Inspiration! The Palace of Versailles

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Out of Paris bustling streets stands the seat of power of old France. The palace of Versailles. Where the Kings and Queens has taken the throne and ruled over its subjects and where the nation's governments and court were held at the beginning of 1682. It is a place of great history and art, where court intrigue and status was valued with the highest respect. Where monarchy is at its peak in France,

The interior of the Palace was inspired by many cultural influences that is reinterpreted into the French style that you know and love today! A total of 50 years and thousands of workers hard work was invested to give the palace its grandeur

After the French Revolution, Versailles never took back its place as the seat of power. It was an empty shell till 1837 when it was reopened as The Museum of the History of France by King Louis -Philippe as the gathering point for all thing contributing to the “glory of France”

So let us take a peek into the halls of this great symbol of France and see what we can learn from this UNESCO’s site about its interior and style!

Hall of Mirrors

The Hall of Mirrors is one of the many spectacles in the palace. As the principal part of one of the buildings, the central gallery leads to the private apartment of the King and was used daily when King Louis XIV made his way to the chapel.

During that time, Mirrors are considered on the most expensive items to possess at the time.

With France economy thriving at the time, it was displayed by the number and size of the 357 mirrors on the 17 marbled arches, rivaling even the Venetians and their monopoly in mirror manufacturing.

The design also showcase the french prowess in the arts with its red reef limestone pillars (Rouge de Rance pilasters) that were adorned in bronze with symbols of the french royals, popularly known as “The French Style”.

The Baroque style architecture

At the height of the Italian Renaissance, the Baroque style architecture was popular for its focus on extravagance and art, encouraging artists to explore their creativity and usage of the elements for decorative purpose. However, despite it being heavily influenced by the Baroque style, the interior has that symmetry that seems to create that optical illusion, a little French twist you would say!

The State Apartments of the Roman Gods.

King Louis XIV created a series of apartments to give him a certain amount of privacy. Each room was named after a Roman god associated with the known planets at the time. It was not long till it was reused to for social gatherings and drawing rooms. There is was an event every night called “Apartment evenings” for the members of the court.

Rooms were decorated intricately with statues of King Louis XIV and rare paintings. But with different king reigning, there will be a different style. Thou still deck in splendor such as marble, the design of furniture changes to suit the kings liking.

Furniture of Kings

Each king wants to express his reign in the palace. With that, each King has his own style and aesthetics that he wants to portray to members of the court in Versailles. Redoing the furniture was a way of showcasing his rule. Maybe the most iconic of all is the King Louis Chairs, a statement of French furniture even now.

King Louis XIV for example, when he created the palace, he wanted to something to reflect his divine right to rule. So his furniture is often grand and throne-like that is fully ornate. While King Louis XVI has a more neoclassical look with clean lines and geometric traits, often with a rounded back.

So hope you like that little trip around the royal palace and be sure to pop by Finn Avenue right here in Singapore to have a little french luxe for your home.

Try Getting some French inspired period furniture and decor