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Bonnetiere: Word of the Week

Ever wonder whether it's a Rococo or Regence? Louis XV or Louis Philippe? A Bergere or Fauteuil? Each week, we will highlight a word, term, or phrase to help identify antique furniture, periods, and styles.

BONNETIERE

bonne·​tière [ buhn-tyair; French bawn-tyer ]
noun, plural bonne·tières [buhn-tyairz; French bawn-tyer] French Furniture.
1. a tall, narrow wardrobe of the 18th century, found especially in Normandy and Brittany.
Origin: <French: literally, hosier


La Marchande de Modes, engraving of Robert Bénard’s Encyclopédie, 1769 . When fashion went sky-high, so did storage needs.
 

Big Hair, Bigger Hats

For centuries, women have decorated their hair with ribbons, feathers, and jewels. But in 18th century France, where fashion ruled supreme, hairstyles reached dramatic new heights — quite literally. Court nobles at Versailles piled their hair into sky high creations, topped with hats, plumes, and wigs so elaborate they could barely fit through a carriage door.

 

Marie Antoinette and the Pouf

Marie Antoinette stormed onto the French fashion scene in the late 18th century with her iconic pouf, a gravity-defying hairstyle created by her royal hairdresser, Léonard Autié. He powdered, pomaded, and crowned her towering tresses with everything from birdcages and baubles to glittering jewels and sweeping plumes — and most famously, the miniature battleship La Belle-Poule.

 

Although the young queen’s extravagant tastes and insatiable need for attention were criticized at a time when France’s finances were crumbling, her daring hairstyles sparked a fashion frenzy across Europe. These lavish creations favored by the rich and famous often reached such heights that ladies were forced to kneel in their carriages or ride with their heads sticking out the windows just to keep them intact. Très dramatique! Can you imagine?


Marie Antoinette making waves on the high seas with her legendary pouf — complete with the battleship La Belle-Poule .
 

Fashion Meets Function

So where did all these bonnets, wigs, and hats and colossal headdresses rest when not perched atop fashionable heads? In the bonnetière, of course! Bonnetières are tall, narrow cabinets with a single door, typically crafted from local woods like cherry, walnut, oak, or chestnut. First made in western France (Normandy and Brittany) during the mid-1700s, they were designed with one thing in mind — storing extravagant headgear.

 

Though often compared to armoires, bonnetières differ in scale. They’re smaller overall, yet just as deep — a must for accommodating towering hats and elaborate bonnets. Provincial cabinetmakers lavished attention on the exteriors, leaving the interiors simple but sturdy, with two or three shelves for storage.

18th Century French Louis XIII Style Provencal Painted Chateau Bonnetiere / Item #LO1752 / Lolo French Antiques et More 
 

18th Century French Louis XIV Period Walnut Lyonnaise Chateau Bonnetiere / Item LFA208 / Lolo French Antiques et More
 

More Than Just Hats

Originally placed near the entrance halls of grand châteaux and maisons, bonnetières quickly proved useful beyond hats. Families discovered they could hold linens, clothing, and household essentials, also. Their versatility allows them to be used in almost any room in the house where storage is needed.

 

Today, a bonnetière fits beautifully into bedrooms, kitchens, powder rooms, or hallways, offering both charm and practical storage. Whether you lean toward French Country warmth or modern eclectic, this timeless piece adapts with ease.

 


Designer Dan Carithers showcases a French Louis XV style bonnetière’s versatility in a bedroom setting, Veranda Magazine, May–June 2005.
 

What’s in Your Bonnetière?

From oversized wigs to cozy linens, the bonnetière has stored it all. Three centuries later, its slender silhouette and French flair still make it a favorite in homes everywhere.

 

Á Bientôt!

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Mimi Montgomery

When this self-described Francophile is not reading or writing about all things French, she's dreaming up charming new ways to showcase Lolo French Antiques et More or traveling to France with Lolo to buy delightful treasures for their store. Mimi, Lolo, and their French Bulldog, Duke, live in Birmingham, AL.

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