Many of us love French style, whether it's French Country or Paris Apartment. In the past few years the pale palette of French Country has dominated. Two excellent bloggers, Joni from Cote de Teaxs, and Shawn from Country French document this style comprehensively with great photos. Joni presents outstanding examples of living with this style for modern applications, and Shawn shows incredible vignettes from her buying trips in France for her wonderful store in Louisville, Kentucky.

I spy a tall clear vase filled with black eye peas!
Here in Louisiana the pale palette has become trendy. But somehow the sub tropical climate steers one towards saturated Creole colors too.

The pair of 18th century Beregere chairs once graced the living room of Eleanor Brown
In the January 2009 issue of Louisiana Homes and Gardens, an interior designer named Dr. Lawrence Menache has decorated his Alexandria, Louisiana home in a style he refers to as Parisian.
Dr. Menache hails from a New York experience, and I think this also shows in his choice of colors, furnishings, and objects.
He started going to furniture auctions as a young boy at Sotheby's in New York with his parents, where he always sat next to an intriguing older woman. That woman turned out to be Eleanor McMillen Brown, a fact he only found out after he bought a book called "Sixty Years of Interior Design" written about said lady.

Jennifer from the Peak of Chic writes a nice bit about this book, and you can purchase it HERE.
Dr. Menache describes each and every thing in his home lovingly, recalling the objects and furniture as if they are old friends. He is particularly proud of some chairs he actually purchased from Eleanor Brown. Mrs. Brown's design concepts have been one of the main "mentors" for Dr. Menache, along with his parents, who gave him a love of fine antique furniture.

The objects include a collection of Shagreen,
antique inkwells, and a piece of Newcomb pottery -
The 18th century chair belonged to Eleanor Brown


Dr. Menache and his wife live in an English Regency style home built in 1950. He describes his interior design for the home as: "Parisian, a French type home filled with antiques, but it is comfortable at the same time."

Dr. and Mrs. Manache are avid bridge players
"My home has a very traditional look, using 18th century French antiques. Many are signed by the ebenistes." Ebennistes were originally those making case furniture and working in ebony, a favored wood for mid 17th century Parisian cabinetmakers.
Although Dr. Menache loves French antiques, he designs in all genres. His living room received the 2008 Louisiana Home and Gardens Design Award.
It's very interesting to see another viewpoint of French style decorating. I love both points of view: The pale and the color saturated. Sometimes it's a real tug of war to settle upon just one!
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