Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward’s Collected Paris Living Room Is a Lesson in Styling Antiques – It’s the Most Authentic Way to Decorate in 2027
A look inside their temporary French apartment reveals why layering heirlooms with personal treasures creates an irreplaceable sense of history
As a celebrity style editor, I always find there’s something particularly appealing about seeing a famous couple at home when the room feels as though it belongs to real life. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward’s Paris apartment has exactly that quality.
The couple had the apartment while they were in France for the filming of Paris Blues, giving them a base in the city during Paul's work.
In photographs of their cozy living room, its personality comes through in the details. A marble fireplace sits beneath an ornate mirror, crystal lamps frame the room, and an antique sideboard adds another layer of history. To recreate the look, I'd start with a beautiful antique-style sideboard, similar to this geometric piece from 1stDibs.
Although it was only their temporary home, Paul and Joanne decorated with antiques in a way that made the room feel collected over time. The vintage pieces have a presence of their own, but they are mixed with the things Paul and Joanne lived with, giving the space a warmth that feels surprisingly easy to recreate in a contemporary home.
Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward in the living room of the Paris apartment where they were staying while shooting Paris Blues
Recreate Joanne and Paul's Look at Home
An ornate, gold-rimmed mirror brings an instant sense of elegance to a room. I love how a piece like this can make a space feel brighter and more expansive, while adding just the right amount of old-world character.
A vinyl record player is an easy way to bring some of the relaxed character of Joanne and Paul’s living room into your own space. This one has a beautifully considered look and an accessible price, making it a simple addition for anyone who loves the room’s laid-back feel.
Natural wood brings warmth to statement materials like marble and gilded accents. With its mid-century lines, this shelf is an easy way to display books, records, and the pieces that make a room feel personal.
A Persian-style rug brings so much warmth and character to a living room, and this design from Matthew Williamson’s collaboration has both in abundance. Its rich, orangey-red palette feels like sunset underfoot, while the washable, durable finish makes it wonderfully practical.
I love the look of crystal lighting, and this wall sconce brings that same sense of glamour without the fuss of a chandelier. I’d place a pair on either side of a fireplace for a polished, symmetrical finish.
I love a piece that looks just as good empty, and this sculptural black glass vase does exactly that. Its curved shape adds a modern touch to a sideboard or shelf, while a few statement stems or simple greenery will soften the look beautifully.
For Darren Price, Partner at ADAM Architecture, this is the appeal of decorating with antiques. 'Decorating with antiques is less about creating a particular period look and more about creating atmosphere. The most successful rooms are those that feel as though they have evolved over time, with objects, furniture and works of art that carry their own stories and memories.'
That sense of evolution is easy to spot in Paul's and Joanne's apartment. The ornate pieces sit comfortably alongside more modest furnishings and personal belongings, letting each object keep its own character. 'An antique can bring a sense of character and depth that something new simply cannot replicate,' Darren says. 'Antiques quite often represent the craft and fingerprints of times gone. They are an immediate link to history.'
You don't need a whole room of antiques to bring that feeling into your own home. An old mirror, a wooden chest, an antique lamp or a chair with some age can give newer pieces something to work against. The key is allowing the room to build up gradually, with pieces that have a reason for being there.
Darren's own work follows this idea. 'In my Architect's Drawing Room for Westland London, I wanted to create a space that encourages you to slow down and look more closely – to pause, remember and perhaps imagine the lives and moments that sit behind the things around you.'
There is something of that feeling in Paul's and Joanne's Paris apartment. The ornate fireplace and lighting establish the character of the room, while the everyday objects bring it back to the people who actually lived there. 'It is that layering of old and new, familiar and unexpected, that gives a room its emotional quality,' Darren says.
For me, that is one of the most appealing things about antiques. They bring a sense of history into a room, but they can also become part of its present. An old piece doesn't have to dictate the style of an entire space. It can simply be one element that makes everything around it feel more personal.
'A home should ultimately feel lived in and personal, rather than perfectly resolved,' Darren adds. Looking at Paul's and Joanne's Paris apartment, it is a sentiment that feels particularly fitting. Its charm comes from the mix of beautiful old pieces and the everyday things that made the space theirs.
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