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Seven ways to make your kitchen look quintessentially French

The spotlight is on Paris this summer, including in our kitchens; here’s how to get the Gallic look

Duck à l’orange; dauphinoise potatoes… Brits regard French cuisine classics almost as fondly as a Sunday roast. But now, it’s the actual cuisines that we have designs on.
British kitchen company Wren Kitchens has reported a 28 per cent increase in customers seeking French-inspired kitchens since the start of the Paris 2024 Olympics and the latest series of Netflix’s Emily in Paris aired in August. Google Trends data, where searches for “French interiors” have increased by 100 per cent, backs up the Francophile decor movement, which has no doubt also been fuelled by real-estate shows like The Parisian Agency, which offer British viewers the chance to snoop around French homes from the comfort of their sofas.  
But what makes a kitchen quintessentially French? For the Paris-born photographer Carole Poirot, who lives in a cottage in North Yorkshire, it’s more about a feeling than a particular look. “It’s a sense of homeliness, longevity, even frugality – keeping and using old items instead of buying new ones – that has nothing to do with the fashion of the moment,” she muses.
French architect and interior designer Charlotte Lilford, who is based in west London, says that the kitchen as status symbol is very much a UK phenomenon. “There is a sense of pride in how impressive your kitchen looks in British culture… fitted with units, with multiple ovens and lots of gadgets. Many French people won’t go to a high street kitchen designer, but would rather have something made by a joiner, and definitely have fewer or smaller appliances,” she says.
But perfecting that effortless look takes, well… effort. Here, a selection of tastemakers share how they added more than just a little French garnish to their own kitchens. 
The star of this kitchen at the home of Charlotte Simpson (founder of Lotte Studio) isn’t the mushy pea-green units, but the 1930s Ukrainian chemist cabinets. Sourced from Splendid Antiques, they fed into Simpson’s desire for a kitchen “that felt like it had always been there, with real soul and even more character through knocks and bumps.” Using an existing piece can often be cheaper than having something made, but incorporating it as early as possible into the design is the recipe for success. 
“The beauty of freestanding pieces is not only do they add something unique, you also aren’t spending your full budget on something you leave behind; they simply move onto your next home and that was always our plan at the start of the project,” says Simpson.
Maybe it’s because of the way many French people shop – by picking up fresh produce little and often from local markets – that makes maximising storage low on the priority list when it comes to kitchen design. Walls are more often adorned with open shelving to display occasional ceramics or family heirlooms, creating a sense of airiness which helps the kitchen feel as considered as any other room in the home. 
In her new home, Carole Poirot has done away with a shelf above her run of Moroccan zellige tiles entirely: “It’s just too obvious a choice nowadays. The hanging rail works much better and is something my grandmother had in her kitchen, so I’m working with memories here.”
“As far as I can remember, a French kitchen layout would always have been a row of units on one or two walls and a wooden table at the centre of the room,” says Charlotte Lilford. “The kids would finish their breakfast on one side of the table while someone on the other side would already have started peeling some vegetables for lunch.” 
A second-hand table is a more budget-friendly – and flexible –  alternative to a built-in island (and it can be pushed aside for impromptu kitchen discos). But in her own home, Lilford has found herself influenced by the English open-plan way of living and opted for a large built-in island which doubles as a bar for guests to sit up at. 
Across the Channel, cabinetry often plays a supporting role to a statement floor, rich in pattern or texture. When choosing terracotta tiles for her south London kitchen, Bianca Serrao Jones of The Home Reform was inspired by the uneven flooring in French country houses. The rivets, dips and dozen coats of sealant required certainly doesn’t make it a shoo-in, but the irregular finish does allow for scuffs and marks. 
“They’re not perfect – they were labour-intensive to install and have marks and are different colours,” admits Serrano Jones. But the pros outweigh the cons: “For me, having a floor like that feels so homely and inviting, it really does feel like I’m in the French countryside.”
If you’ve spent the same price as a small car on a Sub-Zero & Wolf fridge, then chances are you’ll want to show it off. But the blingy, beefed-up American look is not de rigeur on the Continent, with the French preferring discreet, under-counter appliances. To conceal them, a “skirt” of patterned fabric on a suspension rod offers a suitably low-fi route to integration.
Depending on your connotations, you’ll either run a mile from the thought of a tiled countertop, or be attracted by the affordability compared to marble, for example. The interior designer Sophie Rowell, founder of the design studio Côte de Folk, is a fan, but advises approaching with caution as grout can be a magnet for crumbs and discolouring: “I use them in spaces which won’t get much traffic, like a utility room or as a statement on a kitchen island.” 
Non-porous porcelain tiles make for a lower maintenance option, and Rowell suggests closely matching the grout to the tile for a cleaner and more considered look (the brand Mapei boasts over 40 colours). 
Patinated copper pans, vintage signage, beaten-up bar stools… you can inject a touch of je ne sais quoi into an existing space by stepping away from Google search and thrifting around Facebook Marketplace or antiques dealers in person. Simpson found a striking, hand-painted address sign at the famous Marché aux Puces De Paris Saint-Ouen in the French capital, and had it shipped home. Check out ICAF (icaf.co.uk), which organises antiques fairs across the UK for your nearest. 

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