Art de vivre : a look into some Parisian homes

I have been lucky enough to visit so many wonderful homes while growing up in France – Whereas it was my parents homes in the south or my family and friends in Paris – They have been so inspiring to me, they do influence my style today and I try to incorporate the “French touch” in the homes and rooms I have been lucky to decorate. Today I would like to focus on Paris; the Haussmannian buildings, with their breathtaking mouldings and timeless wooden floors; some wonderful converted buildings with a breathtaking interior architecture… The interiors below have some common features that are utterly Parisian. Here are a few pictures of some great Paris apartments; hope they will inspire you as much as me –

1/ Mixing old and new

Source: Elle Decor France
Haussmannian buildings offer “grandiose” interiors with mouldings and wooden floors.  To me this is the greatest gift parisians have when it comes to real estate; think about it how much would it cost to create such incredible mouldings and perfect wooden floor? And how much for an old NYC apartment that already has those features ? In Paris, those interiors are standard and that is why it is such a gift! Once you have such surroundings it is easy to add very modern and contemporary furniture and have this old meets new style. But it doesn’t stop here,  as shown in the picture, contemporary furniture and more traditional are mixed up; the golden mirror and the very modern side and coffee tables; the darken wooden floors for a more edgy look on a classic…

2/ Daring art

Design: New Home Agency/ Source:www. architectes-paris.info                                    Parisian, and French people in general, are very bold when it comes to art. They love contemporary pieces that will “clash” with their classy, neutral interiors. It doesn’t have to always be such “sexy” pictures , as shown above; after all, the definition of “audacious” is very personal;)

3/ Paint the walls white

               Source: apartca-blog.com
Parisian interiors are often white, which is not a difficult choice to make when the walls are already that elaborated… In general, even if choosing to colour your walls, neutrals are usually the way to go in France, so you can allow yourself to be bolder in your choice of furniture and art – Above, the khaki, scandinavian-style sofa blends in perfectly in this wonderful white space with some touches of gold here and there.

4/ Long dramatic curtains

                 Source: http://www.sadecor.co.za                                                                                                                 Drapery is very common in Parisian apartments. They add grandeur, softness and a certain timeless elegance to a room. Whether it is a light, transparent fabric for a more airy and contemporary feel or a heavy, colorful fabric for a more rich and traditional style; if you want Parisian chic, think about adding floor-length curtains.

5/ A formal dining area

Design: Double G/ Source: noiretblancunstyle.blogspot.com                                                            After all, France, is the country of fine food and wine, so it only makes sense to have a room or an area where you can spend hours eating, drinking and talking endlessly with your friends and family… And Parisian do keep the French tradition, even if they have a small apartment, they will most likely have a dining area to entertain their guests.

… Just some additional pictures to illustrate the above, I just can’t share enough!

           Source: http://www.homelisty.com

Source: http://frenchyfancy.com/un-interieur-parisien-so-chic/

                                          Neo-gothic converted workshop  – Source: http://www.architectes-paris.info/les-10-plus-belles-renovations-dappartement-de-paris/

Design: Sarah Lavoine/ Source: Houzz.com

   Source: decorationetdesign.fr

… And my personal absolute favourite; it is the embodiment of my points above and so quintessentially Parisian:

 

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Design: Ando Studio/ Source: http://blogs.cotemaison.fr/archiboom/2014/04/13/un-appartement-design-a-saint-germain-paris/

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