Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antionette Film Inspiration

I’ll just put it right out there: I have long been fascinated with Marie Antionette (and share her birthday). I’ll spare you all the historical details from the countless books I have devoured about her and the time period, however, I will say she certainly went down as THE female scapegoat for the excessiveness of the French Ancient Régime. Upon viewing Sofia Coppola’s film Marie Antionette, I was mesmerized by the artistic cinematography, costumes and color (yet not the historical accuracy). I wanted to channel that Rococo tone and color palette into this Parisian pastel-box interior. Now you know where I was headed.

Put aside the irony of a French pâtisserie selling cakes designed after Marie Antionette; as she was falsely accused of waving off starving peasants with a “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche.” (loosely translated to “Let them eat cake.”)

Étagère Pâtissière—The Open Shelving

An étagère pâtissière is the open shelving or tiered stands often built with brass, glass or marble to display non refrigerated goods like croissants, dry pastries, savory goods, confectionary, and gifts.

One large and one smaller bare wood bookcase would form the base of the étagères. The bookcases were given a veneer of plaster “carving” and extra trim down the vertical portions. Half-round trim extended the area to be made into a counter. The countertops were painted in many thin layers of feathered grey veins and white paint until semi-transparent layers created depth, resembling Carrara marble.

Thick white Carrera marble was used extensively for countertops in the days pre-refrigeration as the stone stayed cooler than the surrounding air as well as being considered hygienic. It was the gold standard for French pâtisserie cabinetry.

An inviting warm wood color was painted on the étagères and doors. For the inside of the shelves, I went with an Antionette sugary-pink paint and for interior walls—which were previously slathered with modeling paste to mimic Venetian plaster—a lighter pale pink. From the same supplier of architectural plaster pieces, a pink and cream Tudor tile sheet was procured. It was grouted in cream. Once I put all the layer cake pieces together, I realized the error of my ways. I didn’t like my array of pinks and tried blending in more cream into the pink to tone it down; to no avail. It didn’t even look right through the perspective of the front facade. I had made Barbie pink. Too much of a statement for understated French elegance.

Vitrine Pâtissière—The Glass Display Case

A turn-of-the-century vitrine was often of carved hardwood with raised geometric panels and a Carrera marble base. The sliding rear doors used by the bakers were made of heavy glass mirrors to reflect the gasoliers and create the illusion of endless pastries. Zinc-lined ice compartments—glacières—were at the bottom of the vitrine to keep delicate creams and eclairs from spoiling. Gleaming brass countertop displays were fashioned of ornate Art Nouveau curves and floral motifs.

Several vintage display cases were sourced on Ebay; they had the perfect period rear-glass mirrors and overall look of a vitrine pâtissière. They were sanded down, glued together and modified with geometric plaster pieces before receiving a matte coat of cream paint. Coincidently, the extra shelf area under the bottom of these display cases is exactly where there would have been glacières!