Does the fact that I got a new Swedish table have something to do with the fact I am discussing Swedish furniture today? Maybe.
Well Swedish ffurnitureworks so well with French that I thought we should talk about it for a bit. First off, I am really thinking this console behind the sofa made a big difference in the room. From Wisteria, it was very reasonably priced. When I talk about Swedish furniture, it’s the Gustavian furniture that I adore. It is similar in may ways to French furniture, but is often painted white or gray. It tends to be simple, while at the same time, very elegant. I always wondered why Gustavian furniture looked so French to me, and now I have my answer. Gustav III, 1746-1792, spent a good deal of time at Versailles.
Well that explains a lot. That explains why Gustavian furniture looks so French to me, and why I adore it.
Now as much as I adore Gustavian furniture, I am going to tell you, the real stuff is very difficult to find. There just wasn’t as much of it made as the French stuff. Well I am assuming that, but either way, I just don’t see it very often. My Swedish pieces are all new.
The Gustavian style is similar to Louis XV furniture with it’s straight legs.
Here is a little lesson for you. The curvy chair below is in the Louis XIV style. This style has very curvy legs. It is, of course, a vintage reproduction. Were it a true Louis XV, the price would be exorbitant.
Contrast that chair to this Louis XVI chair with its straight legs. Again this is a repro, not an original Louis XVI. Note how the legs are very similar to the legs on the Swedish console.
The bench below is considered Gustavian, another reproduction. This is one of my very favorite pieces of furniture because it is so unique. The ottoman, I believe is considered French, but see how the legs look almost the same as the ones on the bench?
Below is a detail on the bench.
This Swedish Mora clock is also Gustavian, and reproduction.
While we are on our “Is it French or Swedish?” tour, we’ll take a look at my bench in the bedroom. Which do you say it is? I looked on the Aidan Gray website and found…. nothing. So I am going to take a stab at it. I am thinking it is Gustavian. What do you think?
Okay last one. What about this chest? I found it at an antique store and it was billed as French. But I think it might be Swedish. It’s an antique and was already painted gray. The paint is very old.
Gustavian furniture is my new obsession. Can you tell?
My guess is that the chest is Swedish . All the pieces are beautiful! Honestly you are an awesome designer. I love the elegant simplicity. I also like the color of the furniture. Question? Would you ever add a piece like this to another setting like country or even modern? Love your blog and love learning from it.
I would!
At first glance I would call the bench in the bedroom French and I adore Louis XVI furniture. So, now I’m confused and will do some further research on Gustavian vs Louis XVI. To me these pieces are French minus the Mora clock, because I thought Gustavian pieces would be less curvy. Hmmm….I’m off to find out. Either way I love them all!
Great pieces and love the simple elegance!
Loved seeing that Gustavian furniture is your new obsession. Swedish furniture, in particular Gustavian, is my life passion. I personally select Swedish antique pieces in Sweden and import container trailers as well as manufacture Swedish style pieces sometimes copying the old pieces as a wholesaler to the design community. To answer your question as to whether a piece is French or Swedish, it is in the words you use. A pieces is Swedish if made in Sweden. Likewise a Swedish style piece is Chinese if made in China, etc. The answer is whether the piece is genuine or in the “style of” Swedish design. You can’t really make a judgment by the legs, as Swedish chairs have curved legs and straight legs as well as French chairs. Take a look at Rococo Swedish chairs, for example. You might think they are Louis XV. Another factor to take into consideration is the wood the piece is made out of. Is it a wood harvested in Sweden? America? The Orient? Also, just because the piece is plain or painted doesn’t make it Gustavian or Swedish. It could be American made. So the question is, are you labeling the piece Swedish or French by its style or it’s origin? England is the biggest importer of Swedish antiques. Reproductions are made in many countries. The value of a repro is based on the skill of the carvers, the wood, the authenticness of the design and whether hand made like mine or mass produced; thus the price = cheap to expensive. There is a lot to learn and know but it is a fascinating discovery. I’m glad you are now a Gustavian fan like me. It is truly beautiful furniture. I would like to see you purchase the real stuff which lasts 400 years.
Colleen, where do I find the real stuff? I don’t usually see it, or if I do I don’t recognize it.
I never thought about the similarities between French and Swedish so I learned something today.
Colleen, thank you for your expert opinion. I would much rather have a few “real pieces’ than a bunch of reproduction pieces. I am an antique dealer and love many styles. If you want authentic pieces, find a dealer that imports from France / Sweden that you can trust.
Good point Shelly. Authentic French is easy for me to find, but Swedish is much harder for me to find.
Anita,
Gorgeous furniture choices and great information, dear friend!!!
I’m French. . .all the way. . .those curvy legs get me every time!!!
Fondly,
Pat
I am French living in Sydney Australia, went back to live in France for 2and half years and returned to Sydney a year ago bringing back a container full of French antique/ french furniture.
King Gustave did spend some time with the french king and fell in love with the French furniture style of the time. French used a lot of fruit trees like cherry trees, walnut, meurisier,rich trees like oak…. Because Sweden did not have those tress but mainly pine trees which is a poorest tree, King Gustave copied some of the French style am the furniture beeing made of pine was painted in the now know as Gustavien greys and sometimes some fold guilded was added
Pine not beeing such a strong rich wood does not have such a long life. Original Gustavien furniture would very expensive and not so much was made. But a reproduction dating from the early 1900 – 1950 should still be available??? Only assuming here
To me “a Gustavien look “is all about anything pieces of furniture dating back to pre 1940 and patined in the Gustavien greys ranging from off white to a deeper grey
Love both style,Mithe a french and the Gustavien
These pieces look so much like the ones that my Mom has. She inherited them from her Swedish-Danish mother 3 tables. They are already deemed to my sister, DARN I would have loved them in my home, they are so beautiful and even more beautiful because they were Grandma’s.
Your home is always so beautiful. Unfortunately I cannot tell the difference between French and Swedish but you sure do and that is remarkable. My home is comfortable and cozy (is there a name for that) LOL. Keep up your wonderful blog.
Yes it’s called “perfect”.
I love your style. Could you tell me where to find a bedspread like yours with the long drop skirt? Is there a name for this kind of spread?
Debbie, I am not sure what they are called. I think Horchow and Pom Pom at Home sell them. I made mine.
What a great post, sometimes I get a little confused between French and Swedish, as you say they do have similarities. I have a Louis chair in my office, it is genuine French but a 1950’s reproduction. I love how you have created the vignette, it is so pretty. I also love that huge oil painting with the children, the light is so beautiful in it.
When I see your posts, I come away wishing I had more room in my house for more furniture. Meanwhile I have to make do with swapping things around which I guess is a bloggers prerogative :).
Anita- I love your style, and colors used. Being of Swedish and Finnish descent, and a tiny French Canadian, may have some bearing on my loving both Swedish Country and French Country styles.
Your mention of King Gustav spending time in France as the influence on the style of furniture and décor is correct. He also wanted to recreate the opulence of France, and often artists were hired to recreate or ‘faux’ the look of a French mansion; wall treatments, furniture, etc. in exchange for their room and board. As another of your followers wrote , Sweden was primarily pine trees. But the master craftsman could create the ‘look’ if he was skilled to imitate other woods and make a pine piece exquisite.
My own home is pretty much eclectic, as I chose to decorate with what I like and blend styles and color.
For a great source in Swedish furniture and authentic Mora clocks, try lonerangerantiques.com
The delightful, helpful owner travels to Sweden several months every year and brings back containers full of treasures.
Stunning! I love it all too! Sharing on my FB page today 😉
Hugs, Jamie
love the Swedish furniture and so expensive.
Anita I love the angel on your table and cant seem to locate one. Can you tell me where you may have gotten her?
One of the French princesses (Maria Louisa?) married into the Swedish royal family. I have read in my books on Sweden that that is where the crossover in styles occurred. At Drottingholm Palace in Stockholm there is a theatre, more complete than the one at Versailles – almost perfect. Every year they preform Mozart opera there & when Stockholm was European Capital,of Culture I saw The Magic Flute.
P.S. I bought a genuine Louis XV chair in a vide de grenier (like the American yard sales but for the whole village) last summer for €20! I thought the ticket said €200 & I was prepared to bargain from there! They even carried it around the corner to my house. A few days later I saw one in a n antique shop for €1200. I am a happy bunny!
Whew, I’ve certainly learned a lot here today! But Anita, I have to say, while all your posts are great, I’m forever jealous of the hardwood floors everywhere! Wish even a small area in our home could feature these!
Always loved gustovian and French. Just trying to keep things less formal. I think the chest is gustovian.
I have a wonderful book I have had for more than 10 years–Country Houses of Sweden
by Barbara Stoeltie and Rene Stoeltie … Formerly it was called “Romantic Homes of Sweden,” or should I say that I have it in the swedish version so I cannot read anything, but the word out front is not country, but romantic. I had this book for so many years. It was my major source of inspiration for what I thought a home should look like through the many (many) bad apartments I lived in. Now that I think of it, Anita, you would absolutely LOVE It. It captures rustic and simple as well as it does pretty and period. The thing I admire most about the swedish look is the palette–they were the original users of gray, which is so popular now! Whites, the beautiful pale blues and greens. As opposed to the butters and yellows and reds in the Charles Faudree’s beautiful book, swedish is all about the pale colors. Very au courant for us now. In fact, I would say, even that your style, Anita of taking all the rich French back to the neturals is very in keeping with the swedish tradition. I think of swedish style as vastly, vastly simplifying French “palace” style and bringing it to a more rustic and homey place. I love it. But then again, I love French walnut and oak too, and would never want all painted furniture in my home.
Love how beautifulit all is. I grew up in Minnesota where the Swedish ancestry lives on.