French Country Interior Decorating

“If in fact, our home is our “nest”, then let it be full of warmth, fun and coziness. Happy vibes and brilliant pallets come with furnishings from antique times. They are not perfect but, are in fact, proud of their imperfections. Our favorite details are placed in random charm. Topiaries and simple wild flowers create a mood, flair, a total feeling. In the end there is so much to say about life and the gift of living and that of giving.”

For those who truly love French country homes, there is no substitute! It is not to be confused with the “pseudo” Americanized French country, nor with the “wanna be” decorators who insult the look, simply because they do not know any better.  There is a plethora of bad reproductions flooding the retail market.

French country is a state of mind. It is a mood and a way of life, as much as it is a design style. It is one so uniquely casual, so unpretentious and so charming in its simplicity, that it actually takes much “know how” and creative ability to make it work correctly.
This seminar has been organized for you the housewife, to let your creative self go and to learn how to decorate your homes without the help of an interior decorator. The taste, charm and flair is yours to develop and expand over the years.
Enjoy this fun educational week, based on teaching through demonstration and loaded with tips, suggestions, know-how and loads of “old-fashioned” artistic creativity.
The instruction will be led by Holly Howard, who has been an interior decorator for 35 years, and who was widely published in “Vogue” during her career and life of 18 years in Europe.

Other specialists in the field will participate with varied themes and demonstrations including:

 *Toys and decorating
 *Plant and flower decorating
 *Draping and swaging of fabrics
 *Creative art-frame solutions

Introduction- What is French Country decorating, “a la française”? How does the apparent simplicity enrich what seems casual but is instead, a carefully planned arrangement.

Workshop emphasis will be on:
*Room structure
*Color
*Furniture
* Fabric
 as they relate to a “country French” ambiance.
 “Accessorizing with a flair”
 “Your turn”, with the help of experts and a varied array of props, you design and accessorize a corner of a room. Other guests, are encouraged to give suggestions for improvements as each project is completed.

Activities will be integrated with special “treat” excursions to:

*Jouy-en-Josas, the Oberkampf Museum in the Chateau of Montebello which has centuries of hand painted fabrics on display in private archives.

* Chateau de la Motte-Tilly , evokes the grandeur and graciousness of the 18th century lifestyle of its time. 

Marquise de Milly redecorated the estate with her own particular taste.

*Musee du Jouet-Toys and its children’s games come from the 19th century with the operational toys and the recreation of a magic lantern show.

* Afternoon visits will include “the best picks” of country French antique stores located behind bends in the road or along country lanes.

* Chateau and Parc de St. Jean de Beauregard is a furnished chateau, still inhabited with outbuildings, a park, garden, stables, a pigeon loft with 400 species and a drinking trough. It is an excellent example of the way life was in the 17th century.

*Maison Atelier Foujita is a little country house renovated by the painter at the beginning of the 60’s. On the top floor is the artist’s studio which has his brushes, pots of paint and his murals.

 

Last night Au Revoir cocktail party