The Everything Guide to French-inspired Home Interiors

French décor is effortlessly stylish, known for its classical lines and timeless elegance. Parisians are well known for their sense of fashion and style, and these design sensibilities are carried into the ways in which they decorate their homes. If you’d like to recreate some of that Parisian chic for french inspired home interiors, here are our top tips. 

The Old and The New

By blending the old and the new, the French are able to add a touch of sleek sophistication to any space. Pick up vintage pieces of furniture with classic styling and free-flowing lines, and restore them with a coat of paint and new paisley upholstery. Parisians love unique pieces that are high on style. The beauty is in the details!

Keep the Background White

To keep the focus on the decor elements, French decorators keep their walls low-key. White is the preferred colour, but they are also big on subtle pastel shades like rich cream or silken beige. Bright or bold colours do not find their place in French aesthetic sensibilities at all. This decor style skilfully blends shades of colour, harmonising tints and hues to create visual poetry. After all, Paris is not known as the design capital of the world for nothing! 

Create Vignettes

Every space is given careful consideration, with each corner of the room transformed into a charming vignette. Group objects together to tell their own story and make a carefully curated style statement. Nothing happens by chance, and everything has its own place in a French interior!

Fresh Flower Arrangements

Fresh flowers are everywhere in France; whether it’s a posy on a street corner or huge buckets of garden roses on a table. Bring a bit of Paris into your home with a lovely vase of blooms that brighten up your room, and elevate your mood.  Let the flowers spill over in abundance;  you can never have too much beauty in your life!

Pay Attention to the Lighting

Lighting plays an important role in French décor. Typically, ceilings are lit with ornate chandeliers that are beautifully embellished with crystals and fine wrought iron detailing. Table lamps with pleated shades and frilly valances or wall sconces with intricate details can also introduce elements of French décor to your home.

Wall Décor for French Inspired Home

Every element in the room is given careful consideration, with the walls being no exception. Fine cornices, neatly detailed wall panels with curlicues and flourishes, beautiful plaques or ornate screens all find pride of place on the walls. Wallpaper choices are pretty, with intricate patterns to match the décor style in french inspired home interiors.

Say It with Drapes and Carpets

These homes are high on luxury, and you can set the mood with free-flowing silken drapes that pool into the floor and are held back by scalloped valances and tie backs. Pleated detailing, lacey edges and romantic prints are the way to go! Complement your walls with rugs and carpets that underline the look of subdued sophistication.

Gilded Mirrors

Again, in a French-inspired home, mirrors are a must-have, and the more, the better! These mirrors can be circular, oval or rectangular, with frames that are detailed in enamel or wrought iron or even outlined in gold or bronze. You can hang them up or prop them against the walls for a touch of class. If you are going French all the way, try using some mirrors in your French kitchen as well for an unexpected twist.

Some Tips to Incorporate French Elements in Your Indian Home

• Choose warm, neutral colours that complement each other even in your French kitchen.
• Keep your palette simple. Small moments of colour here and there add to the aesthetics, but bold colours are frowned upon. 
• Mix vintage with new, and allow your life experiences to shape your décor.
• Accessorize with plants, wall pieces, artwork and books.
• Pay attention to the fine details of the walls, the ceiling and the floor.
• Choose pieces that speak of luxurious living and elegant textures and patterns.
• Choose lush, luxurious drapes and gorgeous carpets.
• No one element should overshadow the other; everything is equally important. 

French-inspired home décor is characterised by ornate decor elements with gorgeous designs that pay painstaking attention to detail. Looking for help with decorating like a Parisian? Call HomeLane today, we can help!