Scandinavian and European Antiques of Gustavian and Neoclassical Origin

The following pages take you through a veritable showcase of unique European antiques that make beautiful focus pieces for your home and garden. We specialize in 18th and 19th century antique furniture and decorative objects that tend to be classical and fresh. Our collection is comprised mostly of Scandinavian and Swedish antiques from the Gustavian and Neoclassical era, as well as French and Italian pieces of the Louis XVI and Directoire periods. It’s fun to mix these rare pieces with contemporary furnishings or to pair them together. An exquisite rapport is created, for example, by situating an 18th century Swedish Gustavian sofa alongside a 19th century French Louis XVI antique mirror—a soft, mellow finish and leaf-tip carving is shared by both.

Foret is drawn to decorative aspects that are sumptuous and serene to the eye—original milk paint in shades of chalky white or pear green; nubby, natural linen; faint silver and gold gilt finishes; simple and strong silhouettes; and the delicateness of a single carved motif. These qualities exude a quiet beauty that’s never overly fussy. For this reason, we’re particularly drawn to the aesthetic sensibilities of northern Europe and to the more rural ones of western Europe. At Foret, we build our inventory by traveling to Sweden, Denmark, and Norway in Scandinavia and to France, Belgium and Italy on the Continent to personally gather our finds of Gustavian, Neoclassical, Louis XVI and Directoire period furniture. As with fine art and architecture, it’s remarkable how each country distinguished itself by staking claim to its own unique decorative variances; and yet there’s a clear cohesiveness among entire regions. We rely on the quiet and more humble demeanor of Scandinavian and Swedish antiques and the more bombastic and academic character of French or Italian period furnishings. Our collection of European antiques are open to modern interpretation in today’s cleaned-up interiors and tended gardens.

Thank you for visiting Foret online. We look forward to working with you personally in your pursuit of beautiful and whimsical elements that help personalize, differentiate and add depth of character to your living space.