating area as a place to put your feet up and simply add a tray on top to create an instant coffee table. Having storage space in an ottoman makes it easier to keep your living area clutter-free by providing a generous area to store your things. Another benefit is they can also provide comfortable extra seating around a fireplace without blocking the view.

Rectangular Provence Ottoman        Round Scripted Ottoman        Square Elm Wood Ottoman

Smaller stools can also be a terrific choice for extra seating and can be easily tucked away under a table when not being used.  They can be so pretty on their own, yet a pair of them would look fantastic under a console table until ready for guests. The smaller benches are also an ideal choice for a vanity table with their cozy cushions and feminine lines.

Scroll & Medallion Bench                Provence Relic Stool                  French Antique White Bench

French Provencal Style – Get the Look

French Provencal Style is timeless and widely popular due to its warm colors, natural materials and charming relaxed appeal. This decor is as much at home in a small farmhouse as it is in a stately manor. We have selected a few gorgeous examples of Provence-Style spaces from our Pinterest board that show you exactly how to get the look with items from Belle Maison Francaise. Start making your wish list today!

French Settee, Gilded French Chandelier, French Wood Coffee Table

Elm Creek Distressed Oak Chest , French Country Dining Table, French Country Wire Mesh Cabinet

La Reine Daybed,  Diamond Carved Entry Chest,  Scroll & Medallion Bench

Parisian Flea Market Bench,  Paris Scroll Pillow,  French Carved Table

Old Provence Dining Table,  French Carved Dining Chair,  San Lorenzo Parisian Candlestick – Pair

French Country Buffets and Sideboards

French Country buffets and sideboards, traditionally used to store dishes, are now used as expression pieces in a dining area to showcase decor in addition to storing dishes, linens and treasured items. Many pieces have functional drawers to keep flatware and linens in their place with an additional display space for stemware or serving pieces. Fabulous choices for a large dining space in need of more storage and surface area to serve your guests.

French Cuisine Credenza              French Country Chef Buffet       Black Rhapsody Credenza

A terrific choice is a hand-painted sideboard that is artfully distressed to give an old world appearance. With French Country design based on local traditions and treasured objects handed down for generations, adding these pieces to your decor will combine old world character with a fresh, modern flair.

French Rooster Buffet                      Painted Rooster Buffet                    Whimsical Back Sideboard

Artistic sideboards are particularly popular today and serve as statement pieces in dining rooms. At six feet long, these sideboards could make a terrific choice in a room other than the kitchen or dining areas. How about using one in a bedroom or bath as a vanity? Or using any one of these sideboards as a media cabinet in the living room and setting a flat screen TV on top and media devices inside? You can also get these pieces finished in the color of your choice!

Whimsical Painted Country Sideboard     Rhapsody Flair Sideboard    French Toile Sideboard

Perhaps more surface area and storage in the kitchen is what you are looking for. The sizes and functional storage in particular buffets would make them ideal kitchen candidates. With more of a French farmhouse feel, these buffets will add casual warmth to your kitchen. Whatever your style, you’ll find what you need at Belle Escape.

French Country Cupboard  French Country Basket Buffet  Old Wood Nail Studded Sideboard

Vintage French Mirrors

Originating in Egypt thousands of years ago as religious ceremonial devices, mirrors are now used primarily for grooming, but also as interior design elements to make a room appear larger, add more reflective light to a space or simply to add a touch of sophisticated elegance to a room.

France’s King Louis XIV can be credited with elevating the popularity of mirrors by creating the Hall of Mirrors at The Palace of Versailles, and voila, a new enduring trend was born. Eventually, mirrors became a status symbol of class and refinement indicating its owner had impeccable breeding.

Gold Medallion Mirror          Lattice Fleur de Lis Mirror      Vintage French Antiqued Gold Mirror

Antiqued glass need not be perfect. Silvering is often worn and small chips may be present to give a vintage look to a room. Large gold mirrors have classic styling that is both simple and elegant. A mirror can also be a more decorative than functional piece that will add light and style to a room.

Urn And Cornucopia Mirror             Vintage Hall Mirror          Vintage Shabby Trumeau Mirror

Trumeau mirrors are French wall mirrors originally manufactured in the 18th century. The word Trumeau describes the space between windows where the French would like to add a decorative element and reflect more light. They were rectangular in shape with a decorative element on top and the mirror below that. Often made from wood, they could have detailed carvings and an old world feel.

French Arch Antique Mirror   Crowned Pottery Fragment Mirror  Mansard Architectural Mirror

Sometimes when a room lacks elaborate architectural elements, a decorative mirror can compensate, instantly adding a sophisticated focal point to the room. To add elegance to any decor, architectural mirrors cappear to have been plucked from the facade of a historic building and brought into your home to admire. Lovely!

Carved French Trumeau Mirror         Aged Provence Mirror         Hand Carved Wood Mirror

Art and function all in one! Imagine a collection of these gorgeous mirrors placed together to create a sparkling display as in our main photo at the top of the page.

Elements of French Decorating

French decorating encompasses styles from many periods in French history and regions throughout France. Whether it be French Country, Vintage French or Old World Chateau , all of these styles can be distinctly French, yet would not necessarily blend well together in one room design. Choose pieces with similarities in color palette , fabric, wood or style that complement each other. The three choices below are great examples of how curves, color and elegance can blend together into a feminine flair that is clearly French.

Adele French Settee      Arched Cabinet With Glass Doors      Ornate French Carved Table

What says French-style more than anything is a magnificent chandelier. Romantic, glamorous, glittering works of art that add the perfect amount of light to any room. You can go stately and sublime or large and dramatic. Ranging from wood to metal, crystal or glass,  a chandelier can definitely be the crown jewel of a home

French Shabby Chandelier            Elysee Chandelier           Gilded Versaille Chic Chandelier

One of the best ways to incorporate the illusion of space and light is to add a mirror to a room. This is often a quick way to infuse a room with a French feel. French accent mirrors provide that extra architectural element or sparkle of glamour as well. There are many gorgeous French mirrors to choose from, so finding one to suit your preferences can be simple. Try a traditional trumeau mirror or the large gilded variety to make a bold statement. Antiqued and masterfully crafted, these mirrors will reward you with a finished look to your space.

Aged Provence Mirror     Vintage French Antiqued Gold Mirror     Lattice Fleur de Lis Mirror

Elegant burlap? Is it even possible? Oh, yes and a very popular way to modernize a traditional french designed couch or chair. It is a trend that appears to have staying power. Easy to maintain and care for, burlap and natural linen fabrics offer a common color scheme and a greener choice for fabrics. French burlap fabrics are often seen as scripted or vintage coffee sacks integrated into country decor, but this more modern take on tradition is more formal and chic.

Of course nothing is more luxurious and elegant than velvet. What could be more vintage French than an expertly tufted and upholstered velvet sofa? Lovely lines, soft features and so comfortable, it is no wonder velvet fabrics have been used in French design for centuries.

Vintage French Canopy Chair           Tufted Chateau Sofa           Petite Skirted Sofa

Vintage French decor can be country casual or vintage formal, but normally not minimal. Accessories play a key role in a French inspired room and are usually abundantly placed throughout. Every detail adds to the overall style you are hoping to create  -it’s all in the details. Add interest and character with accessories to let all who enter know your home is your castle. For a truly authentic, antique look try adding aged, white pottery.  It is a timeless way to add instant Old World charm to your decor. For finishing off your French design, remember you don’t always need to follow the rules, just suivez votre coeur (follow your heart).

Fleur Crown With Cross  Antiqued White & Gold Candlesticks  Distressed French Creme Pottery

French Style Living Room

Experience the plush comfort of our natural fabric sofa sets and separates to create a soft, neutral tone to your living space. Our Maison Blanc living room collection has a wonderful sofa, armchair and settee set to show off curvy lines and a romantic feel to your room.

If you are looking for a more masculine and relaxed look try the striped furnishings such as the Napolean Striped Wingback Chair. It has traditional lines, yet with the natural linen fabric and sporty stripes, it can be used in a less formal space.

Our Louis sofa, club chair and settee have clean, crisp lines and classic French white linen upholstery. This collection puts a modern twist to classic vintage Louis design. It will look fabulous with an array of styles and other elements already established in your home.

Comfortable and chic, this two-tone upholstery with linen and burlap is finished off with a brass nail head trim. The curvy backs and skirts of the burlap sofa and armchair make it a nice addition to a bedroom, vanity area or dressing room. Unique and stylish!  Take advantage of our 10% OFF sale and find the perfect pieces for your space and start enjoying the comfort that it brings.