Living France Loves

Inject some French flair into your life. Here are some of the products, from or inspired by France that have caught our attention at Living France

Scent can bring up the most wonderful memeories in an instant. Warm summer rain smells of childhood family holidays, and certain perfumes bring special people to mind. So we love the idea of candles scented to evoke the history of the arrondissements of Paris. Within ‘La Note Parisienne’ collection; blackcurrent, red berries, magnolia and orange peel, for example, represent the 8th arrondissement and the 1944 Libération de Paris during the First World War.

One of the things we love about France are the fantastic local markets around the country and French style net bag can be a great way to carry shopping that you buy. Filet bags were originally made in France for fishermen but were soon adopted by French people for use for shopping and laundry trips, so why not keep up the tradition?

For those of us who don’t have an actual balcony view of France, hanging a photo on the wall could be a great alternative. This one from Abstract House has transported us straight to the sunny climes of Cannes!

If the temperature where you are hasn’t quite reached French Riviera levels, this super soft velvet throw from The French Bedroom Company is perfect to snuggle under and would bring a touch of luxury to any home.

Bringing fresh flowers into your home can be a great way to brighten up the place and this glazed stoneware vase, handmade on a potter’s wheel in Grenoble, with its beautiful light blue pattern and unique quirks formed in the baking process, is absolutely perfect to hold a bundle of blooms.

Working at Living France requires a good knowledge of the French map. We love this vintage style school map of France, which could be a beautiful and very handy reference point for anyone who needs to brush up on their French geography.

For a bit of pampering and relaxation, we love the France inspired delicate floral fragrances of Marks and Spencer’s, La Maison de Senteurs range of toiletries, hand creams and diffusers.

Eating outdoors is a pastime beloved by both the English and the French, and while the weather in France offers slightly more opportunity to do so, we can all agree that a robust and roomy picnic basket is essential to a successful picnic experience. This beautiful hand-woven basket comes complete with a tablecloth and plates to lay your cheese, baguettes and charcuterie out on, and a corkscrew to open that all important bottle of wine.

We love the quirky soft toys from French brand Main Sauvage. They are handmade with Baby Alpaca wool in a fair trade workshop in Bolivia are available in the UK from yoyoandflo.com.

Read next…

9 inventions you didn’t know were French

The bluffers guide to acing a wine tasting

Ian Moore: throwing open the doors of a bed and breakfast in France