13 French-Inspired Design Ideas That Are Très Chic

You don't need a chateau to get the feel of French style at home. From antique furnishings and sophisticated textiles to timeworn accessories and architectural details, many traditional French design elements can feel just as relevant today as they did when they originated centuries ago. Whether your personal style leans formal or more relaxed, these French- and French country-inspired decorating ideas will help you bring European charm to your home.

This seemingly ubiquitous fabric pattern has a much more storied past than you may imagine. Literally French for "fabric from Jouy" — short for Jouy-en-Josas, the riverside city where it was first manufactured — bleached cotton printed with pastoral or figural scenes has been popular as a wall covering, bedding and upholstery fabric since its introduction in 1770. The pattern was a technological revolution of its time, the fine lines and intricate design made possible by the recent introduction of copper-plate printing technology.

This chic living room designed by Marian Parsons combines the best of relaxed French country style with sophisticated Parisian panache. A trumeau mirror, properly placed between the room's two windows, visually expands the space and reflects the adjacent dining room while a pair of linen-covered bergeres defines the seating area.

Typical of the flamboyant Rococo style, bombé commodes add a sexy touch to any room. All the rage during the reign of Louis XV and his royal mistress Madame de Pompadour, Rococo style can be summed up in one word: curves. Highly skilled furniture makers of the time, known as ébénistes, developed methods that allowed them to shape wood panels and trim into the serpentine forms that are still popular today. (Image courtesy of Eloquence.)

Reminiscent of a posh Parisian hotel, this luxurious primary bathroom takes its design cues from the ornate paneled walls and cabinetry prevalent in the south of France during the 18th century. The look is period but the amenities, like the expansive soaking tub, are all 21st century.

American postwar prosperity in the 1950s saw a dramatic rise in the popularity of French country — aka provincial — style as young, newly affluent families embraced formality and a genteel lifestyle. Combining classic elements such as columns, cabriole legs and rosettes, French country style is essentially a rustic take on furnishings popular in the 18th-century courts of Kings Louis XIII, XIV, XV and XVI.

Combining rusticity with refinement, French country kitchens continue to be the go-to style for designers and homeowners alike. To get the look, opt for painted cabinetry that has been distressed and aged for a timeworn look. Choose handmade hardware over sleek pulls and top cabinets with a countertop that will stand the test of time like marble, granite or butcher block.

Silk-weaving in France began in Tours in the 15th century. By the late 1700s, the majority of production had moved to Lyons where more than one-third of the city's population was employed in the trade. Always trendsetters, French nobles were the primary customer of fine woven textiles. Damask, a pattern originally invented in the Middle Ages by Islamic and Byzantine weavers and named for the city of Damascus, was a favorite of French nobility who used it to adorn their homes' walls and furnishings. Image courtesy of Thibaut

We most often attribute the manufacture of silver to England and Ireland, but France has historically been both a consumer and producer of quality silverwares. French aristocrats coveted silver for both its utility and inherent value — an out-of-style candelabra could be sold for the value of the metal. In fact, very little early French silver remains today because both Louis XIV and XV decreed that all silver be melted down to replenish the state's depleted coffers, including the solid silver furnishings that once graced Versailles.

Gilding, the process of covering an object in a thin layer of gold, is a prominent feature of French design. An ancient technique, gilt objects predate the rise of French culture; early examples existed in ancient Greece, Egypt and China. Ormolu, from the French or moulu, meaning ground gold, is the process of gilding bronze decorative mounts that ébénistes (cabinetmakers) used to embellish exquisitely crafted furnishings and clocks. Image courtesy of Eloquence

An encoignure, or corner cabinet, is a useful feature of both formal French design and its country cousin, provincial. In this formal dining room, a beautiful arched corner cabinet is home to a collection of heirloom dishes.

Rustic yet chic, French provincial continues to be a popular choice for creating a room that combines sophisticated touches with casual fabrics and accessories with a timeworn patina. In this French country bedroom designer Amy Mings mixed relaxed linen bedding and window treatments with distressed wood furnishings and vintage accessories for timeless appeal.

French porcelain has long been considered among the finest in the world. Kings and courtiers such as Napoleon and Marie Antoinette sampled delicacies served on dinnerware created in the Limoges region of France. By the mid 1700s, French porcelain dominated the European market, toppling the artistic leadership of Germany's Meissen, the leading manufacturer of the time.