At French Accent, we are dedicated to bring French furniture, French provincial style furniture, antique French furniture, French country furniture and French farmhouse furniture to your home at an affordable price.

We offer a classic range of French Provincial furniture in Louis XV and XVI style, handcrafted in solid oak, walnut and cherry wood, and hand painted to suit a variety of French interior styles. These French style furniture are our own designs inspired from the period and are made with traditional techniques in our own factory. Our French provincial furniture is unique and is not available anywhere else.

We also stock a large range of French style accessories including French chandeliers, French table lamps, handmade French lamp shades, champagne tubs, crystal and glass ware, kitchen items, French mirrors, tapestries, and decorative wall pieces, as well as vintage items personally selected in Paris, France.

You can see the stock at our French furniture showroom at Willoughby, or if you are interstate, you can purchase online. We have sent many items interstate without issue. If you’re concerned, please just call and we will talk the process through with you.

French Accent uses all the traditional elements that past craftsman have use for centuries to make great quality furniture including French furniture.  It’s not difficult to judge quality in wood furniture and you don’t need to be an expert to do it. All you need to do is look at the material, construction, and finish and take your time.

Wood source: Quality furniture is generally made out of hardwood which comes from deciduous trees like oak, maple, mahogany, teak, walnut, cherry and birch. French Accent uses oak, walnut and cherry wood for our French style furniture.

Construction: The way a piece is constructed can contribute to its beauty, functionality and how long it will last. The joinery and sturdiness of a piece will tell you a lot about its quality. French Accent uses only traditional joints such as Mortise and Tenon in our French furniture and French provincial style furniture that not many furniture makers use these days.

Finish: Sanding, staining, and finishing are part of the process, and neglect at any of these stages can affect the overall quality of a piece. A high-quality finish is satiny smooth and free of rough spots, dust specks or bubbles. French Accent uses traditional methods of finishing our French furniture and French provincial style furniture.

Please take care when comparing items as many times these elements can be shortcut producing furniture that will age well or last. Take a look at our guide to learn more.

CARE OF TIMBER FURNITURE

 Wood is a natural product and responds to changes in the environment.

All woods expand and contract as the moisture content in the air fluctuates. They are also sensitive to changes in temperature and light.

It is this animate quality of wood that gives timber furniture its great appeal. It is also the reason why you need to take special care of it.

By observing the simple guidelines listed below you will enhance the beauty and extend the life of your furniture.

• keep humidity levels as constant as possible and in very dry conditions place a bowl of water in the room
• avoid placing furniture in direct sunlight or close to heat sources such as gas and electric heaters or air conditioning outlets
• remove spills immediately by blotting (not rubbing) with a soft dry cloth
• don’t place hot objects directly onto the furniture
• wax 2/3 times a year using a natural beeswax (not a silicon)

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 This information relates to the purchase and delivery of goods bought from French Accent. Please read carefully.

Payment

• Credit cards – Visa, Mastercard and Bankcard only; direct deposit into our bank account; personal or business cheques – all cheques require 5 working days to clear prior to shipment.
• The minimum deposit is 20% with the balance to be paid before delivery.

 Delivery

• Discounted delivery charges for Sydney metropolitan areas.
• Regional and interstate delivery charges are available upon request.
• Access is the responsibility of the customer. If delivery cannot be effected and goods have to be returned to warehouse, an additional fee applies.
• Delivery time is an approximation only.
• Delivery is guaranteed to front door only. Movement within house is at customer’s risk.

Quotations

• All prices quoted are valid for 30 days.
• Lead times quoted are an estimate only.

Floor Stock Sale

• Floor stock items are purchased ‘as found’. It is the responsibility of the customer to note this condition.
• Refunds, exchanges and credits are not applicable.

Warranty

• All new furniture has a 12-month warranty unless otherwise stated.
• Our warranty covers structural faults only. It does not cover misuse by the customer including a failure to follow the care instructions listed below.
• Cleaning of furniture must be carried out with specific wood products. Do not use water, alcohol, acetone or similar materials as they permanently damage the finish.
• Do not place hot objects directly onto the furniture.
• Remove spills immediately by blotting, not rubbing, with a soft cloth.
• The natural structure of wood can be subject to slight movement as humidity and temperature fluctuate. The contraction of door panels on cabinets and sideboards and of crossbars on plank top tables are not considered imperfections but rather a guarantee of having a solid wood product.
• Orders of furniture may differ slightly from display stock as timber is a natural product characterised by variations in colour and texture.

French Provincial Furniture

(Louis XV Style)

The French Provincial furniture we call Louis XV style flourished during the period of 1730-1775. If the Louis XIV furniture style was designed with the glorification of the Sun King in mind and all in massive, masculine, square form, the Louis XV furniture style is the complete opposite. Designed for the comfort and glorification of beautiful women, it has a romantic, sensuous and feminine look. A flowing abstraction of unbroken curves is the guiding principle of the Louis XV furniture style; the legs are curved; the back is curved, and the seat is curved. Even the Louis XV architecture also adheres to this principle. It abhorred straight lines. In typical Louis XV architecture, everything is curved – the ceiling, the panel-designs on the walls, the panel designs in the doors and even the corners of a room are curved.

The Louis XV style is sometimes referred to as the Rococo Style. It is derived from two French words meaning rock and shell. The rock and shell were the two popular motifs for decoration of this period. The Rococo style features extensive and elaborate ornamentation and decoration. It was also during this period that France was captivated with things Chinese. This fascination with Chinese motifs was called Chinoiserie. A newly discovered Chinese method of painting called Lacquering was usually used in painting wood furniture. Fabrics and wall coverings were designed with Chinese motifs as well. It is therefore not uncommon to find some Louis XV furniture style bearing this Chinese influence.

The Basic Characteristics of a Louis XV style of furniture are:

1. Curved shapes and forms. This period abhorred anything straight.

2. It bears an extensive rococo decoration. Everything is elaborately decorated with intricate carvings. Wood surfaces are decorated with inlays, ormolu mounts and hand painted. With the cockleshell design as the point of focus.

3. Louis XV furniture is symmetrical and incorporates motifs such as shells, leaves, flowers and scrolled toes. It’s also known as the Rococo style, which is derived from the French word “rocaille” meaning rock and shell work.

4. This period designed everything with an eye toward lightness and grace. Delicacy is its guiding spirit. Scale is delicate too as opposed to the very massive previous style of Louis XIV. It is smaller, softer and more comfortable.

5. Since it has become smaller and delicate in size, the need for stretchers to support the legs is eliminated.

In conclusion, the style of Louis XV is commonly used in today’s homes. Its delicate shape and size are very practical, and it has both the scale and grace that are the objectives in most decoration today. It is in fact one of the favorites among designers and homeowners alike when decorating traditional homes.

French Accent opened in 2007 in Willoughby NSW, and has been supplying a high quality classical range of French furniture and French provincial style furniture for customers all over Australia, especially Sydney, for more than 10 years.

Before the French Accent shop opened in Willoughby, we had been wholesaling and retailing of traditional furniture made in solid timber including antique furniture for more than 20 years. We are highly experienced in traditional cabinet making, woodworking, French polishing and antique furniture restorations and are perfectly positioned to best understand the structure of solid timber furniture.