A French love affair with wrought iron!

French love affair with wrought iron!

Traditional French wrought iron gate

 

 

One prevailing key feature of French décor, which has graced French interiors for centuries is wrought iron. Whether in the home or in the garden, its ubiquitous presence helps to bring a rustic, hand crafted touch to French homes. 

Think lights, candle holders, ornate gates, traditional garden furniture, hooks, brackets, curtain poles and even staircases.

French wrought iron spiral staircase

It is one of the natural components of French décor that lends a timeless feel to traditional French homes. The rude craftsmanship of the worked iron blends effortlessly with stone, earthenware, terracotta, linen and enamel.

Wrought iron in the garden

In the garden, not only is wrought iron robust and practical, aesthetically it also punctuates the foliage and traditional scroll work gives and air of romance.

French wrought iron bench

 

In the garden, not only is wrought iron robust and practical, aesthetically it also punctuates the foliage and traditional scroll work gives and air of romance.

French wrought iron garden furniture on a covered terrace

 

Wrought iron makes a perfect structure for a pergola and blends in naturally with the foliage.  Alternatively a wrought iron structure can be covered with natural bamboo to create a shady spot, the addition of a wrought iron candelabra punctuates the vista

Wrought iron pergola covered in jasmine
Bamboo covered wrought iron pergola

There are lots of ways you can use wrought iron in your home or garden

Open French style shelves

Furniture, brackets, hooks, door handles, knobs, log baskets, brackets, candle holders, pendant lamps, pergolas, obelisques, railings, gates….the list is endless.

Although wrought iron has a long heritage in interiors, the good news is that many items are widely available as reproductions (see links at the end of the post). The art of the Forge is also still very much alive and a quick Google search will find a Blacksmith in your area who can be contacted to commission a bespoke piece. Equally many items can be found in antique fairs or salvage yards…at very low prices!

Source Book 

Jim Lawrence

Broughtons