How to Decorate a Living Room in French Style: 10 Tips from a Professional

Irina Fefelova is a well-known interior designer, art director of a design studio, and an expert in interior design and decoration. A laureate and winner of numerous Russian and international competitions, she teaches students at the Design Faculty of the Russian-British Institute of Management. Irina runs author columns in prestigious publications and conducts seminars on decorating and furnishing residential and commercial interiors in Russia and abroad.

1. Space. The ideal living room in French style is a spacious room with maximum natural light and air: large windows and high ceilings – must-haves.

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. Matte walls. Work in a space, of course, begins with surface finishing. For walls, use matte paint, decorative plaster, or wallpaper in solid or small pattern colors. You can also try highlighting the warm terracotta or bitter chocolate tones, wet asphalt or rain-dampened cobblestone areas of the fireplace or interior niches, and storage spaces for your collections.

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Wooden parquet. Natural wooden floors look most elegantly in a living room. However, there are now alternatives to expensive flooring options. For example, parquet planks or individual parquet pieces. Individual parquet is comparable in cost to wooden floors, while parquet planks are quite affordable. Their price ranges from 1900 to 4800 rubles per square meter. The key is not to make a mistake in texture. If you can't afford the expensive natural material, find one that looks as close to it as possible and is better in light tones.

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Decorative cornices on the ceiling. In modern times, constructing and finishing ceilings is a very controversial topic. But if we're talking about French style, then here, perfectly flat, smooth, and neat ceilings have the advantage. If desired, you can add cornices and slightly decorate them with gold leaf.

5. A fireplace, real or imitation, is a must-have item for such an interior. Without doubt, it will become the most attractive spot in the space. This can be a fireplace with a natural stone hearth, a hearth with individually designed carved details, or one that resembles the ceiling's cornice pattern or lacework framing the hearth. The fireplace decoration supports and complements the entire interior.

6. Soft furnishings. But the main star of your living room will be a soft seating area consisting of a low sofa, armchairs, and footstools with fabric upholstery. The fabric can be solid, striped, or patterned with flowers... The key is a skillful combination of colors among themselves and with the overall interior. Smooth lines, gently curved armrests on benches, and a careless silk throw on the back of an armchair – these details create that Parisian charm for which such interiors are created.

In general, textiles play a big role in this style. Although it's better to keep the windows as open as possible, you shouldn't give up beautiful curtains with cornices and draperies, fringe, and tassels. For all this beauty, only the finest and noblest fabrics are used, such as velvet, brocade, chiffon, and light materials like organdy or voile.

7. Tea tables. Journal and tea tables fit well into the interior. A piece of furniture with forged elements is also perfect, as this delicate craftsmanship only enhances the entire interior. When adding accessories, don't think they're trivial details scattered around the room: in French style, they truly have great significance.

8. A mirror in a simple, minimalist, or luxurious gilded frame will look great in your living room: its purpose is to expand space, increase light, and decorate the interior. Next to mirrors, paintings – landscapes or still lifes in noble frames – will blend beautifully.

9. Living flowers. The interior is completed with bouquets of fresh flowers, preferably in crystal or porcelain vases.

10. Chandelier. And of course, lighting is the connecting element in your living room. Of course, lighting plays a huge role in any style, but in French style it should be carefully planned down to the smallest detail. When the lights are on, the space should have the same lightness as when the windows are wide open on a sunny day. With high ceilings, prefer crystal chandeliers. Additional lighting points will be wall sconces that divide the space into zones. Candelabras with lit candles will create a romantic atmosphere in your living room. Be sure that this variety of lighting options will adapt to your mood or even the living room itself will dictate it.