{"id":344666,"date":"2025-09-25T08:00:03","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T12:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.sothebysrealty.com\/?p=344666"},"modified":"2025-10-16T16:37:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T20:37:17","slug":"rococo-revival-from-marie-antoinette-to-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/rococo-revival-from-marie-antoinette-to-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Rococo Revival: From Marie Antoinette to Today"},"content":{"rendered":"

Luxury homes are taking a gilded leaf out of the historic French style book as they look to 18th-century grandeur for inspiration and escape, writes Aimee Dawson<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a>Topanga, California<\/span><\/a> | <\/span>Sotheby\u2019s International Realty – Malibu Brokerage<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Maximalism is making a comeback. While many early-2000s interiors were marked by simple lines, sleek materials and minimal details, recent years have seen a revival of romantic and extravagant\u2014even ostentatious\u2014schemes. And no design era did ostentatious better than Rococo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Described as the final expression of the elaborate Baroque movement in Europe in the 17th and first half of the 18th century, Rococo was \u201cperhaps the most rebellious of design styles,\u201d according to the <\/span>Victoria & Albert Museum<\/span><\/a> (V&A) in London. \u201cIt was exceptionally ornamental and theatrical\u2014a style without rules,\u201d its website explains.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One person in particular embodied the rebellious Rococo style: <\/span>Marie Antoinette. The 18th-century French queen was known for her frivolity and excess, from her fashion sense to the interior design of her home in the Palace of Versailles, as can be seen in a newly opened V&A exhibition, <\/span>\u201cMarie Antoinette Style,\u201d<\/span><\/a> running until March 2026. This follows the <\/span>\u201cRococo and Co\u201d<\/span><\/a> show at <\/span>Mus\u00e9e des Arts D\u00e9coratifs,<\/span> Paris earlier in 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Dubai, U.A.E<\/span><\/a> | <\/span>Dubai Sotheby\u2019s International Realty<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

When you think of Versailles, you think of gold leaf and mirrored surfaces in abundance. But <\/span>interiors in the Rococo (from the French word \u201crocaille,\u201d which means rock or broken shell) style also include <\/span>\u201casymmetry, natural motifs such as shells and leaves, curved lines and soft colors,\u201d says Danielle Thom, a senior curator at London\u2019s Design Museum who specializes in 18th-century sculpture and decorative arts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So why is Rococo having a revival? \u201cIn a basic sense, I think it is a reaction against the dominance of muted good taste, whether you call it quiet luxury, minimalism or whatever,\u201d Thom says. \u201cNo more beige cashmere wraps and grey sofas, no more algorithm-fueled design decisions. Rococo permits individuality within its parameters.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As Thom adds: \u201cIt also represents a form of emotional and aesthetic escape from the mundane and often brutal realities of life.\u201d In our current uncertain times, one can certainly see the appeal of a Rococo-themed retreat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Venice, Italy<\/span><\/a> | <\/span>Venice Sotheby\u2019s International Realty<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

While Rococo began as a French fancy, its popularity spread internationally and the design style can now be found in homes across the world. Some examples are authentic to the time period\u2014<\/span>Palazzo Rococo<\/span><\/a> in Venice, Italy, features original Rococo interiors created (with added Venetian flair) in the mid- to late-18th century.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Painstakingly restored to its former glory, the eight-bedroom palace with canal views includes museum-quality paintings and has historical connections to the Russian Imperial Court, as well as the literary and cultural elite of Europe (it once hosted the acclaimed French writer Stendhal, best known for his 1830 novel \u201cLe Rouge et le Noir\u201d).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other more recently built homes have used Rococo design as inspiration for their elegant interiors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Topanga, California<\/span><\/a> | <\/span>Sotheby\u2019s International Realty – Malibu Brokerage<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

This Californian house, <\/span>named Versailles Topanga<\/span><\/a>, has been created using techniques and materials true to the Rococo era, with new artworks\u2014including a ceiling mural in the double-height living room\u2014commissioned in keeping with the period, as well as plenty of hand-gilded details. \u201cThe wrought iron balusters, designed and gilded onsite, are modeled after those in the French Embassy, adding a touch of regal elegance,\u201d explains Sotheby\u2019s International Realty – Malibu Brokerage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Toronto, Canada<\/span><\/a> | <\/span>Sotheby\u2019s International Realty Canada<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, an <\/span>eight bedroom Toronto home<\/span><\/a>\u2014described as a \u201cgilded French Revival palatial legend\u201d\u2014was built in 2007, but its design is straight out of 18th-century France. From an impressive facade of arched windows to the canopied beds of the boudoirs, this house echoes many details from Versailles. Sotheby\u2019s International Realty Canada describes the building as \u201ca collaborative effort involving numerous European artists, artisans, designers, collectors, and gold leaf gilders,\u201d and the home\u2014like Marie Antoinette\u2019s before it\u2014is a trove of antiques sourced from around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 18th-century Rococo opulence of Versailles can even be found in a <\/span>luxury villa on Palm Jumeirah<\/span><\/a> in Dubai. The interior was designed by Francesco Molon, an Italian atelier of luxury home furnishings, in the classical European style.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Dubai, U.A.E<\/span><\/a> | <\/span>Dubai Sotheby\u2019s International Realty<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

As well as its palatial aesthetic, the Dubai home comes with royal-style amenities since it is part of the five-star Raffles hotel resort. These include a luxury spa, cigar lounge, fine dining restaurants and 24-hour concierge services. Escapism, indeed.<\/span><\/p>\n

From French Rococo to English country houses, <\/span><\/i>how to live like Downton Abbey<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Luxury homes are taking a gilded leaf out of the historic French style book as they look to 18th-century grandeur for inspiration and escape, writes Aimee Dawson Topanga, California | Sotheby\u2019s International Realty – Malibu Brokerage Maximalism is making a comeback. While many early-2000s interiors were marked by simple lines, sleek materials and minimal details, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":232770370,"featured_media":344667,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1399],"tags":[1423,1424,1453,1502],"class_list":["post-344666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home-and-design","tag-california","tag-canada","tag-italy","tag-uae"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/header-5.jpg","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pf4gbL-1rF8","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":437,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/significant-sales-february-2025-highlights\/","url_meta":{"origin":344666,"position":0},"title":"Significant Sales: February 2025 Highlights","author":"Procurement Admin","date":"March 29, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"From an\u00a0AED 330M sale in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to a US$39.995M sale in Newport Beach, California, here are five sales represented by the Sotheby\u2019s International Realty global network in February. Dubai, United Arab Emirates Regan Faulkner, Ioana Armeanu | Dubai Sotheby's International Realty,\u00a0AED 330M View properties in Dubai, United\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Market Insights"","block_context":{"text":"Market Insights","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/market-insights\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/header.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":415,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/significant-sales-january-2025-highlights\/","url_meta":{"origin":344666,"position":1},"title":"Significant Sales: January 2025 Highlights","author":"Procurement Admin","date":"February 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"From a \u20ac$21M sale in Saint-Tropez, France, to a US$17.225M sale in Cambria, California, here are five sales represented by the Sotheby\u2019s International Realty global network in January. 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Bing Crosby's French Chateau-Style California Mansion Lists for $40 Million \u2013 The\u00a0Wall Street Journal Cairo cool: the renaissance of Downtown \u2013 Financial Times A Jackson Hole\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Brand News"","block_context":{"text":"Brand News","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/brand-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2-7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2-7.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2-7.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2-7.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2-7.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/2-7.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":421,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/inside-a-beverly-hills-landmark\/","url_meta":{"origin":344666,"position":3},"title":"Inside a Beverly Hills Landmark","author":"Procurement Admin","date":"March 4, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Designed in 1926 by architect Roy Seldon Price, the Chimorro House is a chic residence replete with Spanish Revival aesthetic elements enveloped by terra-cotta-tiled patios, tranquil courtyards, lush lawn, flourishing gardens, and a glamorous swimming pool. 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