French Country Style: Get the Look

I have a soft spot for foreign interior design magazines, and in particular, French decorating magazines like Elle Decoration and Marie Claire Maison. (My mother is horrified by how much money I spend on this fancy, but I think those Euro magazines are worth every penny.) There's just something about French homes that I love. Sadly, I always feel the look is impossible to achieve without a Gallic lineage and a trove of family heirlooms.

Convinced there was a secret to the interiors of France, I asked some tastemakers known for their Francophile style what the hidden key is. Here's what they had to say:

"'Perfect imperfection' seems to capture the essence of the French approach to creating to a home -- the chemistry that happens when a look is pulled together with a certain reverence for pieces that show their age; a feeling that things are as beautiful as they are useful. French style effortlessly combines old and new, embraces personal quirks, indulges refined preferences, and rejects the sterility of soulless design." -- Josephine Ryan, author of French Home and the upcoming Essentially French (Ryland Peters & Small)

"Pleasing the eye is a centuries old tradition in France...one that adds to the American image of the French as snobs, and, the other side of the coin, our envy of their natural sense of style," says Joan Osburn, half of the San Francisco-based interior design consulting business, Design Concierge, and co-owner of CafeSocietyStore.com. "Whether it is a wine label, a garden path, a zinc bar or a pair of shoes, the French way is to make everything a design opportunity. It is no secret that the French care about style, with l'art de vivre, infused in their culture and daily life."

"The secret of French style is confidence. The French are not afraid to try an unusual color here, or a surprising pattern there or throw in an over-scale lamp. They have no fear of what others think because they know it doesn't matter. What matters is that their interiors reflects their own tastes, and they are confident that they have bon gout. After all, they are French!! Their personal style can be fully au courant, ancien regime or a mix of whatever they find interesting; anything goes, as long as each element is well chosen and the whole, well composed." –Steve Osburn, (the other) half of the San Francisco-based interior design consulting business, Design Concierge, and co-owner of CafeSocietyStore.com

"The secret to French interiors has to be the textiles! Soft, faded, old florals and stripes mixed with nubby, course hemp and linen sheets. Shades of red and grey mixed with soft burlap and oatmeal colors. French interiors are comfortable and filled with history. The rooms invite you in and beg you to stay."-Kaari Meng, owner of the store, French General and author of French General: Home Sewn(Chronicle Books)

Ed note: Kaari was actually vacationing in France when we spoke with her -- this tip came straight from a 17th century chateau!