Want to learn more about French eclectic interior design? Read our guide for facts and info on this traditional sense of designing making a comeback in our time…
The French eclectic interior design style was developed around 1915. This unique and somewhat unusual style of decorating the interior of your home lasted up to 1945. In the last few years the French eclectic interior design style has come back into fashion.
If you are looking for innovative ways in which to design the interior of your homes but can’t decide on a particular theme, eclectic is the way you would want to go. The French eclectic interior design style draws inspiration from a variety of different styles incorporating a unique mix of furniture and interior decor accessories to create an unorthodox setting.
French Eclectic Interior Characteristics
This traditional style of interior designing has some very definitive characteristics. It has an overwhelmingly symmetrical or asymmetrical façade with all furniture articles and interior decor items composed in perfect symmetry. The idea is to go for tall and narrow articles of furniture that have a towering presence yet take up very little space on the ground.
Tiling is a common feature of the French eclectic style of interior designing. The style also suggests a recessed or enclosed entry to the home or a room. Houses built according to this style of architecture will not have a porch or veranda. Rather balustrade terraces extending out to rooms on the first floor are characteristic of this style of architecture. Casement windows with trends are another trademark feature of the style. The wood trim around window panes is minimal in French eclectic interior design.
French Eclectic Architecture
There is no one set of rules that govern this style of designing. Rather you will be able to find many variations to the French eclectic style. When talking about architecture in general you will find French eclectic homes to be rectangular in shape with a steeply pitched hipped roof. This runs parallel to the front portion of the house. On the other hand there are asymmetrical structure that have a cross gabled design with its entrance being off center.
There is also a third version of the kind of French eclectic homes that you will be able to find. This third category of houses is known as the Norman cottage and is perhaps the most popular variety. A hipped roof top with a gabled structure is the basic composition of such houses. However the distinctive feature of the Norman cottage is a tower that is made to serve as the entry. You will be able to find the Norman cottage in many different ways sharing similarities with the traditional English cottage.
In its essence the French eclectic interior design style is a unique blend of furnishing styles that draws inspiration from various time periods and cultures. However all the selected furniture articles and integrated decor accessories need to have some features that make them gel well together. Usually a shared theme does the job just fine. In general such interiors are based on neutral color patterns that act as a back drop for large furniture.