Eighteenth century chateau near Nantes, France as seen in the January 2014 issue of Elle Decoration UK. The interior decoration of this well preserved and beautifully maintained chateau is quite minimalist. I cannot emphasize enough how much I appreciate minimal decor in an historic structure when the architectural details of the building provide ample decoration. In previous posts where I have highlighted my fanaticism for allowing an historic building to “speak for itself,” the furnishings have always been extremely modern. This chateau, however, is decorated with beautiful nordic antiques and a typically scandinavian color palatte that allow the architectural details to come alive.  The only very modern piece of the chateau is the kitchen, which follows that favorite of preservation philosophies of making 21st century updates to a property with very little impact. This kitchen looks as if it could simply be removed, and the room would be transported back to its 18th century state.

Photos via Elle Decoration UK January 2014 issue