You don't have to tell the Parisians how to warm up a room....major restoration is now complete on the gilded gold ornament of the Opera, Ponte Alexandre bridge and the Fontaines de la Concorde.
Louis XIV, the Sun King knew how to warm up a room as well. Several thousand sheets of gold leaf were used in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles alone.
Versace brought in Sherle Wagner fixtures for a power room in his Miami home.
From this extravagance, we can learn tricks to warm up our own environments. Vintage leather books with gilded spines glow when featured in a bookcase or stacked as a base for an object of interest.
Small scale items such as this gilded clock add warmth when grouped with other textures.
I gilded these fabulous door recently. It added the perfect balance to the entry of the home.
You can get away with gilded ceilings in small areas. This was done in a small study featuring a wall of paintings in ornate gilded frames.
How about gilding the edges of a built in cabinet? Very subtle and classic.
Textiles can add a hint of gold through beading or gilded thread.
Don't forget gilded mirrors!
This Fornasetti table was found on 1stDibs- a collection of many antique dealers with a variety of wares including many gilded sconces, candlesticks, consoles and chairs to warm up your home. Gold can be a great way to warm up your home. Let me know what your favorite gold touch is!
13 comments:
Theresa-I love gold mirrors and frames.
It is so hard to decide what I love most - the edges of the cabinet are subtle and stunning, and then I love the filigree flourishes on old books. Oh, any little glint will do! Really, I love the grandeur of it all. Particularly faded grandeur. Dull, mottled, peeling - who cares? Actually, that sounds a little like me! Ha ha!
Cheers!
Catherine
I, too, love gilded mirrors and frames. One of the wackiest/trampiest? things I have done was to gild a small table (perfect size I needed to squeeze in a lamp where I needed one). It had a nice curved apron and after gilding, I encrusted the apron with buttons. Buttons are sentimental objects in my family, and I think of them as little pieces of sculpture. The things we do for fun!
Beth,
I love gilding . Period! Yes, mirrors and frames are two things you can't have too many of in a room setting!
Catherine,
You are my soulmate in this! If you look at my bio, I say I like things old and crusty! I have always said my home is done in the style of "Coco Chanel twenty years after the money was gone". Madeleine Castaing was a big believer in this. She loved the process of deterioration on fabric and paint. "Faded grandeur" YES!
I love the idea of buttons on the apron of the gilded table! I would love to see a photo. I think there should be a personal story on the pieces in your home and the button table is a perfect example of telling your personal story!
amazing post. love your stuff!
Thanks Kitty!
theresa, just wanted to thank you for following me on organic orgy and zen of homekeeping! xo kitty
I must confess, in Paris i have a weakness for the opéra Garnier and its fabulosity !
:-)
Lala! Good to see you here. Your blog is always a favorite of mine. Hope you are healing quickly.
Hi Theresa,
Thank you for stopping by and leaving such a sweet comment.
Your blog is beautiful!
Love all the photo's. You are one talented lady.
Hugs,
Barb
Thank you Barb! You know, French blogs are hard for me to resist!
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