How to Frenchify Your Home

The Frenchify series started almost one year ago. I have broken down different parts of the home in separate posts. This is one large post with a lot of different parts of the home to make it easy to read and hopefully, it will inspire you to bring a little bit of France home with you.

Kitchen

The heart of the home. In Paris, the kitchen is pretty small but Parisians manage to make it work. My first Chicago apartments had small kitchens and I got pretty used to not having the American size larger kitchens. There are some fun simple updates to Frenchify your kitchen. French dish towels, soaps, Le Creuset, and Staub pots are easy ways to bring France home. A madeleine pan, a butter keeper, and a kitchen scale are cooking essentials. You can see more details in this blog post.

Pantry

Herbs, spices, and condiments help make up a French pantry. There are grocery stores on French corners that carry all the basics you will need to stock your French apartment in Paris or your pantry at home. These are some fun additions that will help you when you are cooking from French cookbooks and making basic recipes.

Where to Buy French Foods Online

French foods can instantly transport you to France in your own home. A fresh croissant warm out of the oven or Bonne Maman jam on a baguette from your local bakery. Yes, let’s not forget about the butter. Life is better with butter. Here is my long list of resources online to buy French foods to order to your door. 

Bedroom

French bedrooms are small and all you need are good solid pieces of furniture. I love a cane or canvas bed, a gold mirror, a good set of white sheets, and a large piece of art. Lean the art or mirror above an antique dresser for a statement piece. You can read more ideas on how to Frenchify your bedroom here.

Bathroom

One solid piece of art or a photograph really helps complete the space. French bathrooms are known to be small so minimize the amount of clutter on the sink and try to store away as much as possible out of sight. Quality white towels, a robe, a fresh-smelling candle for baths if you can take them, and a quality French soap help complete the space.

Beauty Cabinet

When I first moved to Paris in 2013, I left my suitcase just for clothes and shoes and decided to buy all my shampoo and skincare in Paris. I have been buying and testing different French skincare products ever since. Some have lived up to the hype, others have left me not so impressed. I am still tweaking my dry skin beauty routine. Caudalie, Sisley, Avène, and Klorane are some of my favorite brands and you can buy them here in the US.

Home Bar

Invest in a few good quality pieces to Frenchify your Bar at home. Solid drinking glasses, champagne coupes, a cocktail shaker, bar mixing supplies, and good quality alcohol. David Lebovitz has a great book on creating cocktails and other French drinks at home to inspire you.

Entry

A small entry table, catch all for your keys, and hooks for jackets is all you need for this small space.

I got my original hooks from Homegoods years ago for $20 and moved them to my new place. I found some similar options below.

Bookshelves 

I have been reading and collecting Paris/France-based books for years now. I love sharing books with friends and family after I have finished them. I can’t wait to invite friends over to the new space once it is safe so they can grab a new book and be inspired. If you are looking for a new book, you can check out this post and this one!

Home Office

As most of us started working from home in 2020 and have continued into 2021, good dedicated office space is so important. In small spaces, it can be challenging. A solid desk with shelves and a comfy office chair is essential. For more ideas to Frenchify your Office space, you can check out this post

Living Room

When I think of a French-inspired living room, I think of a good gold mirror above a fireplace, art on the walls, a statement couch, books, and fresh flowers. You can see more inspiration in this post here.

Outdoor Space

I finally had an outdoor space last Summer and I really enjoyed it. It was my first time growing and harvesting a garden. I had tomatoes, peppers, and basil. Parisian balconies are small, but a small table and chairs can fit for a glass of wine or coffee. My first Parisian apartment had two adorable small balconies, one overlooked Sacre Coeur and the other overlooked the inner courtyard buildings. I spent most of my time looking out this balcony. There was just enough space for a tiny table and chairs for morning coffee.

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