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Jul 12, 2023

How to Achieve French Interior Design, According to Pros

We called on Paris-based designers for their expert tips on creating timeless,

We called on Paris-based designers for their expert tips on creating timeless, chic interiors.

Laura is a small-space and sustainable living expert. A journalist with more than 20 years of experience writing for the leading home magazines and websites, she is the author of two decor books The Little Book of Living Small and The Bunk Bed Book. Highlights: * 20+ years experience writing for national magazines * Author of The Little Book of Living Small (2020) and The Bunk Bed Book (2022) * Former Lifestyle Director of Parents magazine (2013-2019)

Krystal Kenney

Open up an international design magazine, and I bet you can spot the French homes. There's something about French interior design that is instantly recognizable—a certain je ne sais quoi. While you can't import views of Paris's mansard rooftops or the Provencal countryside, there is much you can do to bring the character of French interiors to your own home. We called on three Paris-based design pros to ask them about the most important characteristics of French interior design and how to create the look in your own home—even if you're miles from la République.

Photo by Jessica Antola, from the book Joie: A Parisian's Guide to Celebrating the Good Life

In France, there is an acceptance of design history, says Ajiri Aki, the founder of Madame de la Maison, a French lifestyle brand, and author of the new book Joie: A Parisian's Guide to Celebrating the Good Life. "The French appreciate the design of the past," says Aki. "They respect the bones of a space and then they layer in their contemporary life."

Photo by Xavier Béjot, from the book Parisian By Design

All three of the experts we spoke to pointed to historic moldings being an essential element of French interiors. "You can't recreate French interior style in a drywall box," cautions Penny Drue Baird, an interior designer with offices in New York and Paris, who is the author of two design books about French interior style. Luckily, adding molding is a relatively easy and affordable update that you can do yourself or hire out. And it doesn't need to be ornate, says Baird, "It can even be just a ceiling molding and basic crown molding."

Getty Images/Andreas von Einsiedel

Another architectural element that appears in many French rooms is a fireplace. While adding a working fireplace would constitute a major renovation, Baird suggests you can simply "add a mantle and dress it," noting that it becomes "almost architectural."

Photo by Jessica Antola, from the book Joie: A Parisian's Guide to Celebrating the Good Life

Above those French fireplaces, you’ll often find gilded inset mirrors. "Any antique mirror and a gilded wood mirror, for sure, adds French style," Aki says. Not only will placing a large mirror above your fireplace echo French interiors, it will also bounce light around the room.

Pssst…If you currently have a television in that prime spot above the mantle (or on the primary wall in your living room), try to find a new location for it: The design pros say the French prefer not to make the TV the focal point of the room

Photo by Xavier Béjot, from the book Parisian By Design

Even the most contemporary French home is likely to have some antiques in the mix, says David Jiminez, an interior designer based in Paris who wrote the book Parisian By Design. For the most iconic French style, look to Louis the XV and XIV furniture. "This is furniture that was created three hundred years ago and still looks fresh today in so many environments," says Jiminez.

Getty Images/Liliboas

When it comes to patterns that are a hallmark of French interior style, Baird points to toile de Jouy, a generic term for fabrics featuring pastoral romantic scenes and motifs. The printed fabric was originally Irish, but it became popular in France in the eighteenth century, and, "It never went out of style," Baird says.

However, if you prefer something less traditional, Jiminez suggests a classic awning stripe. "You see it everywhere—the Palais-Royal, awnings on the street, curtains, upholstery on chairs—it's very uniquely French," he says. But not any wide stripe will do. Jiminez says the consistency of the width of the stripe is key: 7 centimeters wide is the classic French stripe.

Getty Images/Esperanza33

While a big La Cornue or Lacanche range is the hallmark of a French cooking space, they are beyond most people's budget. Instead, "If you want to give your kitchen a quintessentially French vibe, hang up some copper pots," Aki says. Jiminez also points out that these can often be found secondhand for very little money—you’ll just need to do the work to polish them up.

Photo by Jessica Antola, from the book Joie: A Parisian's Guide to Celebrating the Good Life

According to Aki, the French don't save their best for special occasions: They use it every day and usually the best stuff is old. "There's a lot of mix and match dishes in French homes," she says. "Everyone flea markets, there are pieces passed down, they don't need to have everything shiny and brand new."

Photo by Xavier Béjot, from the book Parisian By Design

"Any time you hang your art salon style, it makes it feel a little more European," says Jiminez. (Salon style hanging is essentially a clustered and crowded gallery wall that is intentionally mismatched.) So, to really nail this look, you shouldn't go buy a salon-wall set at a big-box store. "The frames are very purposefully not matching," says Jiminez. "The more mixed a grouping is, the more interesting it is."

Getty Images/digitalimagination

"The French people I know take great pleasure in not spending a lot of money: There's a deep appreciation for going to the flea market," says Jiminez. Of course, who wouldn't choose to shop at the Paris markets, which Jiminez describes as "unlike any other place in the world?" But even stateside, flea markets are a great source for antiques on a budget, including those copper pots, fine china, and vintage art.

Getty Images/Andreas von Einsiedel

"French beds are looser in style, there is some ease to how the bed is put together: Think a great looking duvet not perfectly tucked in," Jiminez says. The experts also say that the French often prefer classic white or solid bedding–not a bold print, and Aki says she sees a lot of linen sheets in French homes.

Photo by Xavier Béjot, from the book Parisian By Design

Perhaps the easiest way to add French style of all? Display a gorgeous bouquet. All the experts noted that the French never hesitate to treat themselves to flowers—always fresh, never fake!