I will let the lavish, decadent landscapes speak for themselves. Welcome to the luxury of being an 18th century royal (minus the beheadings of course). 18th-century French art was dominated by the Rococo and neoclassical movements; the palaces, illustration and fashion of the rich often featured creamy, pastel-like colors, asymmetrical designs, curves and gold (e.g. gilded, leaf). Whether a bourgeoisie, a pauper, or a courtesan, we can appreciate the meticulous and ostentatious beauty displayed by these ornate vignettes. Step into the fantastic and melodramatic influences!
Chanel 2004 Spring Runway. Via.
Welcome to my dilapidated yet stately Cinderella fantasy replete with a rustic French tables cape. Image found here.
A French living room from the home of decorator and garden designer Jean-Loup Daraux, author of “By the Light of the Sea”. The luxurious volume En Passant par la Demeure (By the Light of the Sea) is a vivid photographic tour of the noted French interior designer Jean-Loup Daraux\’s country home. Located in the south of France, in the Camargue region, the house is a stunning showcase of French country interior design. Image from House Beautiful.
The Petit Trianon is a small château located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France. Image by Flickr user Romeika, here.
I would demand breakfast in bed…Image found via.
Oversized French Portrait Canvas – This uniquely beautiful oversized portrait of Manon Balletti (who was once engaged to Casanova) would make a wonderful statement piece in any room. The original painting hangs in the National Gallery. For purchase, click here.
Emily Blunt, in Dior Haute Couture, photographed in Le Raincy, outside Paris. Bracelet by Mikimoto. Styled by Jessica Diehl. Image found in Vanity Fair, here.
Image found here.
Kendall Wilkinson’s Seacliff Southern home photographed by Matthew Millman. Via.
Cara Delevingne for Chanel Resort 2013. Via.
Seriously frivolous is how Lagerfeld described his Chanel Resort 2013, shown on the crunchy gravel at the Chateau de Versailles in France.
Cara Delevingne for Chanel Resort 2013. Via.
A scan from Marie-Antoinette and the Last Garden at Versailles, page 101. To escape the formalities and royal obligations of Louis XVI’s court, Marie-Antoinette created a private realm of pleasure for herself at the Petit Trianon and Hameau, where she planted the first Anglo-Chinese garden; created a trysting grotto; a working farm; and revolutionized architecture and gardening trends for the century to come. Marie-Antoinette’s entire private domain and its story are told in beautiful photographic detail by François Halard for the first time since its recent restoration and accompanied by well-researched texts by garden expert Christian Duvernois.
Crisp and saturated bathroom designed by Paul Raeside.
French furniture, antiques, and porcelain. Via.
Versailles Historical Costuming via Concour de Style, here.
This photo was taken on October 4, 2010 inYvelines, Ile-de-France, FR by Flickr user Pearled.
There is not a misplaced napkin, flower, or fork in this Paul Raeside tablescape. Via.
Screencaps from Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antionette, a retelling of France’s iconic but ill-fated queen, Marie Antoinette. From her betrothal and marriage to Louis XVI at 15 to her reign as queen at 19 and to the end of her reign as queen and ultimately the fall of Versailles.
The Walkup 