How I Mix Old and New for a Relaxed French Country Look

Almost nothing in my house was bought with the intention of creating one perfectly coordinated room. The rooms have evolved over time. For me, French country decorating has never been about buying everything new or creating a perfectly matching room.

We built our house in 2019-2020, so it’s a newer house, but I never wanted everything to appear it came from the same furniture showroom. I genuinely love older furniture and pieces with age and character, and I’m perfectly happy putting them beside something new.

I also don’t believe that French country decorating means every single piece must be authentically French or antique. I mix expensive things with inexpensive finds, Marketplace pieces, things I’ve refinished, and ordinary newer purchases. I use textiles, wood, black accents, toile, books, baskets, greenery, etc. to make everything feel related without making it matchy-matchy.

In six years, the house has evolved. I move things around, change my mind, repaint things and reuse things in different rooms. That’s actually what I think makes it feel collected. Many years ago, I took an interior design class at a local community college. One important rule that was impressed upon me, was don’t be a “Debbie Decorator”. To me, things should feel like they belong together without necessarily carrying the same pattern or color, for example.

To me, French country promotes a relaxed feeling from the surroundings – the simple beauty of lavender or the classic toile de jouy pattern.

That’s the feeling I try to create in my own home. I may pair an older piece of furniture with a brand-new lamp, or put an inexpensive Marketplace find next to something I’ve owned for years. I don’t worry much about where something cam from or whether it technically qualifies as French country. If I love it and it feels right in the room, I can usually find a place for it.

To me, a home feels more interesting when you can’t tell exactly when – or where everything was purchased. It should feel like it came together over time, because it did.