A major modification was made to the layout of this apartment. As for the furnishings, these were restored to how they looked during either the First or the Second Empires. The Cabinet du Conseil Council Room , where the king took counsel, is the exception. Produced by the painter Sauvage, the painting above the chimney breast represents the poet Anacreon: at the heart of the vineyards, he praises love and wine.
Finally, thanks to their shape and decoration, two white marble vases are another echo of the Antiquity style so present in the painted decoration. To furnish the room, new mahogany furniture was commissioned from Jacob-Desmalter. Delivered in , it is modest and functional. The multifaceted table is made up of four rectangular sections and two semicircles, making its shape easily modifiable. Thanks to its location, the room is versatile: during the Second Empire, for example, a pop-up theatre was often set up in this room, where numerous performances took place.
The Salon des Cartes is symbolic of the superior and modern court life of the time. Other features in the room include a player piano and a miniature billiard table. Charades, card games, dances and theatre performances were also all held here. The architect Ruprich-Robert designed the furniture, including chairs covered in 18th century Beauvais tapestries on the theme of rural entertainment.
It was during the First Empire that it was transformed from a bedroom to a lounge. Napoleon Bonaparte refused to have his bedroom in this room, instead choosing to move it two rooms away from here.
All of its furnishings were renewed during the Second Empire, in golden yellow or celadon green tones. Elements from the First Empire were also incorporated, including the gilt wood console produced by Jacob-Desmalter and the fireplaces decorated with lions. The general decorative scheme of the room is based on the glorification of the military actions of the Bourbons, by looking back over the success of the two previous reigns while also evoking those of the present reign.
