Aboudoir (/buːˈdwɑːr/boo-DWAR;French:[budwaʁ]ⓘ) is a lady’s privatesitting room orsalon in a furnished residence, usually between thedining room and thebedroom, but can also refer to a lady’s private bedroom. The term derives from theFrenchverbbouder (to sulk or pout) or adjectiveboudeur (sulking)—the room was originally a space to withdraw to.[1][2][3]
A cognate of the English "bower", historically, theboudoir formed part of the privatesuite of 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, theboudoir was used as a privatedrawing room, and was used for other activities, such asembroidery or 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 era and early 20th century), aboudoir was a lady's evening sitting room, and was separate from hermorning room, and herdressing room. As this multiplicity of rooms with overlapping functions suggests,boudoirs were generally found only in grand houses. In the United States, in the same era,boudoir was an alternative term for dressing room, favored by those who felt that French terms conferred more prestige.
InCaribbean English, aboudoir is thefront room of the house where women entertain family and friends.
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Recently, the termboudoir has 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 termboudoir tend 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.
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