Le Style Anglais

My husband, Spike, came home from work the other day having spoken to a couple of his French colleagues (also chefs) who were completely flummoxed as to why their wives were planning to redecorate parts of their houses in le style Anglais.  

This incomprehensible revelation from their other halves prompted the same sense of disbelief they voiced when Spike ventured to suggest to them the merits of modern British cuisine! Gallic insults aside, I have always endeavoured to keep an eye on upcoming trends so that my stock can reflect them but I wouldn't have guessed a couple of years back that the forerunners of interior design in France would now be embracing Britannique Chic and filling their magazines with fabric and wallpaper from Laura Ashley and Graham and Brown.

The French take on British Chic

Since I have lived in France the French design magazines have generally favoured the elegant simplicity of white Scandinavian (Gustavian) style but my husband's sources on the ground appear to be right and at last British style is actually à la mode .

You cannot argue with article after article extolling the virtues of cosy English cottages oozing with chintzy textiles and wallpapers or at the other end of the spectrum the very masculine British club style complete with dark wood paneling, worn-in Chesterfield sofas and brown leather club chairs.

As far as the chintzy side goes there is a definite emphasis on the colour pink that I'm sure Spike's colleagues will not be at all happy about!  This pretty-pretty look is not really my truc either as I generally prefer a more eclectic and slightly industrial style but all the same I can see its appeal.

A typical article romanticising la vie Anglaise

My vintage Royal Albert tea service

So amongst my usual trucs I will be on the lookout for pretty vintage flowery crockery and anything else that conjures up 'cosy cottage style in the heart of the English countryside' (c'est bizarre n'est-ce pas?) and I just verdantly hope that my French brocante buyers are reading the same magazines as me!

Miroir Magique au Mur...

I thought it would be fun to look at mirrors this week .  They come in so many shapes, sizes and styles that one can be found to suit any taste or budget.

A French 'Granny Mirror' I have for sale dating from the 30s/40s

When I was a child my Nana had a frameless 1930's mirror on the wall of her living room, complete with metal chain, and I have to admit that at the time I wasn't keen on it at all - well it was the mid 70's and if it wasn't made of teak or a dodgy Spanish style wrought iron one it just wasn't in (I may well have to eat my words when they suddenly become the next big thing!)

Having come to understand a bit more about vintage interiors these frameless bevelled mirrors are style icons of their age and in their original context have great design merit. All things considered I have now formed a strong attachment to what I affectionately term as 'granny mirrors' and will be on the lookout for some when I'm back in England on my long awaited shopping spree!  I have seen these granny mirrors in numerous interior magazines grouped together on a blank wall and I think they look amazing.

Whilst I'm on the subject mirrors I couldn't resist including a photo of a beautiful Venetian mirror I have at home.  I wish I could fill my brocante stall with them but these mirrors are very allusive and when you do find them they are extremely expensive and I don't have that kind of spending power I'm afraid (or the buyers for that matter).

Venetian Mirror  - it's not for sale...  it's mine (hahaha!)

Gilded mirrors are still very popular in France and I know that if I could find some at a reasonable price they would fly off my brocante stall in no time so I hope that I can source some on my upcoming trip to England.

My stunning antique French gilt mirror

A few years back I painted an Edwardian gilded over-mantle mirror for our living room in the shabby chic style and do occasionally feel a little bad about it (but doesn't it look lovely against the natural stone of the chimney breast?... Please say YES!!!) 

My painted Edwardian over mantle mirror

Many mirror frames can be greatly improved with a thoughtful lick of paint but I wouldn't (normally) condone painting an antique one unless it's already been overpainted in crappy gold spray paint (which many of them have) in which case there is no need to feel guilty (or should that be gilty... sorry about that!)

Modernish mirror frame painted with a chalky matt paint

Art Déco is still in high demand and I do have a mirror in stock at the moment that is halfway between a granny mirror and a Venetian mirror with a peach glass frame.  I think it's gorgeous but it does have a wee chip on the edge of the frame so I'll have to see how much that holds it back over the summer.  Perhaps I should brazenly stare at the potential customer like the French dealers do and say "Well it's old, what do you expect?"

I do find it very hard to find stock over here that is not damaged in some way as the majority of trucs languish in barns and attics for many a year before finding there way onto the market.

Gorgeous peach tinted glass framed mirror ready to display on my stall

One thing I have found though is that antique and vintage mirrors seem to be much kinder to the user than new ones so for that reason alone, aside from the obvious investment potential, they're a must have in every home!