The Carrot, the stick and the color palette? Political Art History and interior design
In the late 15th century, the French invasion of Italy brought the French into a new direction to the country artistically. “French Renaissance” is a recent term used to describe the movement that happened in France from the late 15th century to the early 17th century. 
With Italy being in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, it became the center of commerce and communication. Italy also became the home to many wealthy families who birthed a greater interest in culture that inspired the revival of Classicism.
In France, the Renaissance roughly started with the French invasion of Italy in 1494 during the reign of Charles VIII and extended to the death of Henry IV in 1610.
The Black Death of the 14th century and the Edward III’s claim to throne of France in 1338 and the Hundred Years’ War kept France weak, politically and economically until the late 15th century.
Francis I of France from 1515 to 1547 and his son Henry II from 1547 to 1559 are generally considered the pivotal point of the French Renaissance.
After Henry II’s death, France was ruled by his widow Catherine de’ Medici and her sons Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III, and although the Renaissance continued to flourish, the French Wars over religious doctrine crippled the country.
During this time, the exploration of the “New World” by Giovanni da Verrazzano and Jacques Cartier sparked an interest in new techniques and art forms in architecture, painting, sculpture, music print, and the sciences which were borrowed from other countries.
The English Renaissance was much different from the Italian Renaissance. The English Renaissance sparked new interest in literature and music, where the visual arts were considered dominant in the Italian Renaissance. The English Renaissance also began much later than the Italian. The English Renaissance roughly started in the 1520s continued until 1620. The Italian begin in the early 14th century, and was moving into the Baroque by the 1550s.
While Classical revival (an interest in ancient Greece and Rome) took place in Italian Renaissance architecture, Britain took a different approach and retained the previous features of the Gothic styles. Elizabethan styles held their styles through out this time in history.
The French Room goes further into detail on these subjects. Interior designer and best-selling author Betty Lou Phillips explains how to achieve French decorating and the principles behind designing a home based around the classic concepts found in France. The French Room is it is jammed packed with more than 200 impressive photographs of homes that have both a French and Italian influence.
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