{"id":346366,"date":"2026-03-26T12:32:53","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T16:32:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.sothebysrealty.com\/?p=346366"},"modified":"2026-03-26T12:32:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T16:32:53","slug":"three-parisian-interior-designers-to-know-if-you-love-french-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/three-parisian-interior-designers-to-know-if-you-love-french-style\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Parisian Interior Designers To Know if You Love French Style"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A new wave of inspiring French interiors offers everything from hushed elegance to whimsical theatricality, writes Caitlin Gunther<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"double<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Doroth\u00e9e Delaye-designed holiday home, Les Bords du Lac, in Hossegor, north of Biarritz, France. Photograph: Mr Tripper<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For design inspiration, the world has long looked to France, where visual languages become enduring styles, from the gilded opulence of the Napoleonic era to the stately lines of Haussmann\u2019s Paris, and the cool, functional minimalism of Le Corbusier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cArbiters of Style: The New Wave of French Interior Design\u201d by Eugenia Santiesteban Soto, in collaboration with Paris-based writers Alice Cavanagh and Lindsey Tramuta, seeks to capture French design in its most contemporary manifestation, via some of its key tastemakers. Soto, style director at Frederic magazine, highlights a range of aesthetics and approaches here, from \u201cpoetic restraint to theatrical spaces teeming with fantasy.\u201d One common thread, according to the author, is a spirit of innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think the French truly celebrate and respect creativity, and that mindset has deeply permeated the culture,\u201d Soto tells Sotheby\u2019s International Realty. \u201cDesigners\u2014not only in interiors and furniture design, but also in fashion\u2014aren\u2019t content to sit on their laurels. They keep moving, reinventing.\u201d That same cultural fabric explains why personal style and individuality are so genuinely celebrated in France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another recurring theme, Soto notes, is the sculptural quality of many French interiors. \u201cI get the sense designers are thinking about interiors as a three-dimensional canvas. They pay close attention to blank space and the flow of objects in a room,\u201d she says. Many schemes are co-created with clients as creative as the designers themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Craftsmanship is also a throughline, with a focus on local artisans. \u201cI think it\u2019s natural that [French] designers are looking in their backyards\u2014there is such a rich history of craft in their native country,\u201d Soto says. At the same time, they don\u2019t limit themselves to L\u2019Hexagone<\/em>; the respect for craft transcends national borders. Among the designers featured in the book, a few standouts illustrate this \u201cnew wave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Claves<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"sculptural<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A sculptural mantelpiece by Claves, co-created with Hugo Marchand, artistic director of Christian Louboutin, for the main salon of his whimsical Paris apartment. Photograph: Alice Mesguich<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyone who follows the contemporary Paris hospitality scene knows the name Claves<\/a>. The interior architecture studio, founded by Laure Gravier and Soizic Fougeront in 2022, has made a name for itself with bold, imaginative spaces\u2014from uber-cool restaurants like Le Cornichon in the 11th arrondissement to Villa Junot, a painstakingly restored and reimagined h\u00f4tel particulier<\/em> in the hills of Montmartre.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The book details how the team looks to French decorative arts for inspiration, especially movements that defined the early 20th century, such as art deco. Think: a serpentine mosaic fireplace or a ribbon-like wooden spiral staircase bathed in natural light. \u201cThe aim is to create spaces where you feel like an actor in a film set,\u201d Gravier tells the authors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result is design-forward\u2014without ever taking itself too seriously. The spaces feel at once stylish and playful. \u201cWe like to inject an element of surprise,\u201d Gravier adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doroth\u00e9e Delaye<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"contemporary<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bold sculptural combinations by Doroth\u00e9e Delaye for the poolhouse at Les Bords du Lac. Photograph: Mr Tripper<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stepping inside Mimosa, the Paris restaurant led by celebrated chef Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Pi\u00e8ge, feels like entering a hidden world tucked into the 8th arrondissement. Its curved, rich-hued wood surfaces, a soaring ceiling inspired by a ship\u2019s hull, and tufted banquettes the color of salicorn, give you a taste of Doroth\u00e9e Delaye<\/a>\u2019s sensibility. This project, in particular, channels the French Riviera of the 1950s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the book\u2019s authors explain, the Paris- and Marseille-based designer credits her distinctive aesthetic to childhood trips with her parents to antique fairs, as well as to her own adventures to far-flung, sun-soaked destinations like California, Brazil and Beirut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThose early trips meant that, unconsciously, I developed an eye for the eclectic, foreign and culturally unique,\u201d says Delaye in the book. Her signature lies in transporting color palettes, always punctuated with eclectic, one-of-a-kind touches. \u201cI always need to add some slightly wild or crazy detail to make it me,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Festen<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"white<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Festen\u2019s cross-braced wardrobes are a call back to the 17th-century provenance of fashion designer Theirry Gillier\u2019s home, while a Tracey Emin painting hangs over the bed. Photograph: Matthieu Salvaing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Marais-based studio Festen<\/a> is another \u201cIt\u201d design duo in Paris. Founded by Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay, recent notable projects include Paris Fashion Week favorite Chateau Voltaire and the elegant 8th arrondissement boutique haven Hotel Balzac.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The book describes their style as \u201chushed restraint and classic rigor\u201d\u2014tonal palettes, natural materials and meticulous attention to craftsmanship. Examples include an antechamber sheathed in brushed silk, accented by a Picasso hanging from a bronze picture rail, and an oatmilk-hued bedroom with clean, simple moldings livened up by two floral-upholstered Louis XIII armchairs. \u201cWe try not to be ostentatious,\u201d says Sauzay. \u201cWe want to be fairly understated but not minimalist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s easy to linger over Soto\u2019s carefully curated photographs and daydream how to incorporate these perspectives into one\u2019s own home. At the very least, the reader comes away with a few bright-line rules of thumb: balance, restraint, craftsmanship and the occasional wink of fun and whimsy. \u201cThis book is really for anyone who loves design,\u201d Soto says. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to be a Francophile to appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cArbiters of Style: The New Wave of French Interior Design\u201d<\/a> is published by The Monacelli Press in April 2026. Read more about the design trends defining 2026 here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A new wave of inspiring French interiors offers everything from hushed elegance to whimsical theatricality, writes Caitlin Gunther The Doroth\u00e9e Delaye-designed holiday home, Les Bords du Lac, in Hossegor, north of Biarritz, France. Photograph: Mr Tripper For design inspiration, the world has long looked to France, where visual languages become enduring styles, from the gilded […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":232770377,"featured_media":346372,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1399,1398],"tags":[1441],"class_list":["post-346366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home-and-design","category-featured","tag-france"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Bedroom_Festen.jpg","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pf4gbL-1s6y","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":343907,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/spotlight-on-cannes-the-french-rivieras-revitalized-gem\/","url_meta":{"origin":346366,"position":0},"title":"Spotlight on Cannes: The French Riviera\u2019s Revitalized Gem","author":"Kate Marburger","date":"May 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Best known for its star-studded film festival, Cannes is also a year-round spot for sunshine seekers and lovers of luxury living, writes Caitlin Gunther Cannes, France | C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur Sotheby\u2019s International Realty Cannes has long been a place to hit reset. 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While many early-2000s interiors were marked by simple lines,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Home and Design"","block_context":{"text":"Home and Design","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/home-and-design\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/header-5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/header-5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/header-5.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/header-5.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/header-5.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/header-5.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":342165,"url":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/all-eyes-on-paris\/","url_meta":{"origin":346366,"position":2},"title":"The Best Culture to See in Paris this Olympics Season","author":"SIR Admin","date":"July 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In the lead up to the 2024 Olympic Games, hundreds of events, shows, and exhibitions are taking place in cultural institutions across France as part of the Cultural Olympiad\u2014a multidisciplinary artistic and cultural program that aims to start new conversations between the worlds of art, culture, and sport. 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And iconic French brands within the LVMH group \u2014 like Christian Dior, Louis\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Market Insights"","block_context":{"text":"Market Insights","link":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/category\/market-insights\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static-sir-corp-blog-production.gtsstatic.net\/blog-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/image1-3-1024x683.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static-sir-corp-blog-production.gtsstatic.net\/blog-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/image1-3-1024x683.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/static-sir-corp-blog-production.gtsstatic.net\/blog-api\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/image1-3-1024x683.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/232770377"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=346366"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346366\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":346374,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/346366\/revisions\/346374"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/346372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=346366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=346366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sothebysrealty.com\/extraordinary-living-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=346366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}