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Stripped walls revealing bare plaster and remnants of paint shades from decorating jaunts gone by create the perfect environment for a sense of faded French chic. Add instant old-world glamour with an elegant Louis XVI chair and gilt stand.

Louis XVI Revival jardinière,

£1,250; Louis XVI armchair, £1,275 a pair, both Lorfords. Aubusson cushion, £95, Chloe Antiques. Book, from a selection, Lorfords. Candle and plant, stylist’s own.

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Swap traditional pictures for large-scale verdure tapestries for an eyecatching display and clear focal point in your room. The gently curved commode topped with an ormolu clock ensures the look is refined.

Aubusson 18th-century verdure tapestry, £7,000, Julia Boston Antiques. French 18th-century serpentine commode, £3,950, Brownrigg. Antique French Empire ormolu mantel clock, £11,250, Gavin Douglas Fine Antiques. Pair of Empire-style lamps, £850, Lorfords. Honey and black silk saree lampshades by Samarkand Design, £130 each, Lorfords. Books, from a selection, Lorfords.