With impeccable furniture design credentials, the French really know how to create an elegant interior. Whether you’re a fan of antique-style pieces or modern design classics, French furniture companies will have something for you. For a fabulously bourgeois-boheme look, mix and match styles and if your budget will permit, go for iconic pieces that will add a certain je ne sais quoi to your interior.

Antique Chic

The Hall of Mirrors

A gold mirror like this gilt Napoleon III piece is an unashamedly luxe item that will add a touch of overblown glamour to a living room or bedroom. If you’re not into the total antiques look this piece will mix well with more modern styles too. For a kitschy-cool interior, match this piece with bright wallpaper, perhaps in vibrant green or deep blue. If you prefer a more classic look, the mirror would be perfect statement piece in a neutral-toned room.

This one costs the princely (or should that be emperorly?!) sum of £4,950, but you can probably pick something similar up at an antiques market in France.

Find this mirror and other similar ones online at the Old French Mirrors Company

Consoling Oneself

This decadent piece from Roche Bobois is a modern version of a classic design. In eye-popping turquoise with gold accents, this adds a touch of luxe to any interior. Using this piece of furniture as a console does make it slightly redundant so perhaps add a coordinating mirror and make this a glam dressing table. Alternatively you could use it as a desk although a laptop may look rather incongruous against such a obviously antiquey item. That said, furniture is just like fashion – it’s all about mix and match!

Find the Volutes Console online here.

Joyous Toile de Jouy

This probably won’t be your boyfriend’s favourite bedding, but blue and white Toile de Jouy looks so clean and fresh (and admittedly very feminine) you’ll want to jump into bed. And stay there. If you’ve always fancied playing Marie Antoinette, now is your chance! You can buy the bedding online at French Treasures or if you’re nifty with a sewing machine why not buy some Toile de Jouy fabric at Laura Ashley and knock up some curtains or cushions yourself? You can find some foolproof instructions here.

Modernist Marvels

Louis Ghost Chair

This is an absolutely iconic piece from the King of French Design, Mr Philippe Starck. Of course, it’s a clever, modern twist on a traditional design  and if you invest in one of these anyone who knows anything about design will note your style-savvy choice. The chairs are available in various colours in clear and opaque polycarbonate. You could buy a selection to create an eclectic dining room look or as they do come with a “Designed-by-Philippe-Starck” pricetag, you could just invest in one Louis Ghost chair and make it the centrepiece of your bedroom or living room. It’s an investment item that won’t date – a bit like the furniture equivalent of a Chanel bag!

Find the Louis Ghost Chair online here.

Stem Coffee Table

Luxe French design house Ligne Roset’s Stem coffee table is the perfect combination of sleek, modern design and clever functionality. In natural-stained walnut veneer and gloss white or black laquer, it’s a furniture piece that will coordinate with almost any interior. The two drawers at either end of the table mean that you can quickly tidy any mess should unexpected visitors arrive, or alternatively store living room essentials and make sure your lounge stays clutter-free. Find more information here.

The Corbusier Chaise Longue

Another French designer, another iconic design. Le Corbusier’s Chaise Longue is perfect for…well, lounging actually! The piece may look modern, but Le Corbusier designed it back in 1929. If you like a minimal, chic interior look, choose the black leather version or if you prefer something funkier, it’s also available in ponyskin. Le Corbusier stated “long live the good taste manifested by choice, subtlety, proportion and harmony”, and looking at this chair, we can see what he meant. Available from Cassina.