French Furniture and Accessories: French Style Holds Sway

Forget the memories of "freedom fries," pouring French wine into the gutter and boycotts of vacations to Paris and Provence.

This fall, French furniture and accessories are the trend du jour. Both American and European manufacturers are vying for your home furnishings dollar with the lure of France's unmatched sense of style and joie de vivre.

French-inspired collections will arrive in retail stores during the next few months for almost any budget. There's Baker, Grange and Century at the high end, Thomasville spans the high-middle range and Bassett and Broyhill are more budget-minded. Catalogs, such as Ballard Designs and Touch Stone, are offering French furniture and accessories. And a flurry of new French design books are showing how to define the style in your home.

So have we really forgotten and forgiven the French for not supporting us in Iraq? What's going on here?

"I think the freedom fries thing was politics," says Jackie Hirschhault, vice president of public relations for the American Furniture Manufacturers Association. "When it comes to decorating, French is probably one of the most versatile design styles. The new collections are simple and sweeping in their lines. They are not heavy and not ornate. They can be formal or casual. And they are going to be attractive to a wider group of people."

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