A Guide to French Chair Styles, Silhouettes, and Designs

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The French chair is the quintessential accent piece of interior design. Whether it’s a regal bergère or a delicate fauteuil, these chairs introduce a sense of je ne sais quoi that balances the clean, often clinical lines of modern architecture.

At The Crown Collection, we specialise in hand-picked antique French chairs, offering a curated selection that spans centuries of craftsmanship, from the gilded opulence of the Rococo era to the refined restraint of Neoclassicism.

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1. Understanding the Silhouettes

To find the chair that is just right for your space, you must first understand the primary movements in French furniture design.

To find the chair that is just right for your space, you must first understand the primary movements in French furniture design. 

Style Period Key Visual Identifiers Design Feel
Louis XV Rococo (mid-1700s) Curved Cabriole legs, asymmetrical floral carvings, serpentine frames. Romantic & Whimsical
Louis XVI Neoclassical (late-1700s) Straight, fluted legs (resembling Greek columns), geometric symmetry. Elegant & Disciplined
French Provincial Regional France Ladder backs, natural oak or fruitwood, rush or simple fabric seats. Rustic & Grounded
Directoire Post-Revolution Sparsely decorated, mahogany wood, rolled klismos backs. Modern & Minimalist

Get Inspired By French Decor

2. Iconic French Chair Types

Beyond the period style, the chair’s type dictates its role in your decor story.

The Bergère (The Enclosed Armchair)

A bergère is characterised by its upholstered sides (between the arms and the seat). It is deep, wide, and designed for maximum comfort.

  • Modern Use: Perfect as a reading chair in a main suite or as a pair of anchors flanking a fireplace.

The Fauteuil (The Open Armchair)

Unlike the bergère, the fauteuil has open sides. It feels lighter and more airy, making it ideal for smaller apartments or as occasional seating.

  • Modern Use: Use a pair of Louis XVI fauteuils to create an intimate conversation vignette at the foot of a bed or alongside a contemporary coffee table.

The Giltwood Chair (The Jewellery Piece)

Often featuring a golden patina, gilded French chairs act as the Little Black Dress of interior design. They add a touch of bling and sophistication to neutral, grey, or white colour schemes.

Modern Use: A single gilded chair in an entrance hall next to a modern console creates an instant high-fashion statement.

French occasional chairs

3. Customising Your Antique French Chair

One of the greatest advantages of an antique French chair is its ability to be reimagined. At The Crown Collection, our in-house restoration team can transform a 19th-century frame to suit your specific brief:

  • Bleaching & Stripping: Provide a raw, natural wood finish that fits the French Country or Scandi-Chic aesthetic.
  • Hand-Gilding: Adding silver or gold leaf to elevate a plain frame into a masterpiece.

4. How to Style French Chairs in Modern Spaces

  • The Power of Pairs: Use a pair of identical Louis XVI chairs to create symmetry in a larger room.
  • The Solo Protagonist: Place a single, dramatically carved French chair next to a large-scale modern artwork to enhance the characteristics of both.
  • The Textural Layer: Pair a weathered Provincial chair with a modern rug or a sleek metal desk to ground the contemporary space with aged authenticity.

Antique French chandeliers in the bedroom

Find Yours at The Crown Collection

With over 280 antique chairs on display, The Crown Collection is South Africa’s premier emporium for French flair. Shop our curated range online or visit our Bryanston showroom to find a piece that brings history, beauty, and bespoke charm into your home.

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Top FAQs About French Chairs

Q: What is the difference between a Louis XV and a Louis XVI French chair? The primary difference lies in the legs. Louis XV chairs feature curved, feminine cabriole legs and ornate, asymmetrical carvings. Louis XVI chairs are Neoclassical, featuring straight, fluted legs and symmetrical, geometric designs inspired by ancient Rome and Greece.

Q: What is a French Bergère chair? A bergère is a French armchair with closed, upholstered sides. It usually features a separate seat cushion and is designed for deep, comfortable lounging, unlike the fauteuil, which has open sides.

Q: Can you customise antique French chairs? A: Yes. Antique frames are remarkably sturdy. Techniques like wood bleaching, French polishing, and bespoke upholstery allow you to modernise the look of a French chair while preserving its historical value.

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A balancing act | How to incorporate antiques into modern spaces

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Designing a home that accurately reflects your personality and taste can be obtained by combining furniture items that represent a number of different styles and eras. But, marrying antique and contemporary elements to generate a cohesive harmony without creating excessive noise can become a delicate balancing act. Achieving the perfect mix of old and new comes down to a careful collaboration of form and function, using timeless antiques to add depth, story and unexpected drama to trendy modern interiors.

With antique furniture generating a revival among interior designers and inspired homeowners in 2023, The Crown Collection offers some of our best advice for creating a character-filled contemporary interior that fits your design brief to the T with the addition of versatile antiques:

#1 Antiques are a sophisticated, bold contrast to soft, muted shades

The neutral colour palette that embodies most modern interiors derives its interest through a layered composition – and this is where antiques fit right in. 

Transforming a muted or monochromatic decor canvas into a sophisticated aesthetic can be easily attained through the subtle or bold introduction of antique furniture and accessories – making them the hero pieces of the space.

The transformation will always be a success: a dramatic antique chandelier echoes an age-old story of the French bourgeoisie in a modern dining room, while a dark wood armoire lends a striking statement to a contemporary bedroom.

Antiques are a bold contrast to soft, muted shades.

Conversely, uniting otherwise disparate pieces from different eras could be achieved by selecting a unified colour scheme. This can play out in two ways. Firstly, a neutral antique chair with a distinct gilded frame can pair well with a modern light-coloured carpet and coffee table. Secondly, an otherwise daring Victorian refectory table can be bleached to accompany a muted contemporary interior.

Antiques provide a bold focal point in light, modern interiors.

#2 Antiques are a dramatic anchor to bright contemporary and multifunctional spaces

Antique furniture is not only a savvy environmental solution, but can also function as a versatile decorative focal point, adding character and warmth to light and airy modern interiors.

The open-plan architecture of contemporary homes thrives on fluidity of movement. Tending toward sleek minimalism, these spaces are poised to showcase antiques which become a striking, definitive centrepiece with an added ‘wow’ factor.

A modern lounge/entrance hall/dining room can be bound together with an antique Mahogany sideboard, offsetting the light open-plan space with a strong visual contrast.

Antiques are a dramatic anchor to bright, contemporary spaces.

The modern minimalistic decor trend which emphasises simplicity, neutrality and clean lines can be shaken up by adding an authentic interest piece in the form of an antique (be it a carpet, bookcase, kist or settee, a decorative mirror or gilded chairs).

#3 Antiques are a ‘neutral’ balance to pattern, texture and colour

The addition of an antique furniture piece can allow your eye to rest among the busyness of a maximalist design aesthetic.

Whether you opt to purchase antiques that fit the colour scheme (that can blend and balance out the room’s bold colours or modern designs) or choose a carefully-placed antique piece to break up the striking patterns and textures (bringing visual interest to the space) there is no home that could pass up a perfectly poised antique furniture item in favour of a mass-produced time-bound supposedly cheaper alternative. 

In addition, antiques can neutralise bold colours, create a visually intriguing texture contrast or anchor a playful contemporary patterned design.

Antiques are a neutral balance to pattern, texture and colour.

In many modern spaces, the 80/20 (80% modern pieces, 20% antiques) rule works well when it comes to balancing items from various generations, so selecting the perfect antique piece is essential to harmonising this diversity. 

The wood finish of a grandfather clock or chest of drawers brings a sustainable elegance to a contemporary monochromatic colour scheme. While darker woods add historical drama, lighter variations or bleached woods counterbalance the serious black and white tones with a rustic, warm French feel.

Choose from our range of antique furniture at The Crown Collection

Whatever your method of balancing modern and antique styles, The Crown Collection is your one-stop emporium for top-notch pieces in every decorative category imaginable.

Shop our stock online or browse the range. in-person. at 20 Ballyclare Drive, Bryanston.

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4 Reasons why interior designers love decorating with antiques (and so should you)

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Antique furniture has awakened a revival among interior designers and inspired homeowners in the last decade. Conversations around sustainability have revealed antiques as winners in long-standing debates around slow furniture and become small contributors to the big issues of climate change. Similarly, the stylish layering, intrinsic charm and rich style story of antiques make them leading competitors in decor conversations when it comes to pairing contemporary and traditional furnishing ideas.

As South Africa’s largest emporium of curated and hand-picked antique furniture, The Crown Collection shares 4 convincing reasons why interior decorators are rushing to purchase antiques: 

#1 Antiques are sustainable investments

Climate change and conscious consumerism have become buzzwords in contemporary interior design culture, influencing purchasing decisions in favour of slow furniture items. 

Relatively inexpensive, mass-produced furniture has a short life span, requiring updates to keep abreast with fashion trends (ultimately impacting our carbon footprint). In contrast, antique furniture is crafted to stand the test of time, and with the added versatility of subtle changes – such as bleaching or reupholstering – the opportunity to transform and reinvent tired furniture pieces extends their lifespan (and versatility) even further. 

Antique furniture is a worthwhile investment, increasing in value over time

While the price tag of antiques may appear costly at first glance, when you consider their longevity and minor environmental impact, they become desirable and worthwhile investments (since they actually increase in value over time).

#2 Antiques are unique in a sea of generic & modern pieces

Few interior decorators advise their clients to make their homes mirror the front pages of this month’s SA Home Owner magazine. Though the styles on the glossy cover pages are inventive and stylish, opting to duplicate them in your home will mean providing nothing novel, unique or personalised to bring character and life to your space.

Blending something old and something new is an age-old tradition that is perfectly expressed in homes when it comes to decor and furniture choices. 

There’s good reason for this attraction of opposites. The open-plan, light and airy feel of modern spaces can lack warmth and interest. By adding a few antique statement pieces: 

  • You can spark conversation and layer your design story
  • Home owners can break up the generic
  • Designers can deliver a unique, inspired space
  • The detailed wood carvings, curves, gilded metalwork, marquetry and decorative flourishes of antiques complement the straight lines of modern design, providing a much-needed touch of ‘je ne sais quoi’. 

Antiques are unique in a sea of generic or modern furniture

#3 Antiques embrace so many styles

Whether you’re captivated by the flair and charm of French-style decor, or want to transport your home into the Victorian era with ornate, oversized furnishings,  antiques are must-have items in this decor pursuit. 

Antiques are also a design solution if you want to contrast your aesthetic with a toned-down interior that moves away from excessive ornamentation to a more neoclassical emphasis on symmetry and minimalism.

Antique furniture embraces many style trends including neoclassical

If you want your home to espouse an Art Deco style with sleek geometric lines, fine workmanship and luxurious detailing then antiques, again, are your answer. 

#4 Antique furniture can be repurposed for any functional space in your home

The versatility of antiques, in comparison to their modern furniture counterparts, is unmatched. 

The interior design trend of maintaining particular furniture items for a singular function has gone with the wind. 

  • An antique armoire can move from its traditional function in the bedroom, to storing linen and towels in the passage or bathroom, trinkets in the entrance hall, or providing a touch of character to a modern living room
  • A tapestry can move from an artwork on the wall to function as a table covering
  • A silver teapot can go from its traditional purpose on the teatray to featuring a colourful display of flowers in the bathroom.

An antique tapestry can move from being an artwork on the wall to function as a table covering

Repurposing antiques can also take the form of reupholstery, gilding, French polishing, bleaching or darkening – which all form part of an added professional service offered by The Crown Collection’s restoration centre.

Choose from our range of antique furniture at The Crown Collection

With over 5 000 stylish decorative antiques in one emporium, The Crown Collection is the one stop shop for the discerning buyer.

Shop online or visit our physical store at 20 Ballyclare Drive, Bryanston.

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