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A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO FRENCH ANTIQUES AND TERMINOLOGY by maureen stevens
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hen it comes to elegance, style and glamour, the French sure know a thing or two about très chic living. It’s no coincidence that Paris is one of the foremost fashion capitals of the world, served as a playground for the iconic Coco Chanel and was the birthplace for the decadently luscious crème brulée. The flamboyant ways of the French led to the worldwide popularization of style trends in décor and architecture pertaining to Baroque and Rococo {which I happen to think is a great baby’s name}. With a long history enriched by their infatuation and passion for design, it comes as no surprise that French classics take the cake as the most soughtafter antiques in Texas and around the world. If you’re nouveau to French antiques – and have had one too many doses of Pottery Barn and West Elm catalogs – you may not know the difference between an enfilade and an étagère. Maybe you’re one of those who swear that nobody could possibly store anything in a commode or perhaps the extent of your French vocabulary spans as far as the word “Cartier”. Well, just for you, I have compiled a list of the most common terms in French furniture, tailored as an articulate guide for your next antique shopping trip. You’ll be informed, savvy and très brilliant on your upcoming tours to those fancy shops you’ve been dreaming of splurging at. I caught up with the owner of Jean-Marc Fray Antiques to create this handy guide. 50 V E T TA M A G A Z I N E . C O M
What the French call a bergère is what we call in english simply an armchair
What Marie-Antoinette called a bureau we commonly refer to as a desk
What Napoleon knew as a commode we Texans know as a low chest of drawers