Translate Parisian Style to Your Own Home

Sure, not all homes have ornate moulding or plaster walls that look perfectly imperfect. But take a cue from Parisian style and celebrate the history of your home. Use neutral paint colors to keep all the attention on moulding or an ornate fireplace or faux mantel. If these details don’t exist already, add them. They create classic focal points that bring character to your home.

Crown moulding, wainscotting or ceiling medallions are all ways to add European charm to your living space. If you’re feeling confused about what details might look most organic, look at what’s existing already and the moulding styles used the year your home was built. If you live in a new build, you have more room to choose what new details you want to add.

A hallmark of Parisian style is interesting floors. Forget perfect, instead features like wide planks and years of wear and tear add visual interest and movement to the home. While you can’t fake history like that, you can install a unique flooring pattern: herringbone. If you’re looking for a DIY flooring option, vinyl tile or laminate flooring can be arranged in a herringbone pattern. Sure, it’s a little more complicated than your average install, but your effort will be well worth it. It’s a smart way to elevate the look of your flooring without going over your budget.

Everything feels more dramatic against a white background. Colors feel bolder and existing moulding and details in the home get more attention. But finding just the right white paint can be a challenge, with so many to choose from. Consider a true white paint with little to no undertones to highlight all the color and texture in your home. It gives you a bright base for special pieces of artwork and other details to pop.

One of the best secrets of a well-designed room is balance. You never want to commit one hundred percent to a style or theme; it makes your home feel more like a movie set than a place to live. Mixing décor styles strikes a happy medium that creates interest and moves your eye through a space, resting in certain areas while attracting it to others.

Parisian style pairs traditional with modern, for example a pared down dining table is accessorized with an ornate chandelier above it. Or a stark white mantel features only the most minimal accessories but is played up by a detailed, oversized mirror. Instead of layer upon layer of over-the-top pieces, which start to blend together, create focal points for the room and places for truly unique accessories to shine.

In a French style home, colors in furniture, accent pieces and artwork are used very deliberately. Wherever color goes it becomes a standout piece, so choose what you want to highlight with care. Parisian style tends to feature classic jewel tones, but at the end of the day it’s important to choose colors you love for your home.

Like color, texture is another way to add dimension. Beyond bringing texture in through architectural details, the materials your home décor items are made from help set the tone. Soft fabrics like boucle and velvet add a feeling of luxury and comfort, while linen ages beautifully over time and becomes softer with wear. Furniture details like woven leather, cane covered cabinets or wicker also feel unique and are a way to layer texture in your space.

Ditch clutter in favor of accessories that mean something to you. Sculptural plants and textured vessels for florals are always a classic choice. Interesting leaves, dried florals or branches all add a touch of drama. Beautifully framed photos of your family and friends or travel mementos all help enrich your living space. Let your shelves and surface breathe and leave enough room on them to be functional.