There are few better ways to preserve the joy of your travels than to bring those memories into the home. Everyday Health highlights how vacation time abroad can be of enormous mental benefit – retaining those good feelings in the home will ensure that you can keep your home as an oasis of wellbeing. For lovers of France and all it has to offer, there’s some serious history when it comes to interior design that can aid you in overhauling your entire home. That starts with the warmth and rustic nature of the woods and country and ends in the vast gilded palaces of the cities and chateaus.

French Warmth

Most people visit France during the summer – how can you get your home ready for the winter with a French twist? You’ll want to swap to warmer blankets, bring soft lighting into the home, and add texture to your home. One principle that meshes well with this, according to Elle magazine, is the use of anti-decor. Being casual and having a room that shouts out relaxation and effortless style. Go with what feels good; France is renowned for its passionate yet languid and laid-back style.

That same casual decadence is felt in one of France’s most iconic products – wines. Building a design around wine is something that can be easily done in the home, too. Start with the obvious touches – vintage-looking bottles and wine itself can do a lot of work. To take it up another notch, consider looking at upscaled wine crate furniture. The wooden crates used to transport wine are hardy pieces that can often be found in supply shops – deploy them liberally through the home to make it very warm and very rustic.

Wood and Country

The relaxed and casual nature of French interior design is brought well from those wine crates and is carried into their furniture design. House and Garden magazine highlights how French country interiors are defined by their simple yet somehow intricate furniture designs. Usually from the same type of wood and not overly finished, they marry together simple yet elegant designs and a high amount of utility. Consider that with your furniture – does it stand out by itself, and does it still fill the role your home needs?

Always focus on a rustic nature – at least when you’re starting out. France is a place of contrasts, of grand palaces and luxurious decor against a backdrop of quaint villages; the gentleness of that nature, and the warmth of those villages, is a great thing to bring into the home. Of course, a lot of that focus comes around the kitchen.

Greenery and Nature

When you think of a classic French kitchen, certain elements come to mind. Think rustic, copper kitchenware; rustic wooden counters and furniture; hanging herbs, root vegetables, and cured meats; bottles of fine oil and wine. That warmth and rustic quality is something you can bring into the home, and especially in the kitchen. Simply make the look your own. Put your herbs and vegetables on display – have them ready for cooking. Kitchenware, especially copper-based, is fairly easy to procure and also has the side-effect of giving that luxurious, metallic sheen to your home.

Also, consider putting lots of greenery on display. Bringing plants into the kitchen and the entire home can bring to mind the image of a typical French village, a little hidden jewel in the vast countryside of the country. That can give you a real authentic feel while also benefiting your home in a very real way – greenery and fresh cooking are, after all, linked to good mental and physical health.

Grandiose Decor

While the average French home is known for its relaxation and effortless style, there is, of course, room for grander designs in French history. The Palace of Versailles shows that to perfection, with its huge painted and gilded facades and incredible furnishings, and is as French as it comes. To get this feel in your home, just go for the loud and bold pieces wherever you can. A sprinkling of luxury around your home will ensure that you display that love of France in the best way you can.

If you’re looking for a more grand renovation, think about how you might replicate French styling with your wider decorations. You could deploy paneling on the walls to create borders and then embellish them with gold leaf (or gold paint, if you don’t have the money to spare for the real thing). Replicating the simple look can give you that impression. Go for wide, well-lit spaces – while dark colors, black especially, can also bring a sense of luxury, the palaces of France are known for that grand nature.

Pan-African Style

France has a long colonial history. A great number of French citizens have African ancestry as a result, whether that be from Algeria, Cameroon, Vietnam, or Syria, and particularly large numbers of French citizens are from north Africa in particular. This brings a particular set of cuisines, decoration, and culture to France that can also reasonably be replicated in the home. France has long been a multicultural country, according to The Guardian, ever since the Napoleonic times; as a result, you’ll find a lot of influence from cultures around the world that help to inspire the everyday food and drink of the country. That can be brought into your interiors, and indeed should be, to reflect the true character of France.

Bringing France into your home will help you to keep it close to home for life. If you love France and its culture, that’ll make your home the comfiest place it can be. That’s true regardless of style – whether it’s simple and laidback, or ostentatious and bold. Whether it’s the re-use of wine racks and France marries together sheer class from its quaint villages to its exuberant towns and cities, and that’s something that you can reflect regardless of your tastes.