The French country look most people recognize is steeped in garden coziness. Bright yellows and blues, paisley fabrics and sunflowers charactertize this classic aesthetic.
But go back 100 years or more, and French decor was dominated by regal red. In her new book, “The French-Inspired Home,” author Kaari Meng introduces readers to the workmanship and decorative passion of that older approach to French design.
Q: What were the elements of French country design in the late 1800s and early 1900s?
A: The color red was finally mastered in the 1800s and was prolific throughout France. Someone finally figured out a mordant that allowed red dye to adhere to cloth better and resist fading. This was also the era of fabrics and textiles. People in this century were very aware of living with all their senses. They surrounded themselves with amazingly comfortable fabrics and scents that allowed them to slow down their lives and get in touch with their senses.
Q: Your book offers 40 projects that help readers infuse their homes with the sights, scents and textures of French style. What is your favorite project and why?
A: I think the ideas offered in the garden section are very doable. Most people can plant herbs and then bring that little piece of the outdoors inside. The scent of lavendar, sage or rosemary in a potted plant is a very simple way to bring French- inspired living into your home.
During (my) trips, I would enter these stuffy, 300-year-old French homes, open up a closet and be overtaken by the smell of lavendar. It brought life to the insides of these old homes. Scent can change the outlook of your own home too.
Q: The annual trips you’ve taken to France for the past 15 years have netted an array of collectibles and antiques. You sell them at your Hollywood-based vintage store French General. What was the greatest treasure you ever unearthed at a flea market?
A: Once we came upon an armoire full of old convent dresses that were worn by nuns from 1800 to 1830. Every once in a while, we will find a stash of items like this that have practically been untouched for 150 years. Do we sell a lot of those back in the store? No. But they do make for great displays in the shop and bring in a bit of romance and history. There has always been something in me that appeals to the history of an item rather than its commercialism.
Staff writer Sheba R. Wheeler can be reached at 303-954-1283 or swheeler@denverpost.com.
