Guest Picks: A French Bedroom for Girls
Not all of these products are made for children; many are adult items that work brilliantly in a child's room. And they come with an added benefit: When they are no longer wanted or needed, you can use them!
— Denise from The Swelle Life
I like the cheery playfulness of this merino and cotton blanket for kids. The cameo framing the floral and dot design reminds me of rococo-style mirrors, and it's a nice bold contrast against more delicately detailed French pieces.
I love a great hat box; they conjure the charm of Paris couture salons of era past.The monochromatic stripes of this style creates a bold contrast to the delicate details and soft colors of a traditional French-style room. Indulge your girl in the delight of custom millinery and fill it with one fantastic felt cloche.
A touch of Marie Antoinette in a girl's French bedroom is an absolute must. This pastel hardcover version of Moi & Marie Antoinette would be lovely displayed on a hand-carved shelf or bench. It tells the story of how France's most fascinating queen came to take the throne, as told by her real-life pug, Sebastien. Fear not, your little one will sleep soundly — that nasty bit at the end is left out.
This is the perfect bookcase for a young girl's French-styled room. It's just the right size and it's easy to envision how lovely it would look filled with books and knickknacks.I would stand the Moi & Marie Antoinette story book on top and place an ornate mirror above it to create a beautiful focal point in the room.
Now the gold painted mahogany and plum floral upholstery of this mini chaise may seem a little grown up for a child's room, but it has potential to work with the right accessories.Placed in a predominantly pale pink color scheme, this chaise would add depth and variety to an otherwise girly room. To pull it in to the rest of the decor, lay a complementary-hued blanket over one of the ends and add a playful pillow in pastel or monochrome stripes to make it more youthful and less serious — very Lacroix!
A charming room can't be without a few pretty curios on display. I would use this handcrafted open shelf cabinet to teach my daughter how to curate her own special collections, changing it every week or so to create new and interesting looks in her bedroom.Even better if it showcases some finds from the French street markets!
I could only see a mirror like this in a little girl's room; in the right context, it's a lot of fun! The flamboyance of the rococo style and bold bubblegum pink is best tempered with cream furniture and delicate accents to keep the room from feeling too busy. A little goes a long way!
I've always thought that a bedside table is essential for anchoring the bed within the style of the room, so best to choose wisely!A French, delicately carved piece in white is so beautiful in a little girl's bedroom and will grow with her into her teens. It offers endless decorating combinations from lamps to vases of flowers to clocks, as well as storage for handy items.
Duck egg blue is an absolute favorite color of mine. A classic shade, its muted dustiness has a calming effect which is perfect for a child's bed, and lends well to the French country style.
What a tragedy it would be to see a beautiful room marred by an unsightly garbage bin! There's no excuse to fall apart in the details.I like this white painted wooden waste paper bin which follows through on the ornamentation of French furniture, allowing it blend with the decor.It could also be great for pretty storage — my daughter would surely use it to keep her little baby animal friends.
The single bed can be an underwhelming piece of furniture, so I like to see features such as this rattan head and footboard and heavy carved details. They give this chateau bed strong provincial character.Pure white linens and cotton pillows with floral embroidery would make this bed a dreamy place to sleep.
As a girly-girl I can't see a bedroom as complete until it has an ornate French vanity table — though I'd reserve this pink version for the under 12s.Let the rose pink stand on its own by surrounding it with creams, and maybe a hint of gray here and there for a bit of depth. A vintage brush and mirror set with an aged gold patina would be a perfect touch to complete this feminine and romantic look.
I like the delicate subtlety of this pale pink pendant light. It's just the right amount of accent for a little girl's room and will complement the hand-carved detail of French furniture. The blush shade would look gorgeous in a predominantly cream room.
A pint-sized Louis chair with all the refined details of the full version is an irresistible must-have for a mommy Francophile such as myself. Some might question the sanity of buying a little girl a hand-carved and finely upholstered piece of furniture for their bedroom — in cream no less! — but I think it's well worth a try for it's long-term value alone.Buy early and use it for pure decoration in the nursery with a cotton or silk cushion and a pale pink cashmere blanket draped over one arm. Later on she can take a seat to read her story books about Marie Antoinette's childhood. And when she's too old to fit in it, it becomes a charming little curiosity in the corner of a spare bedroom.
Another piece I like for its versatility and long-term value is this delicately detailed blanket and toy box. It would look right at home in a crisp white nursery holding baby blankets with framed photos perched atop, in a little girl's room to store toys and books or to keep socks and underwear.When the kids grow up it can be moved to another room to stylishly hide clutter.
I love the idea of toile de Jouy in a little girl's room; it's like a dreamland narrative from another time.This pretty bed is hand-carved from solid mahogany with an aged finish. It comes in a neutral gold shade which allows you to place it within any color scheme, though I think it would be loveliest with soft pinks and creams.
I love a beautifully accessorized, stylish bench. It makes a lovely focal point in the bedroom and works in virtually any room in the house.This style comes in deep gray or cream and offers a bit of handy storage to hide away bits and bobs. It would be the perfect place to conceal the piles upon piles of drawings that kids tend to accumulate each day but parents can't bear to throw out!
This original painting by Fifi Flowers is perfect for creating a playful and romantic feel in a little girl's room, especially one who dreams of visiting Paris one day. As it's small, I would place it in a cream, hand-carved wood frame and set it on my daughter's dusty blue French bedside table so she could gaze at it as she falls asleep.
It's never too early to become a Francophile — or to create one. But really, if I chose this French-style mahogany crib for my nursery, I would be the one to benefit from the lovely floral carving and cabriole feet.With bed linens kept to a minimum for baby's safety, I would play up its French features with lots of floral fabric in soft colors around the room, like an upholstered chair with contrasting cushions.Next: Check out more furniture and decor for kids
A girl's French bedroom isn't complete without a touch of French couturier Christian Lacroix's vivid textural beauty. This notebook features a collage on the front and back in his signature style.I would love to see it on the top of a French bookcase in my daughter's room, taken down every so often to jot lists of things to see in Paris.
Q