Mais Oui, La Belle Provence Fabrics
Make a Charming Addition to Any
Room

You don’t have to be a Francophile to appreciate the charm and enduring good looks of French Provencal designs. The mix of flowers and fruit, barnyard animals that are often more stately than rustic, and intriguing combinations of stripes in varying widths -- all showcased in rich, earthy shades -- lends a warm welcome to any space. Waverly has beautifully captured that mood in La Belle Provence, its newest fabric collection.

The three prints and seven woven designs that comprise the collection have an elegance about them, but the textured surface of many of the fabrics adds a degree of casualness that makes them appropriate for any room in the house. Alto Grid, for example, used on a pillow and to slipcover the seat of the high-backed chair in the dining room above, has colorful “barber pole” striped cords forming a raised grid design on the fabric. The nearby bench is upholstered in Provence Check, a gingham-patterned matelasse fabric which looks as if it has been diamond quilted, then accented with tiny coral pearl dots.

Still more texture enriches the pillows on the settee behind the dining table: The seat cushion is fashioned from Beauclaire, a wonderful chenille tapestry featuring large paisley medallions, while the Saison de Printemps back pillow, with its charming cornucopia of such traditional country French motifs as strutting roosters and flower- and fruit-filled vines, is printed on a linen-like cloth that adds a warm, homespun appeal to the setting.

A delicious color palette that includes shades of Bordeaux, saffron, chocolate, wheat, cream and butter enhances the appeal of the designs. Felicite, which brightens the back of the dining chair, presents a good example of the lively use of color in this collection. In a cheerful mix, the classic Jacobean print plays up shades of merlot, brick, teal and green against a soft cream background. A more dramatic use of color can be seen in Alto Stripe, used to create the Roman shades, and Etienne, which shapes up into the plump, fringed pillow on the bench. Both rely on rich hues of rouge, indigo and saffron to make a stylish statement.

In the dining room shown here the walls have been finished with Waverly Home Classics paint in soft New England Yellow, creating a soothing ambiance, but choose a more vibrant color and the same room takes on a distinctly dramatic mood.

As you can see, the carefully thought out mix of color, texture and design evidenced in La Belle Provence adds up to a versatile collection that is equally at home in a traditional or contemporary setting and one that neatly lends itself to a variety of lifestyles and moods.