How to tuck in your shirt, style your hair, bake a galette: You name it and there’s an article romanticizing how the French do it. Of course, home decor falls high on that list, too. We’ve all seen the sun-drenched Paris apartment with aged white oak herringbone floors, ceramic vases plucked from the Paris flea, velvet mustard-hued accent chairs—all of it looking so pulled together. Well, what if we told you it had nothing to do with an interior designer (or even personal style for that matter) and everything to do with who happened to be working at the store when they acquired these items?
French Design Stores Are More Accessible
In France, it’s a widely known notion that folks don’t hire interior designers. According to designer Penny Drue Baird of Dessins, LLC, who has split her time between New York and Paris for decades, attributes it to the democratization of design in the country. “Design resources are infinitely accessible to the French. All stores are street level, there are no forbidden design centers or buildings. Then, there are flea markets or Marché aux Puces in virtually every corner of the country,” she says.“Inside the stores, the sales people are experts or semi-experts helping make appropriate choices. This expertise is just expected and it has always been this way.”
In France, Sales People Are Design Experts
French design shops are staffed with well-versed sales people who aren’t just there to hawk items, but to help take out a lot of the guesswork in the design process.
“Most people know what they like in terms of style, fabric color, textures, but often get jittery about making a call on size, scale, or proportion,” says designer Garrow Kedigian, who recently outfitted his own Parisian apartment after years of being a regular visitor. “When shopping in France, there’s always a connection between the buyer and staff, where they ask about the sizes of the spaces, ceiling heights, and questions that normally one doesn’t think of when making these decisions—all of which are essential.” Michael Aiduss of Michael Aiduss Studio agrees. Based just outside New York City, he has traveled to and worked in France for years. “French shops typically employ people who take pride in their assortments. They are highly knowledgeable and enthusiastic,” he says.
The French Take Design Personally
Beyond sales associates having extensive intel and a genuine passion for what they do, many also attribute the culture’s collector approach as the reason why designers are rarely brought on board. “People design the spaces themselves and collect different furniture elements that are valuable to their life and history,” Simone Vingerhoets-Ziesmann, executive vice president for Ligne Roset in the U.S., shares. “It’s more of a cultural difference. The stories, thoughtfulness, and care behind the designs resonate deeply with customers who want to live with something truly special.”
“The French have been surrounded in style and taste for centuries,” adds Aiduss. “I believe it is inherent that they have more confidence in making decorating decisions for themselves.”
What’s more, is that for the French, it might feel a little uncouth to have someone pull together such a personal space for you. “My understanding is that the French also consider one’s home to be such an intimate and personal reflection of one’s personality and sense of style—and that outsourcing to an outsider seems unnatural to them,” Kedigian says.
Sophie Demenge, the French-American founder of cult-followed children’s furniture brand Oeuf, shares that this is partly due to the French being in no rush to complete a space. “I don’t know anybody in France who has hired a designer or decorator. The reason why, it seems to me, is that Americans, compared to French, hire interior designers because they want results with a deadline. French people don’t have that ‘go-go-go’ mentality and approach interiors as a very layered process that’s a reflection of years of collecting,” she says
Others aren’t convinced: “I don’t think that notion holds true today,” says Benoist F. Drut, owner of Maison Gerard. “There was a time, up to the 1990s, when many Europeans, the French included, were not as interested in decorators. But there has been a recent rise of next-generation French interior designers and architects. They have separated their work from others through their access to the incredible craftspeople of France—the bronze workers, gilders, lacquer artisans, and embroiderers. This elevates their interiors to a level not achievable on one’s own,” he says.
Regardless of what side of the coin you fall on here, we all can agree the French have a definitive sense of personal taste and that continues to inspire. “Armed with confidence, they can make the design decisions they deem to be the best for them,” Aiduss adds.
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