Designer Fifi O’Neill Features Santa Barbara Homes in New Book, ‘French Flair: Creating a Home Inspired by French Style’

When it comes to American and European interior design, Fifi O’Neill is the expert. An acclaimed French author and designer, O’Neill recently published her book, French Flair: Creating a Home Inspired by French Style. With photos by Mark Lohman, the book was published in mid-May by CICO Books and is a beautiful exploration of 12 homes across the United States that exemplify French interior design. While the style is French-inspired, the book features one home located in Santa Barbara, one in Montecito, and one in Solvang.

Despite her French roots, O’Neill realized that after writing more than a dozen books, she still hadn’t written any books about French design. So, for her 14th book, she explores the beauty and longevity of French home design through a collection of curated photos and discussion.

“There is a very kind of South French feel to Santa Barbara,” O’Neill said. Her goal for the book, however, was not to showcase typical French design but to allow readers to see the various interpretations of French style.

For more than 40 years, O’Neill has been working as a designer and has familiarized herself with a number of styles that she has written about across a number of American and European publications.

“I like so many different styles, but, you know, you can’t have all of them,” O’Neill jokes. She’s written about designs ranging from romantic country to boho and rustic weddings and was excited to return to her French roots to visit homes that showcase the various charms of French design. She explained that she adores the variety that every home offers. It’s what draws her to keep searching for new places to feature in magazines, books, and other publications.

“I like being able to go into these homes and see how people interpret various styles,” O’Neill explained. She begins the book with an introduction into the various elements of French interior design style that she uses to highlight the homes in the remainder of the book. She worked closely with each homeowner, Los Angeles–based photographer Lohman, and her creative director, editor, and publisher to really delve into various interpretations of French design and how each homeowner made it their own. She describes the book process as a puzzle, but one that is exciting nonetheless.

In the introduction, O’Neill describes “French Flair” as “an instinctive ability to strike a balance between the elegant and the unexpected.” Everything from displays of flowers to the arrangement of cutlery comes from the homeowner. O’Neill describes her job as simply sharing and capturing its beauty.

She already knew two of the homeowners, from previous features and photography shoots for magazines: Renée Parker from Santa Barbara and Penelope Bianchi and her husband, Adam, from Montecito

Parker has two homes featured in French Flair. Her Santa Barbara home is in the section “En Provence,” and her New Orleans home is the spotlight of “Historic Heirloom.” As a former Delta Airlines flight attendant, Parker’s travels inspired much of her home design, which O’Neill helps to bring out through the collection of photography of different rooms.

O’Neill follows up “En Provence” with a visit to Bianchi’s Montecito home in the section “Continental Élan.” She writes that the couple had traveled to France and brought back inspiration for their home.

And not too far from Santa Barbara is the Solvang home of Chantal Cloutier, a former model who eventually started her own modeling agency. Her bright home is featured for O’Neill’s section titled “French Kissed,” which delves into the simplicity of home design.

One of O’Neill’s favorite parts of her job is having the opportunity to visit the homes and speak with the homeowners while their homes are being photographed. She emphasized that through the photography process, she tries not to bring anything to the homes in order to maintain as much authenticity as possible.

“The camera doesn’t see the room the way your eyes see it, so it can be a bit of a process, but it’s a fun process,” she said. At the same time, her design expertise helps to center the space and the various personal pieces homeowners have added.

“French is one of those staple styles,” she explained. For her, returning to explore French style has been rewarding for herself personally and as a professional.

For more information about O’Neill, her books, and other works, visit fifioneill.com/about.