The French culture is synonymous with things like champagne, Napoleon, romance and frogs’ legs. Their language is the one of love and their capital city, Paris, is home to the Eiffel Tower – where many dream of an elaborate marriage proposal or declaration of adoration. It is all a little over-the-top but in the most whimsical way possible.
French home décor can be most detailed. We like it, but it can prove too excessive for the average homeowner. There are, however, some French décor tips that will give you a touch of joie de vivre in your abode without going overboard. Here are our three top tips for inspired home décor from the French.
The basics of French home décor rely on the colour scheme and a bit of mix ‘n match.
Home décor with a French style requires a feeling of relaxed elegance. You should look to creating a warm space, so make sure to choose colours that suit and are natural and sunny.
Feel free to add a lick of paint to pieces of your furniture to achieve this style of home décor. A high gloss finish on several pieces of furniture will only enhance the few iron or rustic metal pieces that this style looks to include. French Country home décor particularly includes rusted metal and is nicely offset by warm creams and patterned fabrics. Traditional toile is an excellent choice of fabric as it often has a complex image with a specific theme that is repeated across the fabric. Consider using a toile-inspired wallpaper to create an accent wall.
Throws, cushions and accessories are key to this type of home décor.
French home décor requires layering fabrics and patterns. Pair your toile-inspired wallpaper with striped throws and patterned scatter cushions. You may even include some interesting textured fabrics such as faux fur pieces or velvet for a touch of glamour. For your dining areas, include linen as much as possible as it is a staple in French home décor but also versatile enough to be paired with any other material that you choose to decorate the table with.
As long as you remain within your warm, comfortable colour scheme you should be on your way to the desired effect.
The accessories and centrepieces you choose for the surrounding surfaces should mix the old and the new. Glass is a modern material that suits the style very well, but consider including some old-fashioned apothecary jars in your glass arrangement. Perhaps even fill the apothecary jars with balls of distressed looking string or wool and set amongst your favourite vases or on your coffee table. Alternative fillings can include coffee beans, seashells or dried wild flowers.
Lace and lavender will go a long way to tie French home décor style together.
Provence, in the south of France, is well known for its lavender fields. Therefore, lavender in your home will certainly indicate a touch of French style and it will fill the home with its beautiful scent. Old ceramic or tin water jugs filled with lavender cuttings in your bathroom or in your kitchen will look gorgeous and add to your French style home décor.
French home décor includes the use of lace and most often it is used as window coverings in the home. Using lace will allow for a lot of natural lighting to punctuate the home and yet still retain some privacy. This is ideal as the sunlight will only enhance the glossy, glass or the statement pieces.
Lace, however, can be rather fussy to install and is difficult to keep clean. Fortunately, you can replicate this style by using window frosting. It is far less fussy, easier to clean and won’t suffer sun damage. Window Art offers a bespoke service and our graphic designers can create a lace-inspired design that can be mimicked throughout your home.
