Florence de Dampierre's French Chic Living

 

French houses just seem to ooze with charm—and their inhabitants, despite busy schedules, regularly entertain at home; something that I have long found most inspiring.

So, needless to say, I was super excited when I found out that my friend Florence de Dampierre was writing newest book French Chic Living (Rizzoli).

An esteemed interior designer and antiques expert, Florence is the author of several books including French Chic and Walls: The Best of Decorative Treatments. For most of her adult life the French-born de Dampierre has been sharing the secrets of French chic with close friends and clients; now, lucky for us, it’s all in one wonderful tome.

Florence is a natural to tackle this subject. Having had the privilege of being a guest at one of her signature poolside lunches (with ingredients fresh from the garden), it is both a chic and casual affair—always fun and very relaxing.

Packed with time-tested advice and conventional Gallic wisdom, French Chic Living offers suggestions for everything from setting up the bar and brewing the perfect cup of tea, to selecting a variety of cheeses for the well-balanced platter.

There are tips for polishing silver and repairing chipped porcelain, as well as simple concoctions for making your own all-natural beauty products and home remedies. From stocking the pantry, to washing and storing delicate linens to cleaning wooden and stone surfaces, this inventive hybrid (think “Heloise Helpful Hints” meets “Parisian Chic”) shares foolproof tips for creating a warm, well running and inviting home.

Art Deco Door Handles from Bonnemazou-Cambus in Paris

Parisian designers Agnès Cambus and Manuel Bonnemazou designed a single door handle in 2014; a design they’ve been elaborating on with new shapes, colors, and finishes ever since. Available to the trade, public, and for custom orders, the Bonnemazou-Cambus collection of door handles can be ordered directly through their site. source

Above: The PL-OS No. 01 Pilule Light Door Handle in black powder coated metal and satin brushed brass is €170 ($188.51).

Above: The GL-OS No. 01 Goutte Light Handle in satin brushed brass is €200 ($221.78).

Above: The GB-CL No. 01 Goutte Bold Door Handle is €200 ($221.78) and the Plaques Décorative, shown in blue powder coated metal, is €150 ($166.34).

Above: The GL-CS No. 1 Goutte Light Door Knob is €200 ($221.78) and Small Circle Plaques Décorative is €130 ($144.16).

Above: The GB-CM No. 01 Goutte Bold Door Handle is €160 ($177.42). The Medium Circle Plaques Décorative in black matte powder coated metal is €120 ($133.07).

Above: The PL-NM No. 01 Door Handle and Cloud Plaque are shown in polished chrome; €220 ($243.96) and €160 ($177.42), respectively.

Above: The color-blocked PB-NL No. 01 consists of a pink Handle, €170 ($188.51) and Cloud Plaque in burgundy, €130 ($144.16).

Above: The PL-PM No.01 combination is the Pilule Light Door Handle, €160 ($177.42), shown in white, and the Medium Parisette Décorative Plaque, €120 ($133.07).

Above: The Long Parisette Plaque in black.

Above: The BP1-LS No. 1 is the Bouton de Placard Bille (knobs) paired with the Small Lune Décorative Plaque, shown here in red coral.

Above: The GL-LM No. 1 is the Goutte Light Knob paired with the Lune Plaque.