notes on living well, the French way
un carnet français — style, table, and the art of living well
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Bonjour, friend —

How to Build a French Wardrobe

Ten pieces, one philosophy: buy less, choose well, and let everything else go with everything else.

Read the guide
How to Build a French Wardrobe
A Weekend in Lyon, Slowly
PARIS & PLACES

A Weekend in Lyon, Slowly

Two days, no checklist, and the correct order for bouchons, riverbanks and the funicular.

From the notebook · 3 min read
The Cheese Course, Demystified
FOOD & TABLE

The Cheese Course, Demystified

Three cheeses, room temperature, served before dessert. That's the whole ceremony.

From the notebook · 3 min read
The One-Room Museum Rule
PARIS & PLACES

The One-Room Museum Rule

Why the French see one museum room well, and enjoy it — a cure for gallery fatigue.

From the notebook · 2 min read
La Capsule Française

Build the look: five pieces that do the work of twenty

The full capsule →
1

La marinière

The original neutral — Breton stripes go with everything.

2

Le trench

Collar up, belt tied, never buckled — every season.

3

Straight denim

Hemmed to the ankle, no exceptions.

4

Gold hoops

Right for the boulangerie, good enough for dinner.

5

A silk scarf

The one you'll keep forever.

Style & Fashion

The Ballet Flat Returns (It Never Left)

The French wardrobe, decoded — fewer pieces, worn better.

Paris & Places

Marseille Without the Checklist

Paris and the regions, slowly — where to go and how to be there.

Food & Table

Apéro at Home: The Only Three Rules

The market, the table, and the small rituals of eating well.

Culture

French Books Worth Reading in Translation

Film, books, music and the museum habit — the French cultural diet.

Art de Vivre

The Art of the Pause

The everyday art of living well — the long lunch, the apéro, the pause.

Le carnet d'adresses

Amis de la maison

A quiet line of addresses we keep — one partner at a time, each a friend of the house.

Le Billet

A short letter from the notebook: what we're wearing, eating, and wandering past. No noise, bien sûr.