The other day, I was flicking through a decoration magazine with a friend from Australia and she asked me if I ever had a bedroom with a headboard when I was growing up in France. I thought about it for a while and told her it was actually the opposite…I always had a headboard in my parents’ home…
Bless my mum for her irreproachable sense of style, but at some point, I even had a four poster bed and pink Toile de Jouy wallpaper in my bedroom. It looked so French, it was a dream comes true for my American penpal.
I moved towards modern, Scandinavian design when I went to University, discovered the Swedish giant and then, the Scandinavian design legacy with designs from Arne Jacobsen, Hans Wegner, Verner Panton to name a few.
Since then, I think my style has naturally evolved between the stylish French style I grew up with, the modern Scandinavian style I embraced and the relaxed New-Zealander style I married into.
True to be told, while I consider myself a modernist, I still love headboards and pretty antique chandeliers very much.
When it came to re-decorate the four bedrooms in our holidays home in France (pictured above), I set to have at least one bedroom to exude French style.
To achieve a sense of space and calm, I painted the walls in chalky white and left them as bare as possible rather than using heavily patterned wallpapers. The only things hanging on the walls are a vintage mirror (see above) and an old painting my mum gave me.
My talented, crafty mum made the linen curtains and covered an old headboard with the same fabric she used for the curtains, while I sourced vintage gold lighting from antique shops. I then added some soft stonewashed linens and a comfortable mattress and there you have… a nice, stylish bedroom. 
What are your thoughts on the headboard and which bedroom(s) do you prefer?
1. Photography: Sharyn Cairns | 2. My home in France photographed by Michael Paul | 3. Cox and Cox | 4. Country Style shop | 5. Pinterest (source unknown)
Thanks for sharing these lovely photos. I love the muted greys :-)
Gorgeous rooms, they all have an individual charm. French style adds so much character and headboards make for beautiful features in a room, you don’t often need much else, as you want the headboard to stand out. Adding too much can make the room busy. I’m like you and don’t do ‘over the top’. I think pic 3 above is may fave. Very natural and warm. The upholstered headboard and chair is simplistic and chic, with the more elaborate carved frames adding the perfect amount of detail.
I have been looking everywhere for a similar headboard in picture 3, thank you so much for the great inspiration.
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I adore the way it looks! The shading matches with the style of bed.