London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 27, 2026

7 ways you can steal French girl interior style for yourself

7 ways you can steal French girl interior style for yourself

Ornate, elegant and yet effortless, French girl interior style is an enviable look - but actually rather easy to achieve. Here's how to do it.

French-girl beauty and French-girl fashion are among some of the most covetable looks. They're certainly a source of inspiration for us. But I'd argue there is one French aesthetic we need to add to the list - French interior design.

As we become more and more invested in creating the perfect, cosy nest to ride out isolation conditions, there's been a rise in interior inspiration circling the Internet. And certainly some of the most enviable spaces are fresh from the balconies of Paris.

Ornate, elegant and yet effortless, French-girl interior style is an enviable look - but actually rather easy to achieve. If you're looking to create Parisian-inspired haven of your very own, here's how to do it.

Start with a blank canvas


If you have a habit of scrolling through French interior inspiration as much as I do, you'll notice that these spaces all start with a blank canvas. You won't find any purple paints or wall paper. French apartments always begin with white walls. Giving your place a lick of white paint is your first step to the French interior of your dreams. If you're renting, try and choose a place with lighter coloured walls - luckily, white is low maintenance, so most rentals will have white walls.

Always have a big, gilded mirror


A French-girl staple, you'll see large statement mirrors in living rooms or bedrooms of the most covetable French interiors. It's an instant way to add flair and personality into your space, the perfect addition to a clean white wall. Your can hang these, or set them straight on the floor for an undone look.

Don't be afraid of coloured or statement furniture


While the walls are white, the furniture is not. Take a note from Kym Ellery's Parisian home and don't be afraid to play with coloured furniture - just keep it muted. Think burgundy, cream, olive and rust, nothing too bright. Just enough to give your space some character. Don't be scared. Adding simple pieces like faded red dining chairs or a cream marble coffee table or an olive lounge will add instant French flair.

Wooden floors are a must


The one thing you will never find in a French apartment is carpet. Floorboards are superior to carpet in every way, and you can make the switch quite affordably these days. Bamboo flooring looks just like normal wood only less than half the price and far more environmentally sustainable. Wood-look vinyl is even more affordable than bamboo. But if you want to go all out, try oak parquetry. Nothing looks more quintessentially French than light-toned parquetry flooring.

If you're renting and not able to rip up your floors, try looking for an apartment with wood flooring already. It's easier to clean and you won't need to worry about losing your bond over an accidental red wine spill.

Don't match your woods


One thing you'll notice in many French interiors is that no one seems to be too fussy about matching their woods. You'll see wooden stools, tall boys and floors all in different shades. It should look messy, but it doesn't. It's all about choosing pieces with character and matching the essence and spirit of your furniture, not the colour. Mismatched woods make a space feel warm and homely. Just make sure you're sticking to roughly the same aesthetic - modern with modern, mid-century with mid-century and so on.

Nothing should be too perfect


French homes do not look like picture-perfect museums. Everything is neat but undone. Don't arrange things too perfectly. Embrace mismatched vases and trays of knick knacks. Bookshelves are for books, tables are for flowers. Allowing your space to look a little lived in is key. If you're a minimalist, that's fine too, but don't be too perfect in the way you arrange the pieces that you do have on display.

Embrace flowers and greenery with open arms


If you scroll through all the photos in this list, you'll see flowers or greenery in every single space. Plants bring life and warmth into your home, they're an essential for any French-inspired interior. If you find fresh flowers are too extravagant for everyday, there are some wonderful dried flowers you can get. They'll last you for years. Or add a few house plants instead. Just remember not to arrange them too perfectly.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Following OpenAI's Cyberattack: 'Most Companies Still Do Not Understand What Is Coming'
Autopsy Finds No Violence in Death of Epstein-Linked Model Scout
Indian Education Minister Resigns After Cockroach Youth Protests
California Desert Data-Centre Plan Stalls as Water and Power Disputes Mount
Northern Ireland Border Security Tightened After Military-Grade Explosive Interception
British Hospitality Sector Targets Summer Visitors Through Regional Promotions
England River Access Debate Intensifies After New Data Shows Limited Public Access
Royal Navy Strengthens Maritime Vigilance Amid Rising Security Concerns
UK Education Department Expands Mental Health Support for Young People Entering Work
UK Tourism Industry Launches Summer Campaigns to Boost Domestic Travel
North England Transport Plans Advance to Support Industrial Growth
Financial Markets Watch New Government’s Economic Strategy as Investors Assess Fiscal Risks
Royal Navy Continues Monitoring Russian Naval Activity Near UK Waters
UK Care Workers May Receive Immigration Exemptions Under Proposed Visa Changes
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper Begins Emergency Talks to Address NHS Staffing Shortages
UK Banks Launch High-Interest Savings Offers to Attract Household Deposits
North Sea Oil Drilling Projects Face Delays After Offshore Equipment Accident
Cairngorms Wildfire Highlights Growing Pressure on UK Emergency Services
UK Government Borrowing Plans Put Pressure on Ten-Year Gilt Markets
Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier HMS Prince of Wales Returns After NATO Northern Flank Mission
Metropolitan Police Opens Criminal Investigation Into Reform UK Political Donations
Scottish Government Requests Military Support as Cairngorms Wildfire Forces Emergency Response
Andy Burnham Takes Office as UK Prime Minister and Unveils New Cabinet Team
War, Youth Revolt and the Global Struggle for Control
War, Power and the Rising Price of Political Decisions
High Street Sales Suffer Sharpest Summer Decline in Five Years
Wales Approves Higher Taxes on Second Homes and Long-Term Empty Properties
Environment Agency Imposes Record £150 Million Penalty on Water Companies
UK Competition Watchdog Blocks U.S. Takeover of Cambridge Chip Designer
Scotland Unveils Land Reform Bill to Expand Renewable Energy Projects
Northern Ireland Secures £500 Million Technology Investment for Belfast Cybersecurity Hub
NHS Rolls Out AI Triage System Across Major Hospitals in England
UK Strengthens North Sea Naval Cooperation With European Allies
UK Chancellor Commits £7 Billion to Accelerate Manchester-Leeds Rail Link
Bank of England Signals Interest Rate Cuts After Inflation Falls Below Target
Badenoch Rejects Grant Shapps' Bid to Return as Conservative Candidate
BAE Chief Warns Britain Has Underestimated the Risk of War
Burnham Rules Out New Scottish Independence Referendum in First Talks With Swinney
UK Government Strengthens Northern Economic Agenda Through Manchester Headquarters and Regional Partnerships
United Kingdom Opens New Furness Peninsula Coastal Route Under King Charles the Third England Coast Path
England Reduces Business Costs for Hospitality Sector Through New Relief Package
United Kingdom Allocates Seven Point Three Million Pounds for Zero-Emission Aviation Research
United Kingdom Begins Restoration Works on Portishead Railway Line After Six Decades Without Passenger Services
United States Tariff Measures Create New Trade Challenges for United Kingdom and European Union Businesses
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Meets Scottish and Welsh Leaders to Promote Regional Growth Cooperation
United Kingdom Government Announces Twenty Percent Business Rates Cut for Pubs, Clubs, and Music Venues
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Opens Manchester Government Headquarters to Shift Decision-Making Away From Westminster
United Kingdom Defence Ministry Says Armed Forces Ready After Iran Accuses London Over US Military Strikes
United Kingdom Inflation Falls to Two Point Six Percent as Prime Minister Andy Burnham Gains Economic Breathing Room
OpenAI Sued After ChatGPT Allegedly Discouraged Emergency Care Before Near-Fatal Embolism
×