Time For A Little Je Ne Sais Quoi

Paris has always had a way of making the everyday feel a little more theatrical. A coffee is never just a coffee when it is sipped from a café terrace beneath a striped awning; a bunch of roses becomes a still life when arranged in a vintage vase on a marble-topped table. So perhaps it is no surprise that Paris-themed interiors are having a moment, inviting us to bring a little Left Bank romance, Right Bank grandeur and French eccentricity home.

The appeal lies partly in the history. Paris has long been a city where interior decoration is treated as an art form, from the gilt-heavy opulence of Haussmann apartments to the relaxed, book-lined homes of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Its interiors have always understood the power of contrast: ornate mirrors beside contemporary art, antique chairs pulled up to sleek dining tables, faded florals mixed with graphic stripes. It is this slightly undone, collected-over-time look that makes Parisian style feel so irresistible.

The rise of pink also shares a natural affinity with this look. Dusty rose, raspberry, blush and deep boudoir pinks feel right at home alongside burgundy velvet, antique brass and rich red accents. Add a striped tablecloth, a frilled lampshade or a vase of exuberant flowers and the result is less “theme” and more “je ne sais quoi”!

The secret is to borrow the mood rather than recreate a Parisian souvenir shop. A little Eiffel Tower here, a café stripe there, perhaps a flourish of ruffles or a flash of gold. Paris-themed interiors are at their best when they feel romantic, layered and ever so slightly eccentric – because if your home can't transport you somewhere fabulous, where's the fun in that?