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Rafraîchissoir: 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.

RAFRAÎCHISSOIR

ra·fraî·chis·soir [ra-fre-shee-swar]
noun [ra-fre-shee-swar]
1. a table of the 18th century having a cooler for bottles and shelves for plates so that occupants of a room may self-serve themselves libations without outside interruption.
Origin: < French, literally refresher


Le souper fin (‘The Gallant Dinner’) Engraving, after J.M. Moreau the Younger (1741–1814), France. Proof that no soirée was complete without towering hair, sparkling wine, and secrets galore. 
 

Days of Wine and Whispers

It’s said that if you drank a different wine each night, it would take EIGHT years to sip your way through France! During the reign of Louis XV, the French upper class certainly seemed up for the challenge. With so much wine being poured, it’s no surprise that craftsmen created furniture tailored to chilling, storing, and serving those red, white, and bubbly bottles that were a vital part of everyday life in France. Enter the rafraîchissoir — the essential 18th century refreshment table.

 

Having one of these small tables parked beside the dining table wasn’t just about convenience. It also gave French nobles and the bourgeoisie the chance to dine en petit comité — without waiters or servants hovering and privvy to their confidential conversations and rumblings with the rich, powerful, and scandalous. 

French Louis XVI Style Rafraîchissoir / Item #LO1701 / Lolo French Antiques et More 
 

Form Meets Function

Most often having a marble top and brass gallery to contain spills, rafraîchissoirs (sometimes called servantes) typically featured: 

  • Two or more wells fitted with brass or silver-plated buckets for chilling wine.
  • A drawer for storing corkscrews, cutlery, napkins, and other dining essentials. 
  • A lower shelf (or shelves) to hold covered dishes or extra plates for later courses.

This clever design meant a host and guests had everything needed for the evening — wine, food, tools, and linens — all within arm’s reach. No servants, no interruptions, no prying eyes or ears. Refills and rumors flowed freely.

An “Essential” That Endures

Antique wine furniture and accessories have become highly collectible in recent years. Designed for 18th century dining, the rafraîchissoir remained popular well into the 19th century and is just as intriguing in today’s interiors and lifestyles as it was in the gilded days of Louis XV and his influential mistress, Madame de Pompadour. These stylish and multipurpose tables can still be found in French homes today, though more often they’re pressed into service as planters, bar carts, or side tables.

 

In an age when self-serve entertaining and clever storage are once again en vogue, perhaps the rafraîchissoir really does qualify as an “essential” after all. Santé to that!
 

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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