Wondering along Wandsworth Bridge Road this afternoon I was on the hunt for a shabby chic chest of drawers. I came across a great shop called Ann May which I’ve not been into before … unfortunately they don’t have a website but you can find them at 80 Wandsworth Bridge Rd, SW6 2TF.

Down in the basement I found a gorgeous pair of Louis XV chairs …

They are covered in a gorgeous soft lime silk with a soft yellow and pastel pink floral design. Doesn’t sound great, I know, but up-close they are extremely beautiful. The chairs got me thinking about the impact of the french style on furniture and interior design and there is no doubt that the influence is huge.

Where did the chair come from? Good question … if you’re into your history you may find this quite interesting. The chair is named after Louis XV, King of France and from the House of Bourbon. During the reign of Louis XVIII furniture became comfortable for the first time. Each new (Louis) King has his own style that differentiated his reign from the others. The styles of Louis chairs aren’t completely different, rather they are transitional in style but we can come back to that another day.

Louis XV was only 5 years old when his predecessor passed away. Until 1723, the Duke de Orleans was appointed the regent, and court became a quieter, simpler place (he moved the court from Versailles back to Paris).  The transition from Louis XIV to Louis XV is really all about comfort. Comfort was the key word in the 18th century.

A key feature of these chairs is the curved cabriole legs … if they don’t have this then they aren’t Louis XV.

These chairs have now become very popular … just type in ‘Louis XV Chair’ into Google and you will come up with an array of vastly different chairs in terms of their colours; finishes; fabrics but the shape and style is very much the same …

Hope you’ve enjoyed this little history lesson …

The Design Fairy x