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In seventeenth-century French architecture the interior layout of private quarters followed the three-room principle of antechamber, bedchamber (with or without alcove) and cabinet. The latter was the most intimate and withdrawn, but not necessarily the smallest room. It was usually decorated in a deliberate, original way. The importance accorded cabinets is reflected in the gilded and painted wainscoting that framed the paintings on display, accompanied by sculpted decoration.
The vogue for "precious" retreats (cabinets) never really waned in the seventeenth century, they simply became more brilliant in the second half of the century, glittering with mirrors and gold like the Cabinet Doré in the Hôtel Lauzun, shown in the photo.
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