Geoffrey's disclaimer: I've been interested in interior design for a while and I tell myself, like Pierre, that we can achieve very good results by applying the same reflexes as for men's style. When he asked me to write this article, as a big fan of Pierre's writings, I immediately accepted. Thanks to him for this very nice article.
If you are reading this blog, you are obviously interested in your clothing style. There is even a chance that you are interested in your style in a more global way: going out, reading, sport, etc.
Luckily, in most areas the reflexes and good attitudes to have are similar and respond to the same logic. Today, I would like you to realize how marked the similarities are between the basic rules for dressing well and those for decorating your apartment (or your house for the lucky ones) .
The basics of interior decoration
The first thing you learned about fashion is that there are essential basics, pieces for which there is no need to give in to crazy extravagance and where what matters above all is a correct quality so that they follow you for many years. We can even say that an outfit made up only of well-chosen basics is a safe bet. Conversely, an outfit made up of more striking pieces can quickly be a failure, overloaded with details that are incompatible with each other, and difficult to wear...
In decoration, it's the same thing. Stocking up on simple, good quality basics is enough to stand out from the vast majority of apartments . Choosing furniture without decorative overload and prioritizing functionality ensures you have a pleasant interior. This last point is even more important than with clothes because you won't be able to change your furnishings every day! As with clothing, there are many stores that offer simple, functional furniture of decent quality for reasonable prices: Ikéa, Habitat, etc.
You may be wondering: what is a basic? Well it's simple, the basics are the essential pieces: a sofa, a table, two chairs, a bed, a shelf... The essentials for living in an apartment. How to recognize a basic? These are pieces of furniture without superfluous decoration, without any stylistic effect; generally single-colored and with simple shapes. But as nothing beats illustrations, here are some examples in pictures:
On the left, basics, on the right, more distinctive pieces.
The furniture on the right is not necessarily a bad choice,
but these are not basics!
The strong pieces
By looking at the clothing on different specialized sites, you have realized that the use of strong pieces is what differentiates beginners from experienced ones. Designer clothing that fits harmoniously with basics is guaranteed to stand out from the crowd . You have also probably noticed that there is no need to only wear strong pieces to make a statement, it is often even the opposite: with just one designer piece, it is highlighted and the whole outfit benefits from it.
I think you've understood, it's exactly the same way in decoration: you have to use strong pieces sparingly. By strong pieces, I mean not only designer furniture or objects but also those that stand out for their look (flash colors, disproportionate size, etc.). The aim of the game is to have one or two strong points of attention in a room but to avoid making people who come to your house dizzy.
If you don't have a crush on a particular piece or if you don't know where to start, turn to the "seats". All the greatest designers have left behind a legendary chair or armchair: the Egg by Jacobsen, the Lounge Chair by Eames, the Panton chair, the chairs by Prouvé, Ron Arad or Stark... Sideboards (mid-height storage furniture ) are also a good source.
Pumpkin armchair, Imola or Wassily, Bahuts Everywhere or Ikea PS,
here is a microscopic fraction of the possibilities...
Be careful though, we all dream of outfits made up entirely of designer pieces, each crazier than the last. But this is reserved for a few amateurs (or sometimes professionals in the field) who have great experience with clothing and very good taste (yes, you need both for it to be successful).
Here again, it will be the same for your interior, do not take the risk of spending a fortune to fill it with designer pieces, you risk having an inconsistent decoration or one that does not really suit you.
And in the end, as with clothes, you risk selling off your purchases on online sales sites...
Materials and colors
You have known for a long time that you must pay particular attention to the materials of your clothes and favor those of good quality as much as possible.
It's obviously the same thing for your furniture: if the manufacturing is careful and the materials chosen carefully, your furniture will last for many years. On the other hand, the same cannot be said of kit furniture where even the assembly is shaky...
Of course, quality material has a significant cost, for example a sofa with beautiful leather will be worth a fortune and you could be tempted by a poor quality sky as compensation... But nothing prevents you from favoring less expensive materials like a nice fabric . And don't be afraid of stains, well-designed furniture has washable fabrics or removable covers.
Benoît and Geoffrey sometimes repeat it to you: to be sure of your success, it is better not to exceed three majority colors in an outfit (small touches of other colors are possible). Indeed, this allows for general harmony, especially if two of the three colors are close (light blue and navy, beige and brown, etc.).
We find this principle in decoration: avoid using too many different colors and play with gradients . For example, with a parquet floor (brown), you can paint the walls light beige and the ceiling white (a white ceiling enlarges the feeling of space and light). And above all, avoid painting all the walls a different color...
Light brown, white (and very light gray) and red: it works!
The accessories
After having mastered the previous precepts, you wanted to accessorize your outfits: watches, sunglasses, bracelets... little touches that you learned to carefully spread throughout your look while avoiding overdose, like a cook who uses spices sparingly; it's bland without it but disgusting if there's too much!
The interior design once again follows this principle. Here the accessories are lights, vases, small decorative objects... It's also a good way to brighten up your interior by adding little colorful touches. You can let loose and dare to do something a little crazy, especially if you have chosen basic furniture.
The advantage over furniture is that if you no longer like your accessories, it is easier (and cheaper) to replace them! You can also hang photos or paintings on the walls, it's a simple way to create a special atmosphere. Be careful though, if you want to keep a coherent interior, your accessories must be consistent with each other: same color for example or same spirit (Scandinavian, industrial, etc.).
Decorating is for rich people
Maybe when you started to take an interest in the way you dress you told yourself that dressing well was reserved for people with astronomical means? This is a common limiting thought but fortunately easily correctable: counter examples abound.
Good news, furniture follows the same principle: there are many stores offering attractive value for money. In addition, quality furniture is designed to last several decades and there are a plethora of places where you can buy second-hand furniture: flea markets, flea markets, auctions, etc.
Note from Geoffrey: We also get excellent deals on eBay or LeBonCoin (be careful with imitations of designer furniture on the other hand, you need to have a minimum of knowledge, especially about the prices).
One of the Ikea advertisements, composed with a multitude of furniture from the brand
(yes, even the chest with all the little drawers).
This is proof that you can have a successful interior with inexpensive furniture!
It's all about education
Once again, as with clothes, developing your taste takes time; whether to know what we like or to recognize the quality of what we buy. You will not be surprised to learn that the advice on this point is the same as for your clothing: read (blogs, magazines, books, etc.) and touch objects (in stores, at flea markets, etc.). Don't hesitate to visit high-end decoration stores to see the difference with more accessible brands.
Bonus, good addresses:
The stores
Ikéa is perhaps the best-known decoration store in France today and this is not unjustified. The collections give pride of place to well-designed basics and we even have some particularly interesting strong pieces, notably with the Ikea PS collections.
More expensive than Ikea but still affordable, Habitat presents modern and well-designed collections. Special mention for their accessories, which are often very well positioned in terms of price.
The furniture is made in France and the collections give pride of place to the great classics (the Pumpkin and Tanis by Paulin, Confluences by Nigro, Facett by Bouroullec, etc.), Ligne Roset establishes itself as the brand of French design.
For the most demanding: Cinna offers collections where quality and design are omnipresent. There are numerous customizable systems (shelves, sideboards) to offer the perfect piece of furniture. The collections are full of ultra-desirable gems.
On the Web
Interieurs , the cult show from Paris Première is available every week on the web. Several nice sections (hotel tests, China lessons, makeovers, etc.). Previous broadcasts can be viewed, I predict long hours of watching them!
Many French blogs are dedicated to decoration, do not hesitate to consult a large number of them to find your favorites. As an example, here are three sites that I follow regularly: For Interior , and Blog Esprit Design .
The theme of decoration is perhaps one of the most present on the web and there are a plethora of English-speaking sites which talk about it. The good thing is that you don't need to speak English to appreciate beautiful interiors, so I'll give you one of my favorite addresses: Desire To Inspire .
Magazines
Ideat is perhaps the most attractive decoration magazine of the moment, there you will find selections of objects, interiors (“decorooms”), mini tourist guides for cities all around the world… Good to know, its creator designed The Good Life .
Intramuros is much more sophisticated and… much more expensive (€13.5 versus €5). The objects selected are less common than in the more affordable press (where each magazine covers more or less the same news) and each issue of Intramuros highlights a designer, ideal for perfecting one's culture of contemporary design.
