Making Les Vieux Styles....NEW!

One of my favourite current trends is taking old styles (especially from a few centuries ago!) and adding a new element to make them funky, hot and modern.  After a little stroll through Le Marais the other day (an awesome area in the 4^th arrondissement of Paris) I realized that this trend is not just one of the passing fancies – it is EVERYWHERE!  And they do it best in Paris.  Here are a few of my favourite ideas:

A French bombe commode finished in a white gloss and decorated with polka dots

This is an idea that you can take with you – you don’t have to be in Paris!  So if you ever catch yourself looking at an ad for an auction in the paper – why not check it out?  You may not find exactly what you’re looking for, but you’re sure to find a beautiful old piece that you can give new life to.  No matter what your style!

This to me is just SO much fun maybe because I LOVE Toile de Jouy, but maybe also because I love hot pink!  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Toile de Jouy fabrics, it was a style of fabric design and printing which became popular in the 18^th century and was manufactured in the small town of Jouy near Versailles.  It was typically printed on a cream or white cotton with one other colour being printed on it.  These colours usually were black, reds or blues and more recently purple or green.  Above is a typical Toile pictorial in black with the addition of a hot pink chair – random and amazing!  If you want to try this at home to one of your existing cushions just head to a craft store and pick up some fabric paint!  Try Tulip® Fashion Graffiti™ Fabric Paint

(Just as a side note, many fabric designers are becoming more liberal with their toile designs - Check out Manual Canovas or Timorous Beasties)

LOVE THIS – what better way to make your kitchen and table layout young and funky!  They have taken old china patterns and just added a stripe of pink – SO simple yet genius.   If you want to try your hand at modernizing that amazing garage find of yours try using pebeo’s Porcelaine 150.

Fun elements like this add an unexpected whimsy to a room.  If this is too out there for you, you can always add a bright and crazy accent colour in a typical cushion design, throw or other accessory. 

For more fun and funky Parisian inspirations check out FLEUX at 39 & 52 rue Sainte Croix de la Bretonnerie if you’re ever in Paris or just visit their website!  www.fleux.com

After deciding to take some time off work to discover Paris, I have to admit I was pretty scared at first.  This is the first time in my life that I wouldn’t have school or a job to wake up for in the morning.   I was worried that I would become one of those ridiculous housewives that wakes up only to drink the day’s first martini and put on a pink juicy sweatsuit.  Then I realized that I wasn’t in Rosedale…..I was in Paris!! 

Paris is at the centre of the interior design world!  I can wander all day looking for new design ideas, soaking up French inspiration and I can do it all while eating a baguette!  And so with the fear now faded and gone I will focus on just that.  Discovering the new, and loading up on inspiration to take home with me.  I hope this blog will inspire you too.