Television shows involving Europe as a setting are quite popular nowadays on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and other streaming services. Examples include The Crown, which portrays Queen Elizabeth II’s life from her wedding in 1947 until the early 21st century, and Escape to the Chateau. This modern-day documentary series features Lt. Col. Dick Strawbridge and his wife Angel Adoree as they trade a two-bedroom apartment in Essex for a dilapidated 19th-century French chateau in need of fixing. Seeing these amazing backdrops is inspiring fans from around the world to introduce some European charm into their own homes. The key is to seamlessly incorporate European style into one’s home décor to fit with existing furnishings, color schemes, and designs, rather than break the bank doing an entire re-do. Here are three inspiring ways, other than through paint color, to add a bit of European flair:
1) Collections – European designs often include groupings of similar items. They are generally relatable to one another using something as simple as gold trim. Examples include a collection of gold-framed family portraits, gold-trimmed glass mirrors hung by ribbon or gold-framed paintings of country landscapes or English-style hunting dogs. Other collections may include beautifully bound hardcovers to showcase in glass bookcases, an assortment of porcelain French vintage teacups, or a collection of maps tied in ribbon and placed in a basket. Collections can also be achieved through various fountains, crests, and statues inside and outside of the home.
2) Florals– When we think of European design, French country style may come to mind. In this style, the French are inspired by colors and themes of nature and apply them to everyday items, such as tablecloths, napkins, throw pillows, window treatments, lampshades, and more. Throw pillows may be embroidered in a floral design or covered in a botanical-themed fabric. Country French design is generally inviting and used to soften the harsh lines of furnishings such as a taught velvet or wooden framed sofa. Muted colors, toile fabrics, and soft colored rugs and tapestries bring comfort and warmth to a room, particularly one with a tall ceiling. It is an effortless look and one that makes a person feel at home. Cut flower arrangements and fresh fruit displays can add coziness.
3) Wood– Adding wood to a home can add warmth and project the feeling of age. Incorporating wooden elements into a home can be done in numerous ways; through wood flooring, wooden trim, wood beams, mantles, and more. It can also be done in more subtle and less expensive ways, such as adding a few distressed wood pieces or a mix of vintage furnishings to a room. Distressed pieces offer country charm, whereas a mix of vintage yet traditional furnishings is more strongly associated with Parisian décor that typically achieves a more minimal effect. In a bedroom, a wooden canopy draped in fabric can be hung above the head of the bed to serve as an elegant focal point.
European-inspired interior design is a high fashion trend that never goes out of style. Separate elements can be brought together or incorporated throughout a room to achieve a sophisticated yet welcoming style. From antiques to French flea market items, a few simple additions to a room can add that certain feeling of “Je ne sais quoi,” an appealing quality that cannot be described or named easily but can be felt.
