Bring French Style To Your Holiday Home

The most wonderful time of the year is here, and we’re decorating to celebrate the holidays at home with the people we love. I’d love to show you a few creative ways to design a festive home with French style. Antiques bring all the history, detail, and one-of-a-kind exquisite magic to your holiday decorating. Bring French Style To Your Holiday Home, and your festive decorating will make your home sparkle with Christmas magic!

 

Europeans don’t decorate for the holidays like we tend to do in the United States. Growing up as a little girl, my Mom and I lived with my grandparents in their large three story house. My grandmother let me help her add little touches of the holidays all through the house, and I still remember my excitement! She bought bundles of fresh pine greens, and would decorate the tops of her mirrors and paintings with them. The large gilded mirror in the entrance hall was my favorite to decorate, for not only did we hang greens over the top, but she let me stand on a ladder {held by her daily helper!} and hang actual Christmas ornaments from them.

 

How to Bring French Style to Your Holiday Home:

 

INTERESTING ARCHITECTURE.

 

While our homes in the US don’t often have the charming historical details as the centuries old homes in France, bringing a few well-worn antiques to your rooms will warm up your decor.  Spice up your interior with one or more of our favorite antiques. For this holiday season, archtiectural details from the old chateaus and churches in Europe are especially fetching.

This pair of mid 18th Century French parcel gilt angel fragments are hand carved Baroque fragments were once part of a boiserie paneling or large mirror in a chateau.  At home with both antiques as well as contemporary interiors, they bring a touch of old France to your home.

 

These Antique hand carved angels add instant architectural charm to any room in your home. Complete with the original metal hooks that were used to hang these on the top of the altar in a church, these two are of fine quality and aesthetically so beautiful.

 

 

SPARKLING LIGHTS.

 

The skyline of France is filled with lights!  Even small villages have holiday lights on their main shopping streets. Add lots of lights to your rooms at home for holiday magic. An antique chandelier, a pair of sconces, and a lot of candles always do the trick to give the illusion of more space and a glowing warmth.

 

 

ADD CULTURAL INTEREST.

 

There is so much to see and do in France, the culture is unequalled. Discovering something new sparks conversation for many evenings over a glass of wine.

 

Add a conversation piece to your own home to create some of that excitement.  Adding a storied antique to a tabletop, your dining room hutch or book shelf gives your interior a fresh feeling, and a sense of history.  Always on the hunt for interesting one of a kind antique accessories, we showcase our latest finds HERE >

 

DISPLAY YOUR PARTY FOOD IN STYLE.

 

Around every corner in France is another culinary wonder to discover: a bistro, a fromage shop, a Michelin star restaurant.  Bring the taste of France to your home by serving some decadent yet easy appetizers for parties. An easy way to entertain, a la francaise, a cheese board is always in style. Pair with some of your favorite French wines and voila, the holidays are on!  Large, or just right for the two of you, antique French boards and silver serving pieces make each one celebratory.

 

To delight guests, set up an easy buffet on your island in the kitchen. We’ve pressed a large antique French Country dairy bowl into service as an over-sized ice bucket. Filled with ice, topped with pinecones {festive and they keep the ice cold longer} they add French charm to the festivities!  One of our rare antique ironstone cake stands does double duty holding small antique French greenhouse pots with votives. Surrounded with a circle of walnuts and greens, they look their holiday best.

 

SAY CHEERS!

 

The holidays wouldn’t be special without a bottle of fabulous French champagne or wine. Serve chilled in an elegant French champagne bucket, of course. There are so many ways to add French style to your home bar set up. In the first photo, I added greens underneath an antique silver tray holding a carafe, antique glasses and a candle in our hallway. Handing guests a glass of wine or champagne is a favorite way to welcome them at the front door and say “now the party can begin!”  You can use antique silver wine coasters or champagne coasters to catch any drips and add another level of glamour!

 

Another way I like to style drinks trays is to use antique large platters. The blue and white one below holds a bottle of Lillet and a few glasses, a larger tray can hold a lot more glasses for a bigger set up.  Shop all our blue and white antique trays here >

 

As you ready your home for the holidays, I wish you joy, peace, and a few lovely bits of time in front of the fire, or by a lighted candle! We will be taking it easy here at FrenchGardenHouse after Thursday, Mr. FGH has finally completely worn his hip down with a life time of running and marathons. He will be getting a brand new hip joint early Thursday morning! Praying all goes well and he will be back to his happy go lucky self {!!} soon. Thank you for your prayers!

 

A BIENTOT

 

Shop for the best in French Antiques, furniture with the patina of age, vintage accessories to delight you and your family & friends, and French Country utilitarian pieces. Treasures that make your home fresh, beautiful, inspirational and above all uniquely yours. Visit our shop FrenchGardenHouse.com