ORNATE INTERIORS

0100.14S 11.0. ne st SOS
lvie yens
f c°sw
kItcheos etIca.
from

Pl
DV
ai d ect iactory dealer O.

00000

60
OF
0 00
le? CUS100

0 •
500:0

S. I))

00

Ile 001 dessIgn
and provIde eqeri
■ og
seNIce, mclod
coopkele ostalla.too.

tivei
0

\04

GOGOPO
OCOS B"SP:00
G
JO
140,•
SO13-00 • \
AGOV't • VONDOR
fkod.

LINK E

\0#
0

26/8 0010 36 00

313 682

0

-

IF
You
LIKE

oriental rugs
you'll love
AZAR'S

at Azar's, you'll find unique,
exclusive, stunning rugs,
that you can't find any-
where else.

main Store
670 S. Woodward

Open 7 days

644-73 1 1

1-800-622-RUGS

Downtown Buiniinghau

24 • SPIdNG 1993 • SDLE.

Outlet Store
251 Merrill

Downtown Birniingham

645-0558

BY

SI-1AUN ASHTON

If the cocooning '80s have become the en-
tertaining '90s for you, it could be time to dress
up casual interiors, giving them a shot of wel-
come formality. And taking a cue from 18th-cen-
tury French decor could fill the bill.
The aristocracy of the time followed the roy-
al example, decorating everything that could be
embellished. John Whitehead offers a serious
discussion of the era's contribution to decor in

The French Interior in the Eighteenth Century

(Dutton Studio Books), a hardcover tome filled
with full-color photos of period homes, as well
as equally illuminating text.
Whitehead, a historian and onetime art deal-
er specializing in 18th-century furniture, notes
that Louis XV had a "compelling interest in dec-
oration." His grandson, Louis XVI, loved any-
thing with a hunting theme, and Marie Antoinette
adored flowers, ribbons and elaborate uphol-
stery.
The French love of symmetry, luxury and or-
namentation was exported throughout Europe.
Noble and newly monied folk from England,
Sweden and Turkey visited France and took
home furniture, porcelain, clocks and other
goods as souvenirs. Even Thomas Jefferson pur-
chased items to take home to America.
Not all Americans were so impressed, White-
head notes. Visiting Paris in 1778, John Adams
wrote in his diary that he was "wearied to death
with gazing wherever I went, at a profusion of
unmeaning wealth and magnificence."
It could be, however, that even if you live in a
modest bungalow, ifs time to give your home
a shot of magnificence and luxury even if you
don't have the budget of the Sun K i ng. If the ro-
coco embellishments seen' excessive, there are
still likely to be some gorgeous elements today's
homeowner can borrow to dress up a room.
MATCHING MATTERS
The first element in 18th-century French
decor, even before the excessive ornamentation,
was symmetry. The French liked things to be
balanced and matched.
For example, the salon at the Chateau de
Montmirail is a study in symmetry. A marble-
topped console table is centered under a large,
mirrored panel, with chairs on either side; the
mirror reflects a similar arrangement on the op-
posite side of the room. Painted panels are above
the two doors to the room, which also flank the
mirrored panel.
So for a contemporary home, try hanging a
large mirror over the fireplace. Center a clock
on the mantelpiece and place matching vases on

(continued on page 32)