The philosophy of French interior design and how to apply it to your home with Lauren Li

Building With BuildHer

When it comes to designing your home, it’s tempting to make choices that emulate the highly curated pages of a magazine. However, your home is a haven that should be a reflection of you, your values and the way you live your day-to-day life. Today on the podcast, we’re joined by the lovely Lauren Li, interior designer and author of The New French Look.

Lauren’s love affair with the French style began during a stint of living abroad in her twenties, where she wrote an article for The Design Files on French designers. This ignited the passion that eventually led Lauren to write a source of inspiration and practical guide for readers who want to incorporate the French style into their own homes.

In our conversation, we discuss The New French Look’s exploration of different regions in France, from the elegance of Parisian apartments to the rustic charm of the French countryside. While we see variations in style between city and country, mountains and seaside, there appears to be a common philosophy in how the French approach design.

We talk about the lived-in feeling evoked through French design, contrasting the minimalist style that can often feel staged and impersonal. From the fearless use of colour to the relaxed placement of art, we delve into what makes the French style sophisticated yet carefree, and how it challenges the idea that design must be overly curated or contrived. Lauren encourages us to find ways to bring these elements and some of that ‘je ne sais quoi’ to our own homes.

We then discuss Lauren’s initiative The Design Society, a community that aims to support fellow designers through online courses, workshops and live Q&A sessions. We talk about the complexity of running an interior design business, which means having a network of people to support us as we navigate challenges is invaluable.

Lauren’s fresh perspective on design and dedication to fostering a collaborative community of designers is incredibly inspiring. This conversation has so many gems to take away, whether you’re starting out in your interior design career or embarking on your own home design journey.

Enjoy!

LINKS:

The New French Look

Connect with Lauren:

Instagram: @sisalla_interior_design

Website: https://sisalla.com.au/

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