Designing Versailles Today

History is the basis for all design. In the time continuum, history repeats itself either by detailed replication or most often by translating elemental pieces of historic ornament, color, and style into a design. One of the most romantic and well-known places to find design inspiration is Paris, specifically Versailles.

The Grand Triannon is nestled in the north-west corner of Versailles and was the private retreat for Louis XIV built in 1687. It was a place of relaxation for the King and his courtiers.

The use of color in this room dating back to 1687 directly relates to the color trends of 2011. The juxtaposition of the purple tone against the subtle golden yellow and beige neutrals is interpreted in the designers' canvases of today. An additional modern focus of this room design is to "bring the outdoors in". The neutral tones of the fabric draping the windows create a frame to the outdoor floral and fauna and allow the eye to focus on bringing in the color and texture of the outdoors.

The Emperor's bedchamber as shown above consisted of five rooms in his private apartment. This particular room was decorated under Louis XV and still exists today. The linens were woven in the Lyons for Josephine in 1807.

The neutral tones of this room resemble a room of the 21st Century. The design incorporates an up-to-date color palette with subtle neutrals that blend with gray blues, lilacs, and silver and gold metallics. It resembles the subtle Hollywood glamour that is popular today. The Emperor's bed design is a very linear and masculine design and brings in feminine touches of color in the floral accents of the floor covering.

The King's Grand Apartment in the Palace was created in the 1670s and included seven salons or drawing rooms overlooking the gardens.

The 2011 color of the year appears in the King's Grand Apartment. This color is bold, confident, and courageous like the King himself. Since many of the King's salons were used for entertaining and socializing, a lively and confident color was only fitting.

Other design ideas can be taken from various elements of the room. Much of contemporary design today is tonal with accents of bold color. A unique way to add bold color to a design is to accentuate prominent accessories in the room. Lighting is one such accessory that may be a focal point for the finish, texture or design style. Inserting color by hanging the light fixture by cording or a decoratively colored tassel is a unique installation that can be translated into any decor style.

Design inspiration can be found everywhere, but history will re-invent itself over and over. Trends are new definitions of old history, spun in an unusual or unexpected way. Visiting museums, period homes and thumbing through old catalogs and history books can inspire you to take your own twist on elemental design and create new trends for the future.