6 Ways to Keep House Like the French

When it comes to smart living, chic living, LIVING living, the French are masters of their craft. They inherently understand the value of space over random stuff, and the value of daily routines over major cleaning and tidying marathons. They fuss less over their space, and take a more dare I say it, laissez-faire approach to keeping house.  Keep in mind, this is only my humble perspective on French living. There are always outliers and many deviations, so take it all with a grain of salt. Or better yet, some salted butter on a baguette.

1. Make the entryway stand out. The French understand that first impressions count, and there’s nowhere better than L’ENTRÉE to showcase your style. Flood the space with a delightfully perfumed, chic-looking candle, a couple of meaningful items, and a statement mirror. The goal is to create a little vignette that sparks joy for you and your visitors.

2. Keep the kitchen efficient and free of frills. While the kitchen is a real hangout spot in the US, in France, it’s used primarily to cook and bake (and do the laundry, as washing machines are often located here). When it comes to kitchen organization, the French really take this maxim to heart: a place for everything and everything in its place.

3. Simplify the bathroom. In France, it’s quite common to keep your toilet separate from for the sink and shower/bathtub. You won’t really find much in the way of decor in said “toilet room,” save for a chic-looking room spray. There’s the bidet and towel warmer too, but truly no need to invest in either (although a heated towel rack sounds nice, especially in the winter). Moral of the story: save the bits and bobs for other areas of your home, and you’ll spend less time cleaning the bathroom (already everyone’s favorite activity).

4. Take the fuss out of the bedroom. It seems that the French bed has fewer throw pillows attached to it. You won’t find many electronics or TVs dans la chambre, either. A decluttered bedroom leads to fewer distractions and a better night’s sleep. If you’re a restless sleeper, try moving the TV out of the bedroom.

5. Clean and tidy as you go. The French aren’t ones for intense decluttering/cleaning/tidying “challenges.” Instead, they lean on daily routines like making the bed, tossing dirty clothes in the hamper, and cleaning as you go, which conspire to create an effortlessly clean space tout le temps.

6. Eliminate the excess. Another Coco Chanel quote for you: “elegance is refusal.” (And what an elegant quote in and of itself!) The French intuitively understand that the more stuff you accumulate, the more time you’ll spend organizing, cleaning and tidying it. Contemplate this lovely truth the next time you find yourself adding “mini air fryer” to your shopping cart!