18th C. Boiserie paneling: a delicious medium of Bon Gout

Chers Amis de l'Ecole du Bon Gout,  Today's subject is French 18th century boiserie paneling and its adaption and reinstallation in new settings.

In the following photographs you will see "before and after photos" of  three different projects. These involved using some salvaged antique 18th century boiserie panels interspersed with newly composed rectangular sections made on site with "store bought" plywood and ready made moldings. These additions were made to fill out the required spaces dictated by the existing wall areas.  Lining up and mimicking the sizes of the important elements of the old panels is the key to success. Once it is all painted and the new work distressed, the entire wall and or room will pass for original material.

Also find here for your consideration 18th century panels at Au Vieux Paris in photos 6, 7, & 8. These could be used to dramatically transform three different rooms. Not shown, but also availible at Au Vieux Paris are several unique individual elements, which could be used beautifully as over-mantles,  over-doors or ????

Personally, I don't know of a more certain or delicious way to evoke the ambience and feeling of an 18th century French chateau than with walls of 18th century boiserie paneling . Quel bon gout!!!

If you have any questions please call me at 337:332 2852 or email at robertesmith@centurytel.net or visit my website at www.auvieuxparisantiques.com .

Mes Amities,
Robert E. Smith

Visit the Au Vieux Paris Antiques homepage (click here)
Browse a sampling of the merchandise available (click here)

Mes Amities,
Robert E. Smith   (337) 332-2852
http://www.auvieuxparisantiques.com

Style Correlations in Chairs and Candlesticks

Chers Amis,  Bonjour and welcome to some simple observations that will certainly aid you in distinguishing the differences in the classic French decorative styles as they evolved from Louis XIV at the end of the 17th Century through Directoire at the very end of the 18th century.

In the following photos of chairs paired with candlesticks of the same style, all period pieces here at Au Vieux Paris Antiques,you can see a direct ongoing relationship and "cross pollenation" in these two "mediums" of  artistic expression. Maybe this is because both chairs and candlesticks were such important essentials in home furnishing they rated the style and detailing that was the latest and best taste of the day. To simplify each style as presented in these photos,  one could observe the following basic correlations: For Louis XIV: it is about turnings and squareness, Louis XV: it is about curves and carved detail, Louis XVI: it is about classical fluting and beading, and Directoire: it is about sleek obelisque like profiles. Certainly there are exceptions to these principle traits and also fine gradual transitions between each period, however that just makes it more interesting to be a student of l'Ecole Du Bon Gout.

If you have any question for me regarding this or another subject,call at 337-332 2852 or email  robertesmith@centurytel.net or visit my web site at www.auvieuxparisantiques.com .
   

Mes Amities,
Robert E. Smith

Visit the Au Vieux Paris Antiques homepage (click here)
Browse a sampling of the merchandise available (click here)

Mes Amities,
Robert E. Smith   (337) 332-2852
http://www.auvieuxparisantiques.com

Beauty of Ages Past

Chers Amis,   Bonjour!  A shipment of "Bon Gout" ( Think : French culture, history and beauty from ages past crystillized it material objects you can own and enjoy living with) has arrived here at Au Vieux Paris!  Find here a sample photos of some of this diverse selection, which I found mainly in Provence.

Plan a visit soon to taste and enjoy these discoveries for yourself . The weather is now delicously fallish so enjoy it while it is here with a visit to Breaux Bridge! (Also think lunch at Cafe Des Amis and a visit to Patrick Dunne's shop which will soon have a "new" shipment in too.)

If you can't visit in person soon, visit the web site at  www.auvieuxparisantiques.com or please call me(337-332-2852) if you have a special marcel of "Bon Gout" you have been looking for, that I may help you add to your enjoyment of life.

Quote of the day from Peter Thornton's The Domestic Interior : "By 1670  it was widely recognized that the French had a special talent for contriving elegant and comfortable settings for a civilized existence and by the end of the century, French supremacy in this field was even more evident."  No wonder we love "Bon Gout "from ages past so much!!

Cordialement,   Robert
   

Visit the Au Vieux Paris Antiques homepage (click here)
Browse a sampling of the merchandise available (click here)

Mes Amities,
Robert E. Smith   (337) 332-2852
http://www.auvieuxparisantiques.com

Pleasures of Summer + Gazpacho Recipe

Chers Amis,  I trust you are experiencing the joys of summer time, however if your routine has you bogged down,  I suggest an out door dinner party with friends.  Gazpacho is so easy to make and serve and is a crowd pleasing one dish cooling meal, especially if you top it off with chilled boiled shrimp or chopped baked chicken. If you want to make your dinner  a "fete extraordinaire" you could consider acquiring the matched pair of c1845 bistro tables we just assembled and the set of 6 "hurricane" globed candle fixtures seen pictured upon them.    In the south of France I have friends who in the summer,eat outside almost every meal. Here in Louisiana, we do need to pick our nights, but oh how special it is to dine elegantly out side!

Here is my easy recipe for Gazpacho which serves about 20:

1-20 oz jar of  Old El Passo salsa (mild),

1-28 oz jar of Ragu pasta sauce,

1- 46 oz can of tomato juice,

1-28 oz can of diced tomatos,

1 can of pitted small black olives,

then olive salad , chopped purple onion, black pepper, Tabasco and olive oil to taste, 1 handful of coarsely chopped fresh garden herbs like basil, tarragon, mint, fennel, oregino and or onion tops.

Chill for at least 4 hours enjoy!

Mes Amities,
Robert E. Smith

Visit the Au Vieux Paris Antiques homepage (click here)
Browse a sampling of the merchandise available (click here)

Mes Amities,
Robert E. Smith   (337) 332-2852
http://www.auvieuxparisantiques.com

Pleasures of Summer!

Chers Amis,  I trust you are experiencing the joys of summer time, however if your routine has you bogged down,  I suggest an out door dinner party with friends.  Gazpacho is so easy to make and serve and is a crowd pleasing one dish meal especially if you top it off with boiled shrimp or chopped baked chicken. If you want to make your dinner  a "fete extraordinaire" you could consider acquiring the matched pair of c1845 bistro tables we just assembled and the set of 6 "hurricane" globed candle fixture seen pictured upon them. In the south of France I have friends who in the summer,eat outside almost every meal. Here in Louisiana, we do need to pick our nights, but oh how special it is to dine elegantly out side!

Mes Amities,
Robert E. Smith

Visit the Au Vieux Paris Antiques homepage (click here)
Browse a sampling of the merchandise available (click here)

Mes Amities,
Robert E. Smith   (337) 332-2852
http://www.auvieuxparisantiques.com

Antique Lighting

Bonjour and welcome to l'Ecole du Bon Gout. Today's subject is antique lighting. This subject is apropos as we approach the sun rise of the winter solstice Dec 21, when our fair planet earth, our glorious sun and the potent black hole at the center of our milky way galaxy will be in a straight line. This "alignment " was exact on the winter solstice of 1998 and has only drifted slightly on the solatices of the past 10 years. This alignment, according to the Mayans, will charge us humans with "galactic conscienceiousness" and is the reason for the ending date of 2011 for their calendar, conceived in 500 BC. So what in the world does this have to with antique lighting? (Has professor Smith lost it?) Well, ancient civilizations had elaborate celebrations utilizing fire on the winter solstices and in fact the abundant Christmas lights and New Year’s Eve fire works of our current epoch are but ancestral memories of this ancient tradition.

So celebrate this auspicious alignment: lights up some candles this holiday season and connect to this “antique” lighting tradition.

***********Class Party *************

To Further celebrate this event there will be a "class party"(think open house with refreshments), this Sunday, Dec 7th from 1:00 P.M to 5:00 P.M here at Au Vieux Paris Antiques. Professor Smith will give a short lecture demonstration on French antique lighting devices at 3:00 P.M. All students of l'Ecole du Bon Gout and their guests and invited.

Following find attached photos of a few of the many antique lighting fixtures now in stock.

If you have any questions or special needs call at 337-332-2852 or email robertesmith@centurytel.net , or visit the website at www.auvieuxparisantiques.com

Mes Amities,
Robert E. Smith

Visit the Au Vieux Paris Antiques homepage (click here)
Browse a sampling of the merchandise available (click here)

Mes Amities,
Robert E. Smith   (337) 332-2852
http://www.auvieuxparisantiques.com

Chairs

Bonjour and welcome to l’Ecole du Bon Gout.  Today’s subject of interest is"the chair".  Not only are chairs one of the most basic, personal and useful forms of furniture,unlike many case pieces, they possess distinctive stylistic and sculptural detail that makes them easily identified and relatable usually to one specific period.  Each chair represents of the way of life, the social structure, and the related customs of the period in which it was created.   They are like self contained time capsules of human life and style at a point in history.

French antique chairs often get the “knee jerk” criticisms of being “too small”, “not strong” or “not comfortable”.  Though these conditions are sometimes the case, they are certainly not always so.  I have personally stood on most of the chairs in the shop to hang pictures!!!! Many of the arm chairs here are very large, ergonomically portioned and very comfortable even for long periods of sitting by modern  Americans.  Find following two photos of chairs seen in home settings, all sourced from Au Vieux Paris, followed by a selection of chairs now in stock.

Seat yourself in an antique chair that will be your style companion and tell your own story of Bon Gout for years to come!

Feel free to call me at 337-332-2852 or email at Robertesmith@centurytel.net or visit the Au Vieux Paris website  www.auvieuxparisantiques.com.                                                                                        

We are going to have a HOLIDAY CLASS PARTY!!!!!!!! here at Au Vieux Paris Antiques, 1040 Henri Penne Rd.   Sunday Dec. 7th , 1:00pm to 5:00 pm for all students of l'Ecole du Bon Gout and their guests. There will be holiday refreshments, new items in the shop(think special gift giving and why exclude yourself), as well as a lecture at 3:00 pm on lighting devices by Proffesor Smith!

Mes Amities,
Robert E. Smith

Visit the Au Vieux Paris Antiques homepage (click here)
Browse a sampling of the merchandise available (click here)

Mes Amities,
Robert E. Smith   (337) 332-2852
http://www.auvieuxparisantiques.com