I am just fresh off of a trip to Paris, France and it was lovely. While there we ventured out to Versailles, home of King Louis XIV and the seat of the absolute monarchy from 1682 through1789.
I was so taken with the bright fabrics that were used throughout the chalet (the primary building), Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon (Marie Antoinette’s quarters), that I thought I would share them with you. The artistry of the fabrics and tapestries was beyond imagination. Here I share with you what I so loved seeing in person.
This was the bedchamber of The Empress Marie Louise. However the bed was Napoleon’s bed in the Tuileries Palace and the one in which his successor Louis XVIII, Louis XVI’s brother, died in 1825, before finally being brought here for the last occupant of the room, Queen Marie-Amelie, King Louis-Phillippe’s wife. Look at the sumptuousness of the bedding and all the draping around the bed. Do you know of anyone with a gold headboard like that? Or a gold headboard period? Maybe Donald Trump?
I loved this color combination and how bright the fabric was. Look at the tassles! The tassles alone really impressed me!
Beautiful! Again, the tassles were a piece of art. I believe this was from the bedchamber of the Queen of the Belgians.
Louis XIV’s bedchambers. Sorry…out of focus!
The top of his bedchamber. Notice the feather plumes on the four corners of his bed.
From Louis-Philippe’s family room. Beautiful shades of yellow and blue on this side chair.
I believe this was a wallpaper. Rich, vibrant colors.
This was one of my favorite materials, if not my favorite. The sheen of the blue and the wheat-green and white makes this so dainty and feminine, but classic at the same time. I would purchase this material for my home and definitely find a place for it.
Another room lined with beautiful wallpaper or material… I cannot tell which.
This was one of my favorite fabrics. Unfortunately I did not take this picture in focus! :)
Many of the rooms were color thematic. Here they copied the circle pattern onto the chair seats.
Here damask wall paper lines the room in an evergreen that works beautifully with all the gilting in the room.
Look at the tapestry of this stool. It’s just beautiful, don’t you think? To imagine this kind of craftwork in the 1800’s is amazing.
This is the stool from the side. These bead tassles were intriguing to me, so I had to reach over the rope and touch one of them (heaven forbid!). I got a quick scolding from the docent! Shame on me!
One of the rugs. Lovely.
More wallpaper or fabric covered walls. Gorgeous.
The magnificence of these tassles is unparalled.
The Dauphine’s Bedchamber. Silks were hung in the room while carved oak was placed on the lower part of the wall. The bed’s fabrics are decorated with motifs of foliage and medallions produced in petit point needlework. The needlework on the headboard depicts the sheep of the shepherd Edymion.
More beautiful stools in rich, vibrant colors.
I love the lemony vanilla color of this room with the light blue accent.
Apartments of the Dauphine… the Dauphine’s Library. The colors in this room were also fascinating to me.
Hope you enjoyed! Au revoir!
Love is patient, Love is kind,
It does not envy, it does not boast,
It is not proud, It is not rude,
It is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil,
but rejoices with the truth.
Love always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.
Love bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends.
Love never fails.
- Corinthians 13:4-8