31 Days of French-Inspired Style Day 29: Collected Over Time

One of my favorite aspects of French style is how it looks collected over time.

Like it has evolved.

A look that you could never attain by buying a set of furniture from a showroom floor.

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Love the mismatched plates….

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It takes longer to collect pieces over time, but what’s the fun of having your home “done”, anyway?

And I’d rather live with less or fix up what I have. Then I can gradually replace pieces when I can afford to buy what I really want.

I also don’t care if my furniture and accessories aren’t “real” antiques. I mean let’s be real, French antiques are expensive and we don’t all have the budget for a house full of them. For me, the point is to capture that French “feel” in my rooms.

But I would like to gradually add in a few more antiques as my budget allows. Like this gorgeous cabinet…

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Also, in our “throw away” society, it’s nice now and then to be able to reinvent rather than throw out. For example, we had these perfectly good louvered bifold doors on our entryway closet. There was nothing wrong with them, they were just “eh”. So we cut the louvers out and added thin sheets of wood in their place. I covered the wood with toile fabric and some chicken wire, painted the doors, and voilá- not boring anymore!

I love how this homeowner reinvented her china hutch just by adding a skirt to the lower cabinet. So cute!

Also, I like to consider how well things are made and the craftsmanship that it took to produce them. I’m always on the lookout for well-made furniture, accessories, and salvaged pieces that I can turn into something beautiful.

I guess the saying is true…

See you tomorrow!