From Haussmannian to contemporary loft: how to personalize your Parisian interior with walls

In Paris, every apartment has its own soul. There’s the 19th-century molding of a Haussmann apartment, the brickwork of a former artist’s studio, or the large bay windows of a more contemporary loft. But they all have one thing in common: walls just waiting to express themselves. And in 2025, the trend is clear: we’re dressing them up, coloring them and transforming them. In short, walls are becoming the new stage of Parisian interior design.

Walls mirror Parisian identity

You only have to push open a porte cochère to understand this. Inside, the walls tell the story of the city: carved cornices, herringbone parquet floors, black glass windows inherited from the workshops, or the rough concrete of an industrial past.
“In Paris, walls are a social and aesthetic marker,” sums up a decorator in the Marais district. In other words, they’re your interior’s calling card.

But (because there’s always a “but”): for a long time, we were content to leave them blank. Too wise, too neutral. Today, Parisians are more daring: color, patterns, panoramic views that transform a simple living room into a movie set.

The timeless charm of Haussmann revisited

Let’s take a concrete example: an apartment on Boulevard Saint-Germain. Ceiling height? Three meters. Mouldings? Present and imposing. Parquet floors? Period. The risk? That it all appears staid.
The solution? A wall that speaks to this heritage. Some dare deep blue or sage green, while others prefer panoramic floral wallpaper that looks as if it’s been lifted straight out of an impressionist painting.

Let’s face it: when a Haussmann wall is adorned with contemporary motifs, the contrast is spectacular. Neither pastiche nor sacrilege – just a way of breathing new life into a century-old heritage.

Lofts and studios: contemporary boldness

A change of scenery. In a former artist’s studio in the 11th arrondissement, the walls are raw: red brick, exposed IPN, waxed concrete. Here, there’s no molding to enhance, just surfaces to set the scene.
An interior designer says: “These open volumes call for a focal point, an element that catches the eye.” And what better than large-format, trompe-l’œil wallpaper to recreate depth or perspective?

In these lofts, a single dressed wall is often enough to give character to the whole space. Lush jungle, colorful abstraction, urban fresco… It’s an ideal playground for the creative.

Made-to-measure, the new must-have

More and more, Parisians are looking for decor that reflects their personal style. Gone are the “catalog” walls, replaced by made-to-measure. The trend is for every interior to have its own signature wall, almost like a unique painting.

And that’s where specialist companies like Photowall by Sweden. Their strength? Offer customized wallpapers, adapted to the exact dimensions of a Parisian wall – whether it’s a Haussmann salon or a rooftop alcove. Graphic motifs, landscapes, textures… everything can be calibrated to fit the space perfectly. In short: the wall becomes a tailor-made work of art.

Art in the home

In Paris, art is everywhere: in the galleries of Belleville, on the walls of the Louvre, in the studios of Montparnasse. So, of course, it also crosses the threshold into the home.

Walls become the medium for this passion. Some collect lithographs, others prefer to invest in artistic wallpapers that evoke a mural. It’s less intimidating than a million-dollar work of art, and more accessible than a commission from a contemporary artist. And yet, the effect is often stunning: a living room is transformed into a private gallery.

Golden rules for a harmonious finish

Of course, daring to use patterns doesn’t mean mixing everything up. Decorators recommend a few simple rules:

• Play with contrasts: one dressed wall, three more sober ones.
• Make the most of the light: in a glass-roofed apartment, light wallpapers reveal themselves magnificently; in a darker bedroom, enveloping colors are preferred.
• Mix materials: textured wallpaper works well with linen curtains, a velvet sofa and antique parquet flooring.
• Don’t overload: a single wall can suffice.

Put another way: subtle staging is better than visual overdose.

The new Parisian elegance

Finally, whether it’s a 120 m² Haussmannian in the 8th arrondissement or a bright loft in Belleville, the trend remains the same: walls are no longer neutral, they’re becoming signed. They tell the story of who you are, your travels and your inspirations.

And if we had to sum it up? Parisian walls no longer simply support the ceiling. They open up horizons, reveal personalities and, in some cases, transform a simple apartment into a veritable aesthetic manifesto. To put it plainly, the new Parisian elegance requires wallpaper chosen with as much care as a painting.

And under the roof, other challenges…

There’s one very Parisian case that deserves a whole chapter of its own: attic rooms and small spaces tucked away under roofs. Here, it’s not just a question of dressing the walls, but of coping with the slopes, nooks and crannies, and sometimes the square footage. Optimization, made-to-measure solutions, clever furniture: these cramped interiors have become a creative laboratory for interior designers. Another story of Parisian decorating, full of tricks and charm.