Save

Facebook

Tweet

Email

Help

French Empire revisited

Share Tweet Help

Every aspect of this master suite from the 1850 Empire bed to the antique lighting sconces and reproduction slipper bathtub reflects a passion for traditional French architecture and interiors

View of home with light-toned walls, square design bathroom, ceiling, floor, home, interior design, room, tile, wall, window, gray, brown
View of home with light-toned walls, square design on carpets and antique furniture.
View of home with light-toned walls, square design bathroom, ceiling, floor, home, interior design, room, tile, wall, window, gray, brown
View of home with light-toned walls, square design bathroom, bathroom accessory, bathroom cabinet, cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, home, interior design, room, sink, window, gray, brown
View of home with light-toned walls, square design bathroom, bathroom accessory, floor, home, interior design, plumbing fixture, room, sink, tap, gray
View of home with light-toned walls, square design bathroom, bathroom accessory, bathroom cabinet, cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, floor, furniture, home, interior design, kitchen, room, gray, brown
View of home with light-toned walls, square design cabinetry, ceiling, door, home, interior design, light fixture, lighting, molding, room, wall, window, brown, gray
View of home with light-toned walls, square design bed, bed frame, bedroom, ceiling, estate, furniture, home, interior design, living room, room, suite, brown
View of home with light-toned walls, square design bedroom, ceiling, column, estate, furniture, home, interior design, real estate, room, suite, wall, window, brown, gray

Classical French architecture inspired the design of this remodeled house both inside and out. And the master suite is a perfect example of the way close attention to proportion, scale and detail can re-createa particular period in history.

Architect Duane Stone says the owners liked the idea of a traditional French salon the living room in the house was modeled on such lines. The theme is continued in the master suite, which features ornate custom paneling designed to complement two antique Louis XVI French doors.

Stone worked closely with interior designer Susan Howell Branch to come up with a subtle graduated palette of soft French green tones for the paneling.

advertisement


View of home with light-toned walls, square design bathroom, bathroom accessory, bathroom cabinet, cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, home, interior design, room, sink, window, gray, brown
View of home with light-toned walls, square design on carpets and antique furniture.

"These shades appear in the antique doors and in the rug, which has patterns and colors that are authentic to the Empire period," says Branch. "The rug was also designed to soften visually the grand and rather masculine antique Empire bed a piece the owners had found already."

The French influence extends to the mouldings and door casings, which were custom made from sketches the architect made while visiting the Palace of Versailles. The antiqued finish of the gold-plated door knobs and hardware is also in keeping with the period feel.

To complement the paneling and the matching cabinetry, the bathroom is lined with Carrara marble. This is used in a number of different tile sizes and patterns to create visual interest, including borders in a Greek key pattern, and a decorative mosaic tiled rug.

View of home with light-toned walls, square design bathroom, bathroom accessory, bathroom cabinet, cabinetry, countertop, cuisine classique, floor, furniture, home, interior design, kitchen, room, gray, brown
View of home with light-toned walls, square design on carpets and antique furniture.

The rug is one of several distinctive features that define the focal point of the bathroom a burnished-metal soaking bathtub. This sits beneath a large, arched and leaded window that was custom designed and handmade to complement the other decorative elements it has the same Greek key pattern border.

A barrel vault ceiling, handpainted wall mural and 1930s Swedish chandelier in the Empire style also focus attention on the bathing area. A similar barrel vault ceiling and chandelier feature in the adjoining dressing room.

Credit list

Interior designer
Susan Howell Branch,
Tiling
Carrara marble
Door, window and cabinet hardware and sconces
PE Guerin
Bed
Empire from 1850
Club chairs
Dartford from Ainsworth-Noah
Mantel
French 19th-century Louis XV style
Vanity sinks, faucets and bathtub
Waterworks
Wood flooring
Walnut in Fontainebleau pattern by Woodrich, Inc
Custom paint finishes
The Finishing Source
Leaded glass window
Vloeberghs Stained Glass Studio
Rug
Empire Caissons design from Stark Carpet
Ottoman
Newport from Ainsworth-Noah
Chandeliers and furniture
Antique

Story by: Colleen Hawkes

Photography by: John Umberger

25 Mar, 2011

Home kitchen bathroom commercial design


Latest Post

19 Jan, 2025

19 Jan, 2025

19 Jan, 2025

We know the Specialists

TRENDS PROMO BOX 2024 1

The Tile Depot

From our family to yours

Me25343023 aa fot fo bau sall amc v1 2

Pocket systems for new space concepts

AVT YOU anthracite in kitchen setting

Design with premium Hettich hardware

Snip Image
Queenstown mb 2017 living room

Sharing your Vision

Related Book

Similar Stories

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement