Photo by Owen Gale
Downsizing à la française isn’t about having less. It’s about living better with what you choose to keep. Parisian apartments are famously compact. A typical home for a couple or young family might range from just 400 to 750 square feet (40–70m²), while even larger four-bedroom flats rarely exceed 1,000 to 2,000 square feet (100–200m²). In these spaces, clever storage isn’t just helpful — it’s essential. But in true French fashion, practicality never comes at the expense of aesthetics.
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From editing possessions with intention, to embracing compact layouts, the French, especially Parisians, know how to create interiors that are as functional as they are refined. With an emphasis on thoughtful details and pieces that will last a lifetime, even the tiniest homes become places you want to linger. And that, perhaps, is the true art de vivre.
Drawing from recent interiors featured in the MFCH Magazine, here are our favourite French-inspired strategies for downsizing while maximizing on style.
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1. Advantageous Standing Storage
Nothing adds character to a space better than antique furniture. In France, you’ll find armoires, buffets and commodes in nearly every home, from country estates to modern apartments. Not only are these pieces prized for their age, craftsmanship and patina, but also for their practicality, providing extra storage wherever needed.
Unlike modern built-ins — which can feel impersonal and limit the possibility of changing a room layout at a later date — these freestanding pieces offer flexibility and can easily be moved from room to room, or from home to home. Whether it’s a marble-topped console, a carved buffet, or a mid-century vanity, these pieces elevate entryways, living rooms, and bedrooms — no renovation required.
2. Displaying Books with Style
In French interiors, bookcases are often a defining part of the room’s character. Built-in or wall-mounted bookshelves are a common feature in Parisian apartments, often designed to to frame doorways, arch over beds, or line entire salon walls. By extending vertically and integrating seamlessly into the architecture, they streamline the space and create the illusion of height — a smart solution when square footage is limited. Books can also be interspersed with objets d’art: a ceramic vessel, a framed sketch, a glass votive, for example. It’s less about rigid organisation, more about creating atmosphere, mixing unique finds with everyday objects.
Freestanding bookcases also have their place. An 19th century bibliothèque (bookcase) or a set of tall mid-century shelves can add both storage and soul to smaller rooms. And for easy to reach reading material: Parisian apartments rarely come without a dedicated porte-revue (a sculptural magazine rack). These small pieces can frequently be found at brocantes (French flea markets), and, coming in vintage brass, leather, polished wood or sleek chrome, they make a great addition to living rooms, beside a reading chair, or in a quiet corner of a bedroom — no matter your style.
3. Adding Additional Shelving
Floating or wall mounted shelves are another clever staple in French interiors. From kitchens and bedrooms to compact bathrooms, wall shelves bring both function and flair and are a simple way to maximise vertical space in your home. Whether you’re fitting custom shelves into a nook or niche, or installing a single, dramatic ledge, these handy additions can either be used to keep everyday items accessible or showcase your most prized pieces. Depending on your desired effect, some artisanal or antique touches, like ornate carvings or brass brackets, can be used to add visual interest in a room, while others, like curved details or painted wood in faded tones will soften their presence.
Pro Tip: You could also consider wall-mounted nightstands, which help to cut visual clutter with their clean, legless design.
4. Finding Chic Solutions
In French homes, furniture is rarely static. Pieces are chosen as much for their adaptability as their beauty. Folding chairs, nesting side-tables and vintage daybeds with hidden drawers allow a space to shift with the rhythm of daily life and transform as needed.
At brocantes, it’s common to spot drop-leaf dining tables that fold out — perfect for hosting dinner parties in smaller city apartments. Sculptural stools that moonlight as bedside tables, or wooden benches that work just as well at the foot of a bed as they do in an entryway are also common space saving options. Even something as simple as a lacquered tray becomes an elegant surface for a coffee when paired with a collapsible stand.
This instinct for improvisation also extends to decorative objects. A glazed soup tureen filled with peonies. A glass carafe catching candlelight. These double-duty pieces reduce clutter, but more importantly, they make the home as unique as its inhabitants.
5. Maximize on Mirrors
Oversized antique mirrors are a hallmark of French interiors, and are as frequently found in Parisian apartments as countryside châteaux. Often placed above marble mantels or leaned against a wall for effortless grandeur, they’re not just decorative — they’re strategic, reflecting light, amplifying architecture and visually double the space.
The effect is magnified when paired with Parisian design staples: windows dressed in sheer linen or cotton in neutral tones, crystal light fixtures and brass details. The resulting interplay of light and reflection creates depth and a hint of quiet romance.
6. Entryway Essentials
Unlike many American homes, traditional French apartments don’t include built-in coat closets. Instead, a handsome antique porte-manteau (coat stand) or a set of vintage wall hooks may welcome you at the door. From carved wooden examples to cast iron hooks, or minimalist mid-century designs with brass pegs and a shelf above for hats or baskets, these pieces are as expressive as they are functional — a small space solution that turns necessity into an opportunity for style.
7. Containing the Clutter
From the pantry to the dressing room, baskets and boxes are a linchpin of organization in the French home and instantly add texture and warmth. Wicker baskets hold linens and blankets, enamel bins, root vegetables and cleaning supplies. Painted wooden apple crates can be used to children’s toys, while sleek leather-bound boxes can be used to hide TV remotes and coffee table clutter. everything has a home, keeping your home feeling spacious.
Pro tip: While its fun to rotate baskets and boxes seasonally — lighter fabrics in summer, quilted baskets in winter, if space is tight, opt for antique wooden boxes or woven baskets using natural fibres. These timeless designs adapt easily to shifting moods.
