Amitha's Blog

French Country Decor | How To Add Glam Like A Designer | Amitha Verma

For the past few months, I’ve been sharing tips for emulating my design style, Farmhouse by Amitha. It’s a blend of classic French Country farmhouse with natural materials such as limestone, linen fabrics, exposed wood, and an earthy color palette.

In my design projects, I always include a twist. It’s something I use all throughout my home and in all of my design projects.

Admittedly, it’s something that you probably wouldn’t expect to see in the French Country or farmhouse style.

What is it?

The glam factor.

Yes, glam!

I’m talking sparkles, crystal, gold, gilt, mirrors and more.

I know you may be thinking that sounds like an over-the-top Las Vegas casino, but I’m going to share with you how you can add small touches of glam to your French country decor without verging on tacky.

Trumeau Mirrors: Reflect Light And Add The Illusion Of Space

Introduce glam by using large antique-style mirrors. If you want to sound like an interior decorator, you’d call it a Trumeau.

Trumeau mirrors are made to look like windows and were the interior design solution to large, dimly lit old buildings. Mirrors reflect light and add the illusion of a larger space.

Traditional Trumeau mirrors have carved frames, which add more decorative elements to your walls. Mirrors with a detailed frame, like Trumeaus, are an easy way to add a bit of glam to any room without adding glitter or metallic pieces because of the large expanse of antique style mirror glass.

Chandeliers: Add Glam In A Small And Focused Way

Is there anything more classic and glam than a beautiful chandelier?

I love how simple a lighting swap can transform a casual dining room or breakfast nook.

My breakfast room has an otherwise classic French country dining style that’s casual and rustic. The glitzy elements of the gold and crystal chandelier contrast beautifully with the whitewashed wooden table and the linen textures of my seating.

A statement light piece like an antique-style gilt chandelier brings the eyes up the room, adding more depth and dimension to your space.

Sconces: Don’t Neglect Small Spaces In Your Home

More on lighting.

You can easily find modern, dark, and masculine sconces in the minimalist style, but I like to look for more ornate, antique style gilt or gold-colored finishes for my wall fixtures. This simple light swap is what takes your lighting from ordinary to glam.

If you’d like to add crystals to your gold sconces, like with the chandeliers, it’s a beautiful detail to have more light reflecting in the room.

Pro tip: For bland hallways or a small alcove that separates spaces in your home, go all out on these glam gold sconces. They turn an otherwise boring space into something with more charm and character.

I added beautiful crystal and gilt sconces between my bathroom and kitchen that framed an antique etched glass mirror and chippy, chalk-painted candle holders. Styling these elements together adds the special sparkle sauce in an otherwise forgotten spot in the home.

Gold Wall Decor, Crystal Art & Gilt Frames: Add Drama To Your Walls

Let’s move on from the lighting and onto hanging wall decor.

One of my favorite ways to add sparkle without going overboard is with crystal and gold wall art. I like to call this rustic plus because it combines some of the finer things with casual fabrics. The focal point of this style of gold wall decor is the bling that’s in the center, but it’s cushioned by the classic rustic textiles of French country decor.

If crystal wall art is a big commitment for you, you can achieve a similar look and feel by using gold or gilt detailed frames for your art. I love to make my old oil paintings and watercolor art stand out by switching out their frames.

Here’s an example of the gold frame in action with this blue oil painting. The gold frame and ornate swirls make the art pop in this small space.

The point of adding a hint of glam with casual pieces is to help elevate them so that the eye doesn’t just gloss over an otherwise bland space. Hallways are an excellent spot to add an unexpected element of bling. You don’t have to commit to buying a brand new large-scale piece. Doing this can be as simple as adding a gold or silver frame to something you already own.

Throw Pillows: Comfort And Glam

If wall art and gold frames are too much for you, and you want a quick one-and-done solution, you can bring in a beautiful set of throw pillows to add that little pocket of glam to your seating area.

At Village Antiques, we have these beautiful velvet pillows that are embellished with hints of gold. They’re a great way to bring that luxurious factor into a very casual space.

Small Decor Pieces: It’s All In The Details

Mirrored trays, gold decor, vases, floral arrangements, salt shakers, or rosary beads can add interest and a bit of glam to your space.

Without even realizing it, you probably have some glam items in your home you can use as decor. I’m talking about beautiful perfume bottles.

Perfume bottles feel luxurious and romantic. You can even take it one step further by placing a beautiful gold mirror tray to display your collection.

I love this tip because it has a double function of elevating the aesthetics of your space and simplifies your beauty routine by taking your perfume bottles out of your vanity and onto your vanity or dressing table.

Always Look For A Little Gold

Naturally, I’m drawn to things with a little bit of gold in them, so when I bring in decor, they complement the aesthetics I already have in my home.

For example, my chairs have a rustic feel to them, but they have a bit of gold detailing in the s-scrolls and hardware.

I’m also drawn towards side tables that have gold or yellow undertones. Having foundational furniture pieces with traces of glam makes all the little hits of sparkle, gilt, and shine work together effortlessly.

Adding a little bit of glam here and there with some rustic and natural elements takes the farmhouse feel up a couple of notches. That’s what makes the Farmhouse by Amitha style that you find at Village Antiques different.

Now that you have some French country decorating ideas with a bit of glam, you can create the same look in your home with more confidence.

I can’t wait to see how you implement these design tips. Be sure to tag us on Facebook and Instagram so that we can see it!

P.S. Love all of the decor in this week’s blog? Many of these pieces can be found at Village Antiques in Houston, TX. Open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm, stop on by! Or feel free to give us a call at 713-468-3931 if you have any questions.

Inspiring you to create heart in your home,

Amitha

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