How to Perfect the Salon Look
Parisian hôtel particulier romance meets Diana Vreeland drama.
There is a certain kind of room you remember forever.
Not because it was minimalist. Not because it was “perfect.” But because it felt like a story in progress: candlelight catching on gilded edges, a painting leaning casually against a wall, textiles layered like clothing, and objects placed with intention, as if the room had been collected over decades.
This is the Salon Look.
It is Parisian at its core: the mood of an old hôtel particulier, a little bourgeois, a little theatrical, always personal. But it also borrows from Italy’s warmth, from the romance of layered pattern, and from that unmistakable Diana Vreeland sensibility: boldness, sensuality, and a refusal to be timid.
At BON TON goods, we love the salon because it is not a trend. It is a philosophy.
A salon is a space where objects are not simply decorative. They are characters.
What is “The Salon Look”?
Historically, the salon was a room for conversation, beauty, and culture. It was where guests gathered. Where art lived. Where candlelight was not “atmosphere” but necessity. Where you could place a sculpture beside a book, beside a textile, beside a vase, and let the combination become something greater than its parts.
The modern salon is still that.
It is a room that feels collected, intimate, and expressive. It is the opposite of sterile. It is maximalism, yes, but with discipline.
A salon is not clutter. It is composition.
The BON TON Salon Formula
To build the salon mood, you need five elements:
1) Candlelight
Candlelight is non-negotiable. It is the quickest way to transform a space from “nice” to cinematic.
A salon should feel like it could host an evening that begins with cocktails and ends with secrets.
For this, we love the ritual and heritage of Trudon, especially in deep, moody tones. And the best salon trick of all: a candle snuffer and a proper tray. These small, old-world details instantly elevate the scene.
Salon rule:
One candle is a candle. Three candles is a world.
2) Sculptural Objects
A salon is built around objects that feel like they belong in a cabinet of curiosities.
Think:
a swan planter with the gravity of a sculpture
a shell-shaped dish or catchall
a fragment of something classical
an object that makes someone ask, “Where did you find that?”
This is where vintage and estate pieces shine. These are the anchors, the things that make a room feel collected rather than purchased.
A salon should include at least one object that feels slightly irrational.
That’s the point.
3) Gilded Reflections
Mirrors and gold are the salon’s secret weapon.
They do three things at once:
reflect candlelight
add depth to the room
create that unmistakable Parisian glow
You don’t need a palace-sized mirror. You need a frame with presence. Something with age, patina, or ornate detail. Something that looks like it has witnessed a century of dinner parties.
4) Rich Textiles (Pattern, Pattern, Pattern)
This is where the Italian warmth enters.
The salon look loves textiles because textiles are emotional. They soften the room, and they let you bring color into a space without repainting walls or committing to furniture.
This is why we adore Lisa Corti: saturated reds, botanical prints, stripes, and joyful compositions that feel both historic and fresh.
The salon textile rule:
Layer at least two patterns, and let one of them be bold.
And yes, it can be red.
In fact, it should be.
5) Paris-Themed Art
A salon is not complete without art, and not the kind chosen to match the sofa.
The best salon art is:
atmospheric
a little nostalgic
slightly romantic
and ideally framed
A Parisian scene. A landscape that feels like memory. A piece that suggests travel, taste, and a life lived.
A salon is not about perfection. It is about personality.
The Color Story: Rouge + Warm Neutrals
If there is one color that belongs to the salon, it is rouge.
Red is not just a color, it is an attitude. It carries the drama of velvet curtains, lipstick, lacquered interiors, and old Paris. It makes everything around it feel more intentional.
To keep it elevated (not chaotic), balance rouge with:
warm neutrals
antique gold
aged white
soft stone tones
deep brown wood
This combination feels expensive because it is rooted in history.
How to Style a Salon (Without Overthinking It)
The salon is built in layers. Here is the easiest way to create it at home:
Start with a tray
A tray instantly creates a “scene.”
Place it on a table, a console, or even the floor beside a chair.
Add:
a candle
a matchbox or snuffer
a small sculptural object
a book or two
Suddenly you have a story.
Use pairs
Pairs create symmetry, which is the secret to making maximalism feel refined.
Two candlesticks.
Two framed prints.
Two pillows in the same fabric.
A salon is indulgent, but it is never sloppy.
Let objects overlap
The salon is not a museum. It is not a showroom.
Lean the painting.
Place the object slightly in front of the book.
Let the candle sit near the mirror.
Overlapping creates depth, and depth creates mood.
The Salon Look is a Way of Living
This is what we love most about the salon.
It is not a look you buy in one day. It is a look you build slowly, through collecting. Through noticing. Through bringing home one beautiful thing at a time, and letting it find its place.
It is luxury, yes.
But it is also intimacy.
And it is always personal.
Find the Pieces. Create the Story.
At BON TON goods, we curate objects and textiles that make the salon possible, from heritage candles and sculptural decor to richly patterned textiles, vintage treasures, and Parisian-inspired art.
Because the salon is not a trend.
It is a mood.
A romance.
A world.