Boudoir

This article is about a private room in a house. For the photography genre, seeBoudoir photography.

Aneo-rococodecorboudoirinNieborów Palace,Poland.

Aboudoir(/buːˈdwɑːr/;French:[bu.dwaʁ]) is a woman's privatesitting roomorsalonin a furnished residence, usually between thedining roomand thebedroom,but can also refer to a woman's private bedroom. The term derives from theFrenchverbbouder(to sulk or pout) or adjectiveboudeur(sulking)—the room was originally a space to withdraw to.

Architecture

A cognate of the English "bower", historically, theboudoirformed part of the privatesuiteof rooms of a "lady" or upper-class woman, for bathing and dressing, adjacent to her bedchamber, being the female equivalent of the malecabinet.In later periods, theboudoirwas used as a privatedrawing room,and was used for other activities, such asembroideryor spending time with one's husband.

English-language usage varies between countries, and is now largely historical. In the United Kingdom, in the period when the term was most often used (Victorian eraand early 20th century), aboudoirwas a lady's evening sitting room, and was separate from hermorning room,and herdressing room.As this multiplicity of rooms with overlapping functions suggests,boudoirswere generally found only in grand houses. In the United States, in the same era,boudoirwas an alternative term for dressing room, favored by those who felt that French terms conferred more prestige.

InCaribbean English,aboudoiris thefront roomof the house where women entertain family and friends.

Furniture

Recently, the termboudoirhas come to denote a style of furnishing for the bedroom that is traditionally described as ornate or busy. The plethora of links available on the Internet to furnishing sites using the termboudoirtend to focus on Renaissance and French inspired bedroom styles. In recent times, they have also been used to describe the 'countrycottage' style with whitewashed-style walls, large and heavy bed furniture, and deep bedding.

Gallery

• 
  Boudoir at theHôtel de Besenvalin Paris
• 
  Boudoir ofMarie AntoinetteinFontainebleau Palace,France
• 
  Illustration of a boudoir, in the style at the time ofLouis XVI,by Frederick Litchfield, fromIllustrated History of Furniture, From the Earliest to the Present Time(1893)
• 
  Boudoir ofEmpress Maria Alexandrovnain theWinter Palaceat theState Hermitage(Saint Petersburg)

See also

• Harem
• Ladyfinger (biscuit),which translates asboudoirsin French