Boiseries...Beautiful Thoughts

Every creation begins with a thought.

Imagine a blank wall...now take some beautiful,
passionate thought and express it visually upon
that wall.
Viola! A Boiserie is created.
I can only imagine the beautiful thoughts of those
artisans as they layered their passion upon these
once thoughtless walls.


Hotel de Varengeville 1735

There is one common thread that I find, that defines
"Country French" style and that is passion !
I think many Americans have this preconceived
notion that "Country French" is decorating with
Toile de Jouy. Marketing! you gotta love it!
"Country French" is more a way of life, than
decorating with Louis XV or a certain fabric.
As I travel through the countryside of France,
it never ceases to amaze me how many people
are living their passion. Whether it is the simple
farmer who hawks his harvest at market,
the family that lovingly tends the vineyard,
the Chef that is insulted when you don't finish your
plate, or the artist passing the day at a cafe,
while capturing life on canvas.
Their lives and their homes are full of passion!

There is something about France, that nurtures
thoughts of passion. An appreciation for those
things created from the passion. For you see,
they are not just things, they are the material
manifestations of beautiful thoughts!



It is difficult to find entire boiseries and if you did,
you would need deep pockets, so I will be content with
collecting fragments of those beautiful backdrops
of life.




And this brings me to #3 on my
French Fashion List for Antiques.
Pieces of intricately carved wood, trumeau mirrors and
plaster motifs...all of those creations which at one
time only existed as a thought, in the mind of an
artisan who wanted to visually express their passion,
in the form of a boiserie.
"For it is not what you look at that matters,
but what you see".
Thoreau
And by the way,
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas
and I wish for you some of the "Country French"
way of life in 2008!
Bonne Année