Gustavian Interior: Soft and Muted Colors With Swedish Essence

Gustavian interior is welcomed to be adapted to a contemporary  and classic homes! Moldings, rockeries, sinuous curves, pastel colors, gilding, noble materials, romantic patterns…

A gustavian interior is recognizable at first glance. Want to adopt gustavian interior at home with a little touch for a contemporary flat? Here are our tips.

What are the codes of the gustavian interior decoration?

Born in the 1700s in France, the gustavian interior design is an extension of the Baroque. If both are characterized by pomp, splendor, sophistication and flamboyant details, they stand out in terms of color.

The shades are softer in the gustavian interior. The two trends are also differentiated by their curves and their prints. In gustavian interior, rectangular shapes are excluded and the patterns are inspired by nature.

Gustavian interior reached its peak under Louis XV. More than a decorative trend, it was truly a lifestyle. The latter advocated an ode to pleasures, parties, luxury …

The aristocrats of the time wanted to enjoy life. In the interiors, this translated into rooms with boudoir, intimate, romantic and mysterious atmospheres.

Did you know ? gustavian interior comes from the French word derivée rocaille which is particularly reminiscent of seashells.

To furnish an interior in the gustavian interior style:

• No more rectangular lines, in a gustavian interior, it is necessary to favor rounded shapes whether for the sofa, the dining table, the wardrobes or the chairs. Decorative elements like mirrors are also in oval shapes. Avoid all square shapes.
• In a gustavian interior, luxurious elements that take up space are king. Above all, do not be afraid of what is too big, too imposing, too disproportionate. Too much is the epitome of this decorative style.
• A gustavian interior design should exude an elegant and intimate atmosphere. The harmony between the thousand and one elements is very important.

Colors in the gustavian interior are unlike what we think very soft, we like pastel and natural shades. The gilding enhances the latter.

How to adopt the gustavian furniture  in a contemporary interior?

In a contemporary interior, we adopt the gustavian interior style in small touches. Depending on their tastes and preferences, we borrow certain elements that we combine with a more modern decoration. Here are 10 tips to adopt the gustavian interior  in a subtle but straightforward way.

Focus on pastel tones: pale pink, sea green, light blue, peach, lemon yellow, cream …

Add gilding. Whether with decorative elements like candlesticks, frames, vases, on textiles or even with wallpaper, you need touches of gilding. The seats with golden feet or large mirrors with golden moldings are popular.

Choose decorative elements that impress such as a chandelier with pearls, an XXL mirror, large chandeliers, a bookcase that fits over an entire section of the wall, a marble table.

For lighting, opt for wall lights reminiscent of the Gustavian era.

Velvet is an ally. A velvet sofa or velvet cushions will find their place in a gustavian interior.

For the floor, bet on tiles with patterns or with a checkerboard effect. If you can’t change the upholstery, add rugs.

Curves are an essential part of the gustavian interior style.

Embroidery will add the essential finishes to the gustavian interior style. A cushion, a curtain or a plaid will fit into your interior. In addition to these, we adopt many textiles in a  gustavian interior: linen, lace, silk, satin …’

Install crystal glasses and porcelain dishes in a cupboard with glass panes for the kitchen.

A modern gustavian style space  must have moldings. Just by adding moldings to walls, ceilings, or a bookcase, you will transform your interior into a rococo style.

Tips: find and revamp old furniture with baroque notes

To hunt well, you need to have an idea of ​​what you’re looking for. Table, bedside table, cupboard, armchair, frame, mirror … It is much more efficient to survey flea markets and garage sales with a precise idea of ​​the object to find. In addition to physical sales, it is possible to shop online. Marketplace or Selency are two sites where you will find nuggets.

Good to know, patience and perseverance are the key words when shopping! Second tip, remember to find out about the potential price that an old piece of furniture can have or at least establish the amount that you are ready to put. Let’s avoid disappointments!

Renovate an old piece of furniture

The first step to revamping and renovating old furniture is sanding. It is a job that takes time, but it is essential to do it meticulously for the result to be successful. You don’t sand oak furniture the same way you sand teak furniture.

Identifying the material is essential before starting. Once the sanding step is complete, it’s time to paint. Always start with a coat of primer.

Between the different coats, it is necessary to respect the drying times. The last step in a makeover: the finishing touches. Wallpaper, moldings, gilding, new handles, unusual feet… These are the elements that will definitely give the baroque or Gustavian style to your furniture.

Gustavian furniture: Renovate an old seat

To change the upholstery of a chair or sofa, you will need, unless you have experience, call in a professional. If you want to get your hands dirty, you can take part in a workshop where you will be surrounded by professionals.

Dark color in decoration: good or bad idea?

Add a dark color to your home to give character to your interior, yes, but not just anyhow. To prevent a dark shade from shrinking a room, making it dingy or even dark, here is a little practical guide to follow.

Gustavian decorating ideas: 5 dark colors to adopt at home

What you need to know before you start using gustavian decorating ideas ; dark colors are often singled out for narrowing a room. Do you have a mini-living room and a very low ceiling? The dark is perhaps to be avoided. Dark is also known to have a dreary side and darken space especially if you use a matte shade that will absorb 2x more light.

Thinking twice about lighting will therefore be essential if you are going dark in your home. It is also recommended in this case to opt for some elements in bright colors.

But these precautions / stereotypes should in no way dissuade you from opting for a dark color in your decor. It’s time to break this misconception that dark colors should be banned in decoration!

Darkness has its place with us, you just have to know how to handle it. Darkness has the power, in fact, to give a space a strong personality and to make it more cozy than ever.

To avoid the sad side sometimes associated with dark colors, you just need to insert with them some pepy accessories such as yellow, lilac, turquoise, etc.

Dark purple

The most trendy color of recent seasons? Purple! In fashion or decoration, it is everywhere! Subtle mix of blue and red, it comes in many shades. For a cozy interior that invites you to dream, bet on dark purple.

Black

As a finish or a total look, black is a strong and deep color that brings a lot of character to decoration. We like the furniture with a black metal structure, the black decorative objects, the artist’s canopies with the black frames but also the black wall. The good idea? In a laundry room or kitchen, paint a wall a chalkboard black color to chalk your shopping list, etc. etc.

Good to know, associated with gold and light wood, black will appear brighter. With white, it will create a contemporary result. The idea that we like? The black carpet, the black table, light wood chairs and a few white accessories.

Blue

Softer than black, blue is an elegant, refined, timeless and particularly chic color. Navy blue, midnight blue, duck blue, royal blue… Dark blue is undoubtedly the easiest dark color to adopt.

Dark green

The idea that is all the rage and that can be found in all decoration popes? The dark green velvet sofa! Fir green, khaki green, Irish green… It doesn’t matter, as long as it is on your seat. If we love green so much, it’s also for its natural and soft side.

The Bordeaux for modern gustavian style

Unlike red, burgundy will make a room elegant, chic and warm. We love it in a living room on an entire wall in a slightly pinkish shade with a burgundy-orange velvet sofa in front of it.

On one and only wall

Painting a wall in a dark color is a good idea. The latter will create depth. On the other hand, it is not recommended to paint the wall where the windows are placed because the dark color will capture the light and darken the room. Also in order not to obscure the space, avoid painting the wall opposite the one with the windows.

Choose one of the other two walls that you will then need to dress up. How? ‘Or’ What ? For example, with a sofa topped with a wide frame on a dark wall or a bed with a pretty headboard in front of a dark wall.

The single dark wall fits particularly well in a living room, dining room, bedroom or kitchen. It is also a good solution if you want to go dark in a small room.

The dark ground

Instead of a dark ceiling, you can opt for a dark floor. The good idea? Paint an old parquet in a dark blue in the night hall for example or in a toilet. This idea will bring warmth and style.

A mix of styles is therefore the combination of different forms of design, the appearance of which becomes more and more distinct as the styles differ from each other. In the gustavian interior ideas based on the mixture of styles, strong contrasts are deliberately used and the different elements are combined to form a harmonious overall image. How do you get there? We show it to you here with some useful tips!

3 tips for a successful decor based on the mix of styles:

Mix of materials

The opposition of materials results in an exciting combination, characteristic for the mixture of styles. For example, combine naturally warm elements such as wood, wool or linen with cool furniture made of metal, glass or concrete.

Color schemes

The concept of Color Blocking is known mainly in gustavian interior ideas . But the mixture of strongly contrasting colors can also have an impressive effect in interior design. When you decide to mix styles, your choice can be on complementary colors. For the brave, pattern combinations are also a must!

No more than two

When mixing interior decorating styles, choose no more than two themes. This will save you a colorful room with the furniture appearing to be randomly assembled. Symmetry can also be a help to ensure a harmonious blend.