Bedrooms with Ooh La La!

The French seem to have mastered the art of dressing a bedroom for romance. One only has to peek into a French boudoir to see casual elegance and an abundance of style.

To Bed with Toile
Blue toile bed coverings and red checked pillows add colour to this otherwise neutral bedroom. As for the nightstand, who says it must be short and small? Throw your bedroom a curve by mixing in larger tables, benches, and chests used as night tables.

French Dressing
Toile de Jouy fabrics, for which one colour is printed over a neutral background or the reverse, lend themselves to tailored applications appropriate to master bedrooms. When your goal is a bed that's sophisticated and not fussy, decorate with select touches of this French-inspired scenic print, shown here. For a no-fail scheme, use only colours in the toile, avoiding the distraction of competing hues.



Fresh Colour Comfort
Nothing says romance like flowers and piles of down-soft pillows. This white bed has been alluringly angled into a corner and framed with floral draperies. Antique furnishings lend a sophisticated air while the skirted table brings a feminine touch.



Subdued Passion
A monochrome colour scheme is complimented by simple bedding and accessories. The walls are painted in a soft beige mixed with neutral cotton prints with chocolate plaids, dashes of toile, and buttery leather. Rustic pieces coexist with regal period-French finds. The interiors have a "collected" look, anchoring collections against neutral walls and floors and using soft textures and rounded forms to capture a comfortable at-ease feeling.

  source: meredith publishing