French Romantic-Inspired Decorating

Toile Touches

• A simple way to give a room plenty of romantic appeal is with French-inspired fabrics. Decorate a living room with a reading chair upholstered in toile fabric, which depicts dreamy, pastoral scenes. Choose pastel-colored toile fabric, such as light blue or pink and white, for a soft look. Cover your bed with a handmade, toile-patterned quilt and hang a coordinating cloth shower curtain in the bathroom. Long toile-patterned drapes will instantly infuse a plain, neutral-hued living room with an aura of romance.

Gilded Elements

• A few gilded elements will give a room a romantic French appeal without appearing too extravagant. Hang a gold chandelier dripping with clear crystals over a dining room or in the middle of a bedroom. Update a boring coffee or dinner table with a gold candelabra filled with pastel-hued taper candles. Install gold sconces over a bed or above a couch for reading. A large mirror featuring an ornate gold frame will look right at home over a feminine vanity table.

Vintage Pieces

• Incorporate vintage pieces into your home decor scheme to create a romantic, shabby chic style. Put an antique wood sewing table to good use as a corner plant stand. A vintage wire birdcage filled with candles becomes a charming dinner table centerpiece. Hang a grouping of vintage, red rooster-patterned plates on a kitchen wall for French flair. For an ultra-romantic look, place vases and frames on top of antique French lace doilies.

Floral Decor

• If you're decorating your home with a romance-inspired look, don't forget the flowers. Decorate couches and bed with throw pillows featuring elegant French fleur-de-lis patterns. As a country-inspired touch, choose bedding or curtains featuring large cabbage rose designs. A simple way to enhance a wall shelf or nightstand is with crystal or milk glass vase glasses filled with lush, pink roses or peonies.