Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were France's last royal couple. From 1770 until the French Revolution in 1789, Marie Antoinette lived in the world renowned, luxurious Versailles palace. In 1792 France was declared a republic and in 1793 the royal couple were beheaded. The décor style of the last French queen leaned towards a more refined and elegant appearance, rather than grandiose. She moved from the frivolous excess of the rococo style to a cleaner, more neoclassic one. In her time gilded furniture were painted in lighter colours and gold was only retained as a relief; the lines were also less cursive. She was also crazy about mirrors, which were extremely valuable back then.

Marie Antoinette's style, better known as the Louis XVI style, typifies the crossover between rococo and neoclassic, which drew its inspiration from the classical arts and culture of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. The neoclassical style has since been fashionable often-and is again big news.

1 A feast of flowers
Fine flowers in spring colours lend both a rustic and homely feel. Ideally pick flowers from your own garden, such as sweet peas.

2 Neoclassical
Rusted vases add to the neoclassic style, which draws inspiration from ancient cultures. Similar vases in various forms are available at Osiers and Wetherlys, while Peppino Cement Ornaments make cement replicas of antique ornaments.

3 Mirrors
Invest in mirrors for a bit of Versailles' sparkle and glory. An old mirror, or one with a decorative frame, adds extra character to a room.

4 Floors
Begin with a solid basis such as parquet, stone or cement floors. Highlight it with a threadbare Persian carpet.

5 Monochrome
Start with a monochrome palette in your room and accent it with splashes of soft colours. Shades of grey, broken white and stone colours will do the trick.

6 Lighting
A chandelier or a candelabra adds to the romantic atmosphere. Choose crystal chandeliers, muted or weathered metal or go for the weathered effect in white.

7 Detail
Delicate ornaments, such as the two metal birds under the closh and the weathered old books, reveal the personality of this home's residents.

8 Decorative furniture
Choose original or replicas of French furniture with intricate detail and fine lines and legs or you can simply paint your old dark wood furniture with the proper paint techniques

9 Cotton
Faded cotton will render the room relaxed and unadorned. Choose warm greys, creams and toile for the true French look. Toile is white or offwhite cloth with repeated monochrome images of country scenes, often of 18th Century court scenes or Chinese motifs. Don't even consider scatter cushions.