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One of the puzzling questions that were asked often is how to mix wood tones in a room while people are getting more and more adventurous with mixing periods and styles in their home.

When it comes to impeccable interiors, antiques are a must-have for every sophisticated home. French homes tend to showcase European antiques as well as imported chinoiserie. From cabinet to bed, here is our roadmap to add Louis influence to your home.

When it comes to impeccable interiors, antiques are a must-have for every sophisticated home. French homes tend to showcase European antiques as well as imported chinoiserie. From cabinet to bed, here is our roadmap to add Louis influence to your home.

Being the center of fashion and décor world, Louis furniture has been around for over two centuries and still blend effortlessly with most styles without overpowering. Most of the French furniture comprises the most sophisticated furniture, yet, retains the cultural identities distinct from the metropolis. During their respective reign, the four Louis’s cultivated a signature style of furnishings reflecting the tastes and politics that defined their own time.

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00:00:37,029 --> 00:00:38,529Hello! My name is Lee-May Thammasartsit


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00:00:38,553 --> 00:00:40,553I'm a managing director of Suphan Classic Home Co., Ltd.

The French people are famous for the finest things in life, from fine wine to fine furniture, from the Eiffel Tower to the fields of Provence, that spans hundreds of years of impeccable style.When identifying age old French furniture, it matters who was ruling France at that particular time. The style of each king differentiated his reign from the others, and the French furniture design follows the time periods associated directly with the reign of a particular king, military leader or politician. Napoleon Bonaparte, for instance, ruled the French Empire (First French Empire) between 1804 and 1814. During his time, he let the furniture makers design the massive art elements to express the power and greatness of France. Most French Empire furniture had many pieces with big dimensions and plenty of decorative elements, which were included to make furniture look stunning and glorious.During the reign of the French kings between 1610 and 1792, Louis XIII, XIV, XV and XVI, also known as the "Fab Four," had a huge influence on the arts and worlds of fashion and decor. Each King Louis had his own signature style of furnishings that defined his time and made its mark on the rest of the world. In general, you can identify the four Louis reigns by following a simple pattern:​Louis XIII furnishings were a push to create more elaborate furniture than that of the Renaissance Era.Louis XIV furniture grew more elaborate.Louis XV furnishings were even more intricate than that of the Louis XIV reign.Louis XVI furniture designs became moderated and grew more conservative. During King Louis XVI’s reign, between 1760 and 1789, tastes changed from the Rococo style, known for curved lines and heavy ornamentation, to clean, straight lines. Recognizing the styles, characteristics and motifs of Louis XVI era furniture will help you create an extraordinary classic space, either home decor or office space, that matches your aspiration and vision of the culture. We have identified the 15 characteristics of Louis XVI era furniture in this article.  1. The most popular of the Louis styles today, Louis XVI furniture emphasized on straighter lines and right angles, seriousness, logical design and more classically inspired motifs, complement contemporary interiors. The structure of Louis XVI furniture evolved into a more linear and rectangular style, giving up the ostentatious curves and bows of the previous Louis styles.2. Instead of the cabriole leg of the Régence and Louis XV periods, a straight, tapered and often fluted leg was preferred. The legs were either being reeded, turned and fluted or turned and spiral.3. Classicism returned. In contrary to the Rococo of Louis XV which came to be thought of as frivolous, the Louis XVI style offered fine and dainty appearance, and in many cases the pieces were smaller.4. Changed dramatically from the two previous periods, ornament became far more subtle. The depictions were of cherubs, nymphs, birds, nymphs and pastoral scenes.5. Ornament – Ancient objects such as vases and urns, human faces, flora and fauna remained popular decorative motifs, as well as architectural motifs such as fluting and columns. Intricate floral designs and marquetry were banded by geometrical trims and surrounded by oval or round medallions. Moulding, painted wood, gold leaf and rosette carvings atop legs were common.6. Bisymmetric balance returned.7. Materials – Different materials such as oak, mahogany, walnut, ash, ebony, porcelain, copper, steel, marble, and bronze were used for Louis XVI furniture. Mahogany was the wood of preference.The preferred marble was white, gray or sometimes red with veining.Small and finely detailed bronze fittings were applied symmetrically as corner ornaments, shoes, handles and key plates to almost all Louis XVI furniture.8. Colors – In an attempt to show their understanding of the resentment of the common French people, the rich people began to favor furniture that was less frivolous. Thus, the colors of Louis XVI furniture tended toward the pastels with lots of neutrals, which was different from the previous eras.