"Nothing inspires me more than a good story and a majestic home"
Discover the unique beauty of France (and Spain) with me by exploring my top ten properties that have captivated me with their French château-style interior design. From magnificent museums and luxurious hotels to private homes, each of these properties will leave a lasting impression...
Over the past five years, I have gathered a great deal of knowledge about the process. If you are about to embark on your own renovation journey in the French countryside, this article may provide you with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate the terrain...
“You love flowers, Madame, so I have a bouquet for you. It is Le Petit Trianon” said King Louis XVI, to his wife, 19 years old. This lady was Marie-Antoinette, the last Queen of France. In the hands of the young monarch, Le Petit Trianon became a double-edged sword: a jewel and a curse. Her most iconic legacy, which made her a household name, also hastened her descent into an eventual deathly demise...
Nothing inspires me more than a majestic home and a good story. My last post, titled “Topkapi Palace: How Women Exercised Power In An Age Of Absolute Male Dominance”, falls perfectly within these lines. Topkapi harem, with its unique architecture, has inspired today’s post: a modern kitchen concept with Ottoman influences...
Over a period of more than 16 centuries, Istanbul was the epicenter of many powerful civilizations. The Ottoman Empire was the last one to leave an indelible mark on its history, before the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923. A striking testimony to the Ottoman Islamic style in...
3 years ago, Nick and I developed an obsession with devouring daily the British TV show “Escape To The Country”. The show is mainly about couples and families who move from the city to live a new idyllic life in the countryside...
Two years ago, just after buying her first apartment, my sister said "I want to decorate my new place, but I have no idea where to start". Buying an apartment was a major milestone for her and she wanted to get it right. All she knew at this point, is that she wanted to create a beautiful interior she would be proud of...
Retro style in interior design is a rich source of inspiration. This can be found in influences from the beginning of the 20th century like Art Nouveau and Art deco and in mid-century styles, mainly from the 50s and 60s...
How many of us would wish to achieve the unique Parisian style in urban interiors? We might long for that deliberate imperfection and artistic flair so specific to Parisian homes. The style is often eclectic, seems effortless and creative expression is at the heart of it. It is both nostalgic and contemporary and is unshakable when challenged by changing, fleeting trends...
It took me a few days to write this post as I have been trying to adjust to the sudden enforced confinement we were asked to adhere to here in France. This new "situation" has been frustrating and at times scary, but I accept that it is important to stick to the new rules, so we collectively try to flatten the curve and slow the spread of the virus. In the meantime, life must go on. ..
How many of us run home-based businesses or need to catch-up on tight deadlines at home? When this is done in small apartments, it is often quite the task to seemingly integrate an office into a limited space...
You might, at one point, have been obsessed (like myself) with the modern country kitchen style. The charming, timeless combination of traditional feel-good looks with modern, practical standards of living makes the country kitchen a very attractive style...
I have put together some of the most important guidelines to help you decorate your apartment...
I remember when I moved into a relatively small apartment and was faced with the challenge of making it feel like home. I wanted to make the place seem bigger and brighter without making any structural transformations...
During my recent visit to the Paris Maisons et Objet last September, it was clearly evident that gold accents were still a hot trend across all categories of interior design...
While La Païva was often described as an overly ambitious upstart, excessive in her need for material goods and uncouth in her way of showing her fortune and possessions, I’d rather explore the reasons that might have led her to adopt certain behavior and what really fueled that determined ambition and drove her to build her extravagant Hôtel Particulier. She was, after all, a courtesan...
While I was flipping through a book about historic palaces in Paris, especially those rarely accessible to the public, a particular and quite unusual story caught my eye and sparked my interest. The fascinating story I am about to describe narrates the life of the mastermind behind one of the most emblematic monuments on the Champs-Elysées (Hôtel Particulier in French): Hôtel de La Païva, the only example left of the magnificent palaces that once lined the iconic avenue...
Traditional Bohemian styles in interior design might not be for everyone, myself included. I have never related to the unpredictable and heavy combination of colors, textures and patterns that is linked to Boho decor. I found it too rustic, “messy” and “unorganized” for my taste (I am on the verge of being OCD so the whole style never really worked for me)...
I recently (almost by chance) came across some beautiful Art Nouveau ad posters, real masterpieces produced between 1890 and 1910. I worked in advertising for many years so you can understand my enthusiasm after seeing these posters. Talented artists like Alphonse Mucha, Jules Chéret and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec - to name but a few - created a new art style that is forward looking, aesthetically beautiful and detailed, including soft contours, rich embellishments and vivid colors with nature as the main source of inspiration...
As an interior design enthusiast, I am always seeking sources of inspiration, fresh new ideas and examples of best practice. However, this blogpost is not about the usual avenues and arenas for inspiration like industry magazines, websites, events, social media, reference books, historic places and major landmarks...
The Little Interior Design Blog 