European Decorating Style
Today I’m sharing all my thoughts on how to style your home with a European decorating style.
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I’ve been excited to write this post for awhile now! Since taking my interior design course and starting my business, purging my house and making it more streamlined (that’s a mouthful) I’ve really tried to decipher my favorite decorating style (yet again). Did I still love French vintage decor? (I mean, I wrote a book about it!). But yes, the style I always gravitate back to is French or, more broadly, European decorating style, as I love a bevy of architectural elements from surrounding European countries (look at me using fancy words 🤣).
I did remove a lot of clutter from my house and it feels good! I think it’s made me appreciate every little thing I have in my home now. I am still dying to move and renovate a house all over again and use all my European decorating style ideas to the max! And it’s been so fun decorating client’s homes with ideas I’ve had and wanted to try.
So today I’m going to share what European decorating style is to me.Let’s get started with the features of many hallmarks of Euro Decor Style!
Traditional European Interior Design
I love the timeless design of traditional European interior design. For me, it means the following which I’ll talk about in more detail:
Vintage Art | Busts | Moulding on walls and doors | Marble | Antique Art | Patina | Statues | Fountains | Stone tiles | Natural elements such as baskets and wood | Gold accents such as faucets, hardware and lighting | Unlacquered brass | Touches of black, iron | Walls scones | Chandeliers | Linens | Plaster | Marble and limestone fireplaces | Antique mirrors | Pottery | Candlesticks | Copper
Classic Decor Details
Plaster, moulding and high ceilings add depth and dimension to any European styled space. The touches of gold and herringbone floors are also a must.
Yes to a freestanding tub, gold light fixture, vintage artwork and an antique chair. Oh how I love the moulding, door and hardware. It checks all the boxes!
If you’ve been following our back yard renovation, we had light and dark checkerboard pavers installed and they are gorgeous! A black and white floor is elegant and timeless!
Sculptural elements like busts and statues add an artful sophistication to a space. There are so many busts that you can purchase online now.
Shop Busts:
Vintage art
Shop Vintage Art:
Mouldings: check, gorgeous art: check, marble fireplace: check!
Moulding and marble, two things that you can not have too much of, in my opinion. Two quintessential European elements that offer rich character to a home.
Shop Marble:
Limestone and marble fireplaces make an elegant focal point in any room especially this bathroom!
Shop Fireplaces:
Shelving like in a Paris bistro and unlacquered brass faucets ooze European style. Polished elements like this really create the European style that I love.
This kitchen checks so many boxes for me! Brass, herringbone floors, marble, wooden pizza boards, black, and copper. Be still my heart!
I love a marble shelf in the kitchen. Look at all the texture and layered style in this one image!
Shop Wood Decor:
Gold antiqued mirrors, especially Louis Philippe mirrors, are my favorite. Some of my most popular posts are my antiqued and gold framed mirrors.
Shop Gold Mirrors:
Tip about mirrors: Louis Philipe mirrors always seem so hard to find. I usually find mirrors in that style at thrift stores as they are discards from a mirror and dresser combo. You can read more in my gold mirror post here.
Limestone floors add warmth and texture to a room. I love the layout pattern and it immediately signals European style.
The quintessential bistro chair looks good in just about any European styled space and really perk up a room!
Shop Bistro Chairs:
Copper and Lacanche ranges, need I say more? There are many different types of French ranges but this seems to be the most popular and I can see why.
Herringbone floors!!! I love the details in this hallway.
I love all the texture here with natural elements. Pottery, wood, vintage art, check, check, check!
I love this plinth or pedestal that Deb made. Perfect place to display statues, busts or pottery.
Shop Pottery:
I hope this has helped you learn more about European decorating style. Do you love it? Tell me what you think in the comments below.
Make sure to pin it for later!
click in case you missed:
European Style Water Fountains
I love everything here. The problem is virtually all of this is well beyond my budget. This is what I keep running into. There aren’t a lot of good resale, thrift shops, or even antique shops near me. I struggle to find anything that fits into a real life budget. I have been studying a lot of blogs like this one as well as Pinterest, and even the suggestions that claim to be “budget-friendly” suggestions aren’t truly in that range to most of us that have to live within a realistic budget. Most of the world cannot spend the kind of money on the decor or architectural elements suggested here or anywhere I am seeing that fits into this design category. Sadly, this is what I love. I got cancer in my twenties. I am still paying for the medical costs today. Most regular people, even those who aren’t afflicted with tragedy that hinders their financial situations, still need examples of TRULY affordable home decor/furniture that is actually appealing and don’t have to have warning labels attached because of the harmful chemicals made during creation. Even a lot of diy stuff for small project requires a lot of costly supplies. Most of us cannot spend thirty dollars on special brushes, then thirty or fifty dollars on paints and waxes. Could you help with suggestions for us regular, not rich folks?
Hi Julie,
I live in the most expensive place in Canada so I know about needing to make the dollar stretch. We also don’t have very many vintage shops but I’ve always looked on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace for secondhand items so it’s definitely possible! My friend Lauren from Blesser House is all about budget decorating and has a great FB group her followers can ask questions: https://www.blesserhouse.com/
Hugs, Jamie
Thanks so much for your kind response. This helps. Sometimes it can just be disheartening seeing all of these beautiful things and feeling like that beauty is an impossibility for your own home. I do spend hours on EBay, FB Marketplace, and Craigslist. I also live Blesserhouse. I guess your style is closest to what I love, and I am having trouble finding much. Thank you again for your thoughtfulness and kind response.
Hi Julie,
I completely understand, it can be completely disheartening and I think we ALL feel that, there are always people that have it easier than others. I think the most creative people are the ones that find the best life has to offer in difficult circumstances. I would try to find a friend nearby that you can borrow supplies and tools from. If you both shared these expensive tools and paints etc. then it would be easy to share. Although, you can just use a $1 chip brush from a dollar store or Home Depot carries them and can paint with that. You can also use leftover paint with baking soda to create your own ‘chalk paint’. I find there are so many options out there for little or no money! Get creative and try to make something beautiful out of nothing (garage sales, free curbside finds) and your creativity will be sparked! Best of luck!
Hugs, Jamie
Hello! I love the hallway in the above photo via French Fancy! Can you please tell me where to purchase the light fixture? It is so beautiful!