Croissants, The Mona Lisa, Brigitte Bardot – the french really do ‘timeless’ well, and yet are always setting the trends both in fashion and home. And while we don’t want to box up all french design into one single post or style there seems to be a large ‘Parisian Art Deco’ movement that we are loving, that has bled into the design world an ocean away.
So put on your dark red lipstick, your LBD, spritz that Chanel No. 5 on your wrists and let’s rendezvous. We’ll break this style down and dissect what this look really entails and how you can get it.
Curvy but Streamlined Furniture:
If you haven’t noticed already the french love their curves and that love is echoed in some of their furniture choices. For the most part this Parisian Art Deco look is filled with statement furniture pieces that have exaggerated curved lines in very simple forms. You will see couches with large overstuffed arms, chairs with rounded backs and small or no legs at all, as well as plenty of ottomans and tables that continue to echo that round and curvy movement.
Graphic Black and White Accents:
They really know how to bring the drama by playing up the light and dark in spaces. This space below which is located in Hotel Panache and designed by the insanely talented Chzon design firm brings in the drama and contrast with the black panels on top of the white molding as well as the black and white check on the edge of the tables. It’s in the details folks.
And if a wall to wall paneling project is not in your foreseeable future then the graphic black and white element can also be brought in through art and accessories like the spaces below.
I mean, come on – how chic is the person that gets to call this apartment home?
Modern Art or Sculptures or Architectural Salvage Pieces:
If you haven’t noticed already cues from classical architecture are big in this style of design. Most the spaces (lucky them) have built in character like some of the rooms you have seen already what with their huge paneled rooms and carved moldings and doors, but in addition to letting this original architecture shine, they echo it in the room with additional architectural pieces like the column topper below that is used as a table or the obelisk on top of it.
Mixing old world with new world is something they are VERY good at and this style of design always brings in modern art or sculpture right next to say a century old bust or carving.
Sculptural Lighting:
You won’t find a generic piece of lighting in any of these spaces, in fact most of the lighting is a statement sculptural piece on its own. Like in the previous example this style will always mix modern lighting with old world elements to help modernize the space. The below pic is from Hotel Panache again – I love this oversized ceiling pendant that they used above the bed that would typically go above an island or dining table. Breaking the (design) rules and getting away with it are something the french seem to be good at, and I like it.
You’ll also notice a mixing of styles with lighting. Although the sconce and the floor lamp in the below picture may not be from the same style they work well together because they are both statement pieces on their own and are in the same gold tone.
Velvet and Lux Fabrics:
This style tends to steer clear of anything too patterned or flourishy when it comes to fabric and instead brings in the interest through the texture of the fabrics. You will find lots of velvets, textured linens, sleek leathers, hides, furs and suedes in this style.
Which brings us to the next point – textural accents. They love throwing in a shearling chair or a flokati upholstered pouf in the room. You can see in the room below that they have the fur covered chair, the flokati pillow as well as the metallic cowhide on the floor. Texture on texture on texture which plays well with the all neutral color palette so that it doesn’t get boring or flat.
Wall and Ceiling Moldings:
Rarely will you see a room in this style that doesn’t have some sort of adornment on the walls or ceilings. It may be modern like the image below, or it could be original and centuries old like some of the images you have seen previously but this style is typically not one for a modern unadorned wall.
Floor to Ceiling Window Treatments:
Rather than chopping the room or walls in half with a window treatment that starts closer to the top of the window, the majority of them stretch all the way from the ceiling line to the floor with some even having that dramatic puddle on the floor, and who doesn’t love a dramatic puddle of crushed velvet on the floor? (hint: many people but not us).
Bold Pops of Color:
Although most of the walls stay fairly neutral in color you will see bold pops of 1 or 2 colors in the lighting, seating, or accessories. This rather neutral room is brought to life with an orange sofa, and if you know me you know I am not typically a fan of orange but this room is making a good case for the color.
They also love a good red moment, which is very scary for some people. Pierre Yovanovitch who designed the room below brought in the color through the fabric on the sofa and the art on the walls and kept everything else neutral to balance it out. Kudos to you Mr. Pierre.
See, another big pop of red with that bright blanket below. Is the red of the 90’s dining room everyone seemed to have coming back people?
Let’s also not forget about green…
Or blue and yellow…
Or Pink…. this style doesn’t discriminate with color.
Sculptural and Ornate Mirrors:
Mirrors are a big element in this style as well. Whether it is a modern shaped one like the next few pics below:
Or an antique finish and gilded mirror, mirrors play a very big part in this style of design.
Oversized is always a plus, and a leaning wall mirror is never a bad idea either.
Separated and Distinct Seating Areas:
It might be because the rooms seem to be overwhelming large, but you will also see a lot of smaller seating areas used in this style rather than one centrally located seating area in the middle of the room. Not only does this break the space up in a good way but it also allows for multiple vignettes in a room which always helps to bring in interest.
See, if you were at a party at this house you can have a convo with your friends on this yellow sofa while the stranger you are avoiding could take a seat in one of the corner vignettes. And below there is a seating area in front of the fireplace as well as the main seating area in the foreground of the room. You should also take note of the mirror, the pop of red, and sculptural furniture and lighting choices which we have already discussed. Is it making sense yet?
Play with Scale:
Last but certainly not least is how well this style plays with scale. Whether that be a pair of oversized lounge chairs that seem far too large for the space, or a tiny little stool paired with a curvy armchair like below, the juxtaposition of scale with large and small is always welcome in this style. Now you don’t want to get carried away with it and end up looking like you live in the set of “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” but one or two cases of this can work within the space if it is balanced out by the rest of the furniture in the room.
So, who is into this style as much as we are? Do you think you could handle the drama in your own space? Stay tuned where we break down the style even further and pull together some roundups of some of our favorite products from this style to help you get the look. Until then we’ll be practicing our french conjugations.
YASSSSSSSSS!! California cool had me all “meh” but this style is my JAM. So psyched for this series. This is a series right? Give me more please.
It may just be these photos you’ve chosen but I feel like this style also skews a bit minimal. How to do this with more stuff in your life than just furniture and gorgeous moldings??
This is my favourite blog comment today. And I feel you… I love minimalism but also have like, tin robots and books I reread, and pick up and drop hobbies too frequently.
I love this!! Yayy can’t wait for the rest of this series!
I’m a California girl, but I wasn’t feeling California cool as much either. This is so much more exciting and refined!
You’ve called this “Art Nouveau”, but it is much more “Art Deco” with all those geometric shapes. Is the “nouveau” used here specifically for this contemporary trend (a “new Parisian style”), and not meant to recall the Victorian style? Because it doesn’t. 😉 Sure is interesting, regardless.
I was thinking the same thing…. I love this style, but I was similarly questioning the term. Apartment Therapy does a good job differentiating between “Art Nouveau” and “Art Deco” here: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/art-deco-vs-art-nouveau-whats-the-difference-227508
Again, not trying to be too picky, since after all, I do not have a design degree or any professional experience!
The examples are Art Deco. Art Noveau was a short lived style that was popular between 1890ish and 1910. Art Noveau was characterized by flowing lines, asymmetry, and oganic forms.
Art Deco developed later, post World War I, and was much more influential.
And while the Mona Lisa is housed at the Louvre, it is a portrait of an Italian woman painted by an Italian painter, Leonardo Da Vinci.
Mitchell, thank you for such a concise and erudite comment that summarized my surprise at what I saw. When I saw “Art Noveau” in the subject line I expected Emily to do a roundup of Arts and Crafts type decor, but this is definitely a new take on Art Deco.
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I agree, definitely more “new Parisian” than anything else.
Naming styles is so tricky, even for Emily who made a whole TV show out of creating them, wink. For me it was the title image that had me wondering the same thing: hey, is this more “Deco” than “Nouveau”? The title image definitely has Deco hallmarks: black and white, symmetrical, pink WITH black and white, mirror, elongated and slightly rounded vertical shapes and brass. However, as I examined the “Parisian Art Nouveau” style in the whole post I saw things which changed my mind. While I am not a professional designer, I am an Art Nouveau aficionado (the Mucha Museum was the first place I had to go in Prague) and have studied many art and architectural styles. I am intrigued by this post, the style, and the naming being used. Upon further viewing, I see an abundance of curves, mostly naturalistic curves, soft matte colors and rich textures, ornate details, soft golds, and an overall lightness to most of the designs (all that super skinny lighting is absolutely Nouveau-inspired!). It seems a holistic kind of mix of some Art Nouveau principles with splashes of Deco: the black and white, the chunkiness of certain pieces of furniture, the frameless… Read more »
Loving this series already! I’m ONLY into traditional architectural details if they are contrasted with graphic, modern, and clean sculptural pieces, with black, and color-blocking! Can’t wait to see more of this!
I like to see a style that pushes convention and speaks more to a modern global influence. I am looking forward to seeing how I could bring more of this style into my home, despite not living in a Parisian period apartment with mouldings, mantles, and herringbone floors to set the stage. Can this really be done well without all of the architecture? And can I get the feeling of “French Art Nouveau” without buying all new furniture? I look forward to seeing what is next.
Man, I am not into this at all! The first image reminds me of what Kelly Kapowski fantasized her adult bedroom would look like. There are some beautiful pieces, and most of the french architecture is gorgeous (hellooooo, molding), but a lot of it feels really cold to me. But hey, not everything can appeal to everyone!
I agree Elizabeth. This is not my cup of tea. The picture with the pink chair immediately made me think of Beetlejuice. Ha! Most of the seats look rather uncomfortable and there doesn’t appear to be much storage. But I do appreciate learning about a style different than those I am comfortable with. Thank you for sharing Emily and team.
Thanks! Love the post, very informative. This style might be a little too dramatic for me personally once you get past the first few pictures but there are elements I just love. Could you talk a little more in detail about how to properly mix items from different eras? You’ve done it beautifully in your home as well I noticed. And I’m always wondering how to mix my mid century modern furniture with some touches that are a little more ornate. Is there a way to balance this properly without making my home look like a junky antique store? Thanks in advance!
I love this post!! One of my favorite…. something new and refreshing!!!
Some of these spaces are just gorgeous! I really like the brushed gold lamps. We stayed in a couple beautiful flats in Le Marais in Paris this spring, which would’ve fit right in! AirBnB is a treasure.
Also – the teacher in me needs to clarify – is there a reason why French is written as “french” throughout? As an adjectival form of a proper noun, it should be capitalised. I don’t think you’d get away with writing about american or californian style!
I’m not sure of the rules in English, but I know in the french language, you do not capitalize “french” when using as an adjective 🙂
I also speak French, but this post was written in English – where the rules are pretty straightforward!
LOVE, SWOON, TRES CHIC! Lighting options, s’il vous plait!
I adore this roundup, but I’ll hop on the bandwagon about the term ‘Art Nouveau’. That was a really specific art movement (with official members and everything) that focused on dense and curving botanical patterns, sensual female forms, and prints inspired by Japanese art that was just hitting Europe. Furniture would be fancifully carved with people and flowers, and fabrics and wallpapers heavily patterned. William Morris, Alphonse Mucha, and the Metro stations in Paris. What I think you have is a killer round-up of a French take on Bauhaus.
For anyone interested in a visual of Art Nouveau: ps://tinyurl.com/yafl55hm
Oh, honey. Just do a quick edit and replace “nouveau” with “deco.”
That’s what I was thinking! This whole post is talking about Art Deco, not Art Nouveau. Replace that one word and you’re good. 😉
Agreed! I was so confused until it occurred to me to switch the words.
That being said, this is fun to look at and take apart. Thank you!
Omg love this series! And also, I think I inadvertently went for this style in my house. I’m scrolling through this article like check, check, check. I wouldn’t have described my style this way, but I think this nailed it! Gorgeous.
This is a lovely post, but the Mona Lisa isn’t French other than in residence 😉
Maybe Waterlilies (by Monet) would be a better descriptor?
Yes, yes, yes. Bring on the drama. Bring on the moodiness. I adore the velvet, gold mirrors, fine details. Gorgeous. Sumptuous.
Love the post, from art nouveau’s more organic origins to art deco’s sleek designs. They are both a modern style of there time, which is why I like them both.
Art history nerd here! I adore this roundup, but I’ll hop on the bandwagon about the term ‘Art Nouveau’. That was a really specific art movement (with official members and everything) that focused on dense and curving botanical patterns, sensual female forms, and prints inspired by Japanese art that was just hitting Europe. Furniture would be fancifully carved with people and flowers, and fabrics and wallpapers heavily patterned. William Morris, Alphonse Mucha, and the Metro stations in Paris. What I think you have is a killer round-up of a French take on Bauhaus.
Art Deco would be a French equivalent to Bauhaus.
No, Art Deco is really not a French take on the bauhaus. Nor does this look style look like bauhaus at all. Bauhaus was all about being practical, simple, mass production “form follows function” while Art Deco was luxury, decadence. You also have both German Art Deco and French designers inspired by bauhaus. They are two very different styles.
Yes they are different, I was referring to time period rather than styles. Had world war one not happened the Paris expo that introduced Art Deco would have happened in 1914.
I love how knowledgeable everyone here is! It is so fun to read everyone’s comments. Thank you all for sharing
I can’t pull it off but I love it! Even the outlets are chic.
Love this, but FYI, the Mona Lisa was painted by Italian artist Leonardo DaVinci 😉
Oops da Vinci
That’s true, but it does live at the Louvre.
Honestly, I’ve always said, “I don’t like Art Deco or Hollywood Regency.” I couldn’t see a way to make it “homey”. This series of styles you’ve been doing lately has definitely opened my mind. I’m not saying that I would use this style but I see the appeal. Photo #2 is my favorite. I also love the typography print (Is that right?) in the last picture, those are my sentiments exactly.
Emily, you and your team are ROCKSTARS!
It is times like these when you are beyond busy that we appreciate even more than usual how extremely generous you are with your blog posts.
Thank you, thank you for keeping the great content coming. Plus for looking ahead at the big picture and creating custom content with your own projects. I am sure this will be so rewarding for all.
PS imagine all that energy going into design decisions, instead of clients, plus having your own incubator ( I mean office ) for your creativity to shine. So very exciting!
Emily – can you do a post about painting the moldings and wall the same color? So many of these photos featured that, and I would love to do it in my living room, but am having a hard time with what moldings to paint/keep a traditional white.
Thanks!
Laura
OOOO LA LA!! I’m in love!
GAHHH….this look is fabulous! I think it should be called Parisian Deco Modern cause it’s cleaner and less ornate than Art Deco with touches of MCM. Thanks Em! Keep it coming!
Anyone else notice the sofas? ….Jean Royere, Polaire sheepskin sofa (possibly) , if not check out the latest auction prices for originals at Phillips, I can’t think of any other sofa that appreciated more.
My favorite part about this style is the herringbone floors for sure. They immediately make me think of tiny Parisian apartments!
Alexis, I love Parisian apartments floors too!
I also noticed on the above pictures the strong presence of chevron floors, (my all time favorite) 17 photos compared to 2 herringbone floors. I was wondering if that was because it was the preference of the person selecting the above images ? or if chevron is becoming the more modern day treatment, because of the angles it is a little simpler?
I am loving these posts that break-down the style. Even if a particular style is not one’s cup of tea, they help to train the eye to recognize the elements and how they all come together to create the look. I am learning so much from these. I enjoyed the California series and this new series is exactly what I was hoping for when you did the post about what style to do next. Can’t wait for more posts!
Yes, yes, yes! Drooling! Reminds me of Brady’s apartment!
I LOVE this style and have been transforming my Victorian house into a more richly decorated Parisian inspired abode. More PLEASE!!!
How can anyone sleep in the first hotel bedroom? That would mean they have to stop staring at it! It’s so scrumptious! French maids, I hope, are paid very well, bc are they wielding vacuum attachments on ladders to dust the moldings?
DREAMY. Lol at the commenter who said there didn’t seem to be much storage… it’s not practical, but damn it’s luxurious! I love all the textures, sculptural light fixtures, and play with scale.
THIS IS STUNNING. Thank you so much for this beautiful roundup Emily. This oozes sophistication when mixing the ornate architcture with the clean streamlined furniture and modern art/lighting. The juxtaposition is so chic. I love seeing some variety in styles, and it gives me hope that there isn’t just a one-note style out there. I’m also seeing Art Deco pieces pop up more in stores…it’s always good to keep our eyes peeled for the next big thing coming!
Also, along this series…wondering if you could also give us a roundup of an array of on-trend exterior home styles? I love me a board and batten white house, but they are popping up everywhere (gotta thank Instagram for this huge trend) and I’m wondering if you have input about different exterior home styles? Loved your previous house exterior makeover! It was so unique and fresh!
LOVE Love LOVE this- so refreshing to see something (online in general, not you) regarding interior aside from the overdone Pinterest polished-brass-dark-wall-typographicsomethingonwall-and-oh-look-a-cactus-shit uh sorry I meant stuff.
Please elaborate on this style! This is why I follow designers, not just for telling me how it IS but how it might be/could be/will be. I am always so sad when I see another hotel, restaurant that does the “weathered wood, chalkboard, brass coffeeshop” aesthetic and wonder if no one had the guts to do something new? Innovative? Something that doesn’t scream Blogger-was-here?! Anyway sorry for the rant it might just be my filter bubble& town.
And I also agree on wanting a breakdown how maybe some of the old world charm can be achieved without the architectural details already in place. I sadly can never use your sources (since furniture doesn’t really ship to Europe in most cases and it would be kind of insane if you think about costs for shipping, tax etc) but the posts give me inspiration to try to find something similar here in Germany. *insert applause emote here* MORE PLEASE!!
I adore this look but FYI – this actually isn’t “new” per se, Parisians have been doing this for at least the past 10 years – probably longer.
One thing the Parisians do well is modern eclecticism. That’s largely what this is – it’s just got a slight Art Deco slant to it. But you can see similar ideas from Parisian apartments all over Pinterest if you look. I also see a lot of Italian MCM influences too. Most of the images she’s shown I’ve had on a Pinterest board for the past 4-5 years.
In fact, one of the pictures she included is literally from West Elm. It’s from their catalog from a few months ago. So it’s officially hit the (middle American) mainstream. I don’t think that will impact its longevity – because for Parisians this isn’t a “trend” it’s just how they naturally mix modern pieces with classic architecture.
Maybe a post about Italian MCM influences on both Parisian and even American style would be a great series.
One more thing: and easy way to get this style in a more modern home is to use more modern and clean lined upholstery – either with straight tuxedo lines or curves – and mix that with accessories like ornate carved gilt mirrors. Then add in some statement Italian MCM lighting (check out Gaetano Sciolari). Use texture vs pattern (although it’s your house so if you like pattern, use pattern).
If you like this look but want more pattern, try looking at designers like Jean Louis Deniot. Also, Studio Pepe has really taken this aesthetic and driven it forward. And they’ve done it in modern spaces.
Good luck! It’s my favorite look – I’ve been slowly trying to design my home in a similar way without falling prey to trends. Modern eclecticism is tricky to get right.
I just stayed at Hotel Panache and LOVED it!! Such a great space! Love this post!
Absolutely love this serie of decor styles! (and I’m not saying it because I’m French, ha!)
Love every bit of this. ALSO, look forward to a sourcing guide on all those lighting options (please??)I realize that this is actually the style my house wind up being… NO macrame for me :-).
Emily, this is by far my favorite post you’ve ever done. And I look forward to every post! This is spot-on my style and have been waiting for someone to blog about it. I love how it can veer much more contemporary or more traditional (personally I love the mix). Please keep posts on this style coming! Thank you for all that you do!
This is great! I liked the Cali Casual, but it’s nice to see a style that is less prominent in my Instagram feed. I love all of the more modern interpretations of this style! That hotel Panache really looks like a design-lover’s dream. Looking forward to the round-ups, in particular a lighting round up.
Hi guys, bona fide French woman here (though living in the US for a year and loving it !!). I was the person who commented against the French decor post idea, remember ? I was afraid it would go the traditional, grey-red-cheap curvy furnitures way. Boy… was I dead wrong !! I wish I could edit that comment. That is one amazing post. Can’t get over it. I don’t use pinterest, but I would pin the heck out of that post if I did. Instead, I bookmarked it and will be feasting my eyes on it from time to time. There are a lot of things to love: trumeaux mirrors (love and miss them so much), beautiful pieces, high ceilings and amazing bones. That is design for the über-rich, but honestly, I don’t mind. A whopping zero percent of my friends lives in a home looking even remotly like these, and while not being millionnaires, most of us are reasonably well-off. That just makes me very curious about the next post on how to put it off at our homes, because I know how great you guys are at being real and budget-friendly !! I’m dying to know how you’ll… Read more »
AMALÉCYTE, I love your comment! It’s great to get a perspective from une française. I’m curious to ask you: if this style is for super-rich Parisians only, how would you describe the style of French people who are, like you said, “reasonably well-off”? What does that look like, when (in your opinion) it’s done well? Would love to hear your thoughts. Merci mille fois 🙂
Thank you so much for your answer ! It’s very hard for me to say what “French style” is, because I have very little opportunity to scale back and see the big picture. From what I can compare (the France I know and the Bay Area where I moved a few months ago), there doesn’t seem to be a “French style” at all. Both my French and American friends have the same mix of Ikea and more or less dilapidated or upcycled heirlooms or vintage finds. Some photographs on the wall, some art here and there, lots of toys everywhere (Pokemon and Lego are ubiquitous), that kind of thing. The trends are also a worldwide thing, so I see the same trendy cheap items everywhere, which annoys me to no end. If I really look hard, I’d say that the difference probably lays in the style of the vintage or antique items. We seem to inherit a lot more antiques, linen, plates, and stuff in general. In my very personal opinion, “French style done right” is the balance between those antiques (not painted, not with knobs changed, just loved and cared for) and some newer elements, all of them quality.… Read more »
Just back to say: my own French home’s style is “what would EH do with that antique ?” 🙂
yes yes yes. this and italian mod are right up my alley. i can’t get enough of these sculptural pieces, the sofas, chairs, the lighting, the mirrors. and the beautiful architecture! so good. i kept scrolling thinking “when will it end!” thanks for the eye feast. 🙂
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I have your book. Wonderful. Thank you from Spain.
A post like this, one that steps waaaay outside the EHD box of aesthetics, is a brave move and so I applaud the team for that – two thumbs up! But in terms of design worlds an ocean away, I think this one missed the boat somewhat!
While it’s definitely not a post on art nouveau, it also teeters on the edge of not quite deco either. Haussmann is certainly Parisian but hardly deco, Eames are 50’s (en fait a fair amount of the furniture featured in this post is not deco era), and as for Mona…well anyone worth their salt knows that little lady ain’t French! Poor Leo would turn in his grave if he heard such an insinuation!
In that respect this post just feels a little off – a nice idea, but poorly executed and I firmly believe team EHD is capable of far greater stuff than this!
OMG I love this style!! Fabulous post!
Didn’t know I’d love this style so much! Thank you!
This post has my mind going as to how to incorporate it into my home.
Parisian Art Deco may be my all time favorite!! For multiple reasons. I’ve always loved Art Deco style and the roaring 20s. I love high ceilings (most of your examples must have 12′ ceilings at least!) and the mix of modernism with the elaborate moldings and gilded mirrors. BUT, can anyone really pull off this style if you don’t have elaborate plaster moldings throughout your space? It seems like a key part of the equation. And they are always painted white everywhere. Anyway, I love love love it and wish I could live in it. Great post!
I’m a web designer so I just gotta say — loved the use of headings in this post, which I don’t think I’ve seen you all do before. It made things nice and easy to read without being distracting from your overall look. Wanted to pass along that feedback in case you were on the fence! Appreciated and on point, EHD team! 🙂
Loving this series… such good content.
Love the second picture. The sofa and chairs look like a huge cuddle, they are gorgeous. Somehow though this picture doesn’t look real to me – almost looks like a dolls house room with tiny furniture – or maybe it is just me!!
I wasn’t familiar with the term Parisian Art Deco till now, but love love lovvve!!!
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