French and American homes look similar enough on the surface. They have front doors, a roof, windows, a kitchen. You know, regular house stuff. But if you look closer and step inside, you’ll notice that not everything about French homes is what you’re used to from back home. There are all kinds of interesting things to discover and that’s part of the fun! Over the years, I’ve pointed out aspects of French homes that are different than the USA but I don’t think I’ve ever compiled them in one place. So to that end, I’m rounding up a bunch of differences between French and American homes.
Air conditioning is not the norm in France
I’m kicking off this post with the lack of air conditioning in France because summer is almost here and it’s going to be sweltering. Yes, summer is my least favorite season. The French don’t see air conditioning in the same way that Americans do (are they afraid of it?), and not only do private homes generally not have central air conditioning, but they don’t really have any air conditioning at all aside from fans. Window units aren’t the same here because windows tend to open differently and there are portable contraptions but they aren’t always cost effective and aren’t widely used. People just deal.
Now granted, heat waves around this part of France only last for a week or two max, but a portable unit would sure come in handy. Especially at my gym! And when getting dressed in the morning. It’s rough when you step out of the shower and start sweating. It makes putting on nice work clothes and makeup pretty difficult. I don’t need it to be cool enough indoors to wear a hoodie in the summer, but it’s a real pain to sweat when you’re just sitting at rest.
Photo credit: Shutterstock.com / Nikola Obradovic
The power outlets are different
Power outlets in the USA are 110 volts and ones in France (and other areas of Europe) are 220 volts. The prongs look different as well. If you bring American appliances to France, such as chargers, be sure to use an adapter. Most phone and computer chargers accommodate a range of voltages and will say so on the packaging, but you’ll still need an adapter so it will fit into the socket.
Also, a word to the wise: Do not bring your US hair dryer or flat iron to France and expect it to function normally. Even with a converter, the hertz are different and you’ll most likely fry it or create an electrical fire. I learned the hard way after doing both.
Things you find in French kitchens >>
Slate or tile roofs are much more popular in France
While there are a variety of roof coverings in both the US and France, roofs in many areas of the US are commonly covered in composite asphalt shingles. In France, slate and tiled roofs are the norm. Yes, they’re more expensive but they also last much longer. That’s not to say you won’t find slate or tile roofs in the USA. You will, but they aren’t as mainstream as they are in France.
Many properties are fenced in
Overall, I find that French properties tend to be gated or fenced in, even in town centers. If they’re not completely fenced in, they at least have a front gate or small fence to section off the property line. It’s for privacy as well as security.
French bathrooms might have a bidet (or a sink in a separate room from the toilet)
I have personally never come across a bidet in a private residence in France but people know what they are and how to use them. They are more common in older homes and Tom said he remembers seeing them more when he was a kid. I think I saw a bidet once at a hotel. In the US, bidets aren’t the norm.
Also on the topic of bathrooms, many homes have the toilet in a separate room from the shower/bath. The sink is often in the room with the shower, so to wash your hands after using the toilet, you may have to walk down the hall. Or if you are getting ready to shower and need to go #2 with a house full of guests, well, put your clothes back on and walk to the toilet room. This is not the case in all houses, though. When we bought our house, I wanted to make sure we found one with the toilet in the same room as the shower and sink. It wasn’t difficult to find.
Photo credit: Shutterstock.com / Dan Tautan
Houses have volets
All French homes and apartments have functional shutters on the outside of their windows. Some are colorful and decorative like the ones pictured above and others look more like hurricane shutters. Some are automatic and can be raised with the touch of a button, some are semiautomatic and use a rod from the inside, and others need to be opened and closed by hand. The shutters are called volets and their purpose is to provide security, block the light, and help control temperature. These contraptions can be tedious depending on how many windows you have and if they’re the manual style or not.
I personally don’t mind light coming into my house and find them a chore to open and close twice a day. I usually let Tom deal with them. When he’s not here, aside from the one window that opens onto the street, I just leave the volets open. I like when natural light wakes me up in the morning.
Houses aren’t built of wood
In France (and many parts of Europe), homes are built differently than the majority of homes in the USA. French houses use cinder blocks, stone, or bricks instead of wood in most cases. This is the case for the vast majority of both new construction and apartment buildings. You just don’t see wooden framing when you drive past a construction site in France.
Photo credit: Shutterstock.com / hbpro
Windows don’t have screens
I hate bugs and on any given summer day, I have about 5 flies and mosquitoes flying around my living space. And who knows what else will find its way in…. creepy crawlies, the neighbor’s cat, a bird… Screens serve many purposes but aside from installing them yourself, you’re out of options because French windows don’t automatically come with screens. Screens don’t have to be an eyesore or even noticeable but they just aren’t super compatible with French-style windows. There are screen kits you can buy in home improvement stores but they don’t look great on all windows and aren’t always effective.
Door knobs vs. handles
Houses in the US commonly have round doorknobs whereas in France, doors have levers or handles. Levers seem easier to open than door knobs so that’s a plus, but I’ve gotten shirts caught on door handles, so I can’t say which one I like better. They both have their pros and cons, but you’ll definitely see fewer round doorknobs in France.
Carpeting
Homes in the US seem to use wall-to-wall carpeting much more commonly than in France where area rugs and other floor coverings are more popular. Our home here in France is in the minority and has carpeting in two of our bedrooms but it’s not super plush or well installed like the carpeting in the USA. One reason for this is that one of the biggest global manufacturers of carpeting is in the US state of Georgia.
Bread drawer, box, or bag
The French love their bread and in many French homes, you’ll find a special place for it to be stored in the kitchen. You might find a bread receptacle in the kitchen that you mistake for a garbage can. Not speaking from experience or anything…
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What differences have you noticed between French and American homes?
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I LOVE my volets. They make a huge difference in temperature, in summer and winter. But mostly in summer, when our house in the south of France would be miserable if the sun were beating in. By closing them just à clef, we have a sliver of light but not all the heat, and that makes a difference of 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
We installed retractable screens, which are great for keeping out the bugs, but in winter we can reach out and close those shutters at night for insulation.
I remember when the plugs across Europe were different–to protect domestic manufacturers of electronic goods.
If you’ve ever been locked out of the bathroom by somebody who takes an hour-long shower (like my niece) and there isn’t another toilet in the house, then the separate WC is a godsend.
Houses aren’t built of wood, but the older ones are built of stone–big, solid rocks that are nearly boulders. Running wiring and plumbing through those is a challenge.
In French houses: no garbage disposals, few clothes dryers, not enough electrical outlets, all things I’m putting in during our renovations.
When we’ve rented houses in France, the neighbors probably thought we were weird because we didn’t close the Volets. We love the light and the views. Of course it wasn’t summer. Also a couple of the places were owned by Americans, so the furnishings and build outs were “Americanized”.
Re: air conditioning: Whenever my spouse and I are somewhere in the U.S that does is not have air conditioning we always refer to it as having “French air conditioning” ( which means NONE! Lol). Re: Toilets When traveling I always bring a roll of portable(travel size) bathroom tissue in my purse as frequently there is no toilet paper and in the mid 2000’s I began to notice that most places (restaurants, rest stops along the autoroute) ,as opposed to the old ‘pissoir”- (hole in the ground type toilets). had real sit down toilets. Oddly that never bothered me as much as the lack of toilet tissue . And finally, what’s with milk? No fresh milk in the stores. When you buy milk it is the sealed in the box variety.
Fresh milk is available. In the dairy aisle. Often close to eggs and butter. However the choice is so limited that it’s easy to oversee it.
You’re absolutely right for all of these! Also, you’re less likely to have a basement, let alone a finished one… however, you may have an attic!
I have a basement. It’s called a cellar…or cave. I keep my wine in it.
Hey Diane, I can relate to everything on this list. I had a good laugh at the door handle. I get caught on it too once in a while. I wanted to add a few things to your list.
Light switches are (usually) not always, on the outside of the bathroom. My kids have turned off the light while I’m in the toilette on several occasions.
Also when one rents a home in France, many do not come with certain things that are usually found in North American homes. I’ve been to homes with no hanging lights. Just wires sticking from the ceiling. No oven. No fridge. I’ve seen many advertised that don’t even have cabinets or a sink. It blew my mind when I first arrived in France but my friends here in France just shrugged it off saying ” that’s just the way it is”. C’est la vie…
In the past, when you bought a house in France, the kitchen cabinets did not come with the house! In some cases this is a real blessing, as the cabinets were not particularly nice. I wonder what the sellers did with the old cabinets that would not fit their new house. I think this was a throwback to the days when all kitchen furniture was free-standing and not built in — which is called an “American kitchen” …… The same went for light fixtures, again a blessing …..
bonnie in provence
Different towels in the kitchen. One for dishes , one for drying hands. Friends I stay with don’t believe in fans either , energy wasters they think . It was so hot , I had to take a shower and put a wet towel on me so I could sleep. Small refrigerators compared to the US. I found more soda streams so they could make their own bubbly water.
French houses generally have radiators for heat while American homes use forced-air heating. I have a lot of French expat friends in the US and they all say that our system took time to get used to. When the heat comes on there is a “whoosh” as the warm air starts coming in the air ducts. I’ve never really noticed it but they all said it would startle them until they got used to it.
New houses and retrofits here in the South of France are using “clim” — reversible heat pumps — as it is easy to install and far cheaper than having an oil or gas fired boiler with radiators insstalled. It works to air condition and also to heat, and it is blowing air. I love them, but live in an old house that already has radiators and a furnace. The clim (pronounced kleem) is also cheaper to run, and only has one outlet per room (often not put in every room), and is not as disfiguring and space-consuming as radiators.
bonnie in provence
Hi Bonnie,
Good points on the Clim which are basically small reversible units placed on upper walls and as you mentioned, no need for a boiler, radiators, etc. Only thing to heat for hot water is one or two hot water heaters for showers and faucets.
Getting ready to renovate a 1960 original home in Antibes and doing all types of research as the best way to go. I was thinking about bringing my contractor friend from california but not sure if he’ll know the codes, parts, materials etc.
Hi Pam,
I live in st Raphael, in the Var. We had an oil fired boiler and in January the tank ruptured. I tried to get the oil fixed, but three engineers came and went and only one ever got back in touch and he said forget it. So my friend knew and electrician and he knew a plumber and they fitted electric radiators, with a new distribution board and an electric water tank. the first year we lived here the oil fired heating cost 4000 euros to run and service. The change to electric cost 4000 euros (instead of the teeth sucking 20000 plus for fixing the oil) and last year we spent 2900 on electricity full stop. so the heating and water was just short of 2000. It is so much more usable too. Each room is heated separately, so where we used to have a big difference between the north and the south side of the house now there is no problem. THe water heater is in the sous sol, where as the oil was in a dependance because of fumes and noise, so the hot water is so much quicker to the taps. I used to have to run the shower in our bathroom for 3 minutes before the water got hot because we are at the top and the back of the house. Plus there are whispering about pay back for choosing greener electric once all the solar farms are in. Hope with ramble is helpful
Re: contractors. Go local. there are A LOT of laws here about what you can and can’t put in. for electricity the regulations on kitchens and bathrooms are extensive and your energy provider will probably require you to up grade the supply to your house. Here it is limited at the Linky. If you Install gas there are some very specific regulations, very specific such as the size of the space and where exactly to the mm a boiler can be sighted and you need to have a certificate of conformity stamped by the governing body to send to the gas supplier before they will turn the gas on and the governing body will refuse to stamp it if they don’t like anything. Plus the workmen here are so cheap, ok I’m from London, but still. If you get a crazy high quote its because the person doesn’t want the job, if you chase them they might do it, but it will never get finished. As I said the whole job was actually a little under 4000 and that was for a 300 litre water heater, 14 radiators and a new distribution board. Then another 400 to EDF to upgrade the supply. oh and we have a wood burner in the Living room no radiator so it looks super cute. I fitted that myself 🙂 . Ok I’ll leave you alone now.
This was intresting here in Austraia central or ductted air conditioning isn’t seen much we have window units or split systems, I have three window units. Shower and toilet in the same room is pretty common as well.
I would add those small water & radiator heaters hanging from the ceiling in the kitchen. Also, you do not always find ovens in the kitchens, just stovetops. We have an apartment in Nice that we rent when we aren’t here. I have had to put warnings about some of these things on our listings, particularly aimed at Americans, the biggest being no A/C. We live primarily in Seattle and A/C typically is uncommon there too, so we never considered it. We purchased a washer/dryer combo, but it’s still tricky to use the drier properly. Our most recent addition is a built-in mini dishwasher and oven combo by Candy. I love it! I do like having an oven and now I have counter space.
Can anybody explain to me the different bed sizes in France? When looking for a vacation rental I see that most beds are listed as “double” and give a size in meters that doesn’t mean anything to me. Is a double the same as a full size bed or a queen bed in the U.S? Or is it 2 French twins together? 2 twin size U.S. beds are equivalent to a king size. But photos I have seen with 2 French twins together looks like a U.S. queen size.
Thanks for any help you can give me!
A bed described as a double or sometimes “matrimonial” is 140cm x 190cm or 200cm, virtually the same width as an american double bed, but it is longer. The next size is 160 wide, which is an american queen, and finally 180 (approximately 6′) which is a king. All are either 190 or 200 long. There are also occasionally beds that measure 120, which is what we used to call a “3/4” as it is halfway between a double, or full, and a single. They’re fine for one person. A single bed, or twin in the US, is 90cm. You can convert these measurements easily on line to feet and inches. In general, Europeans had smaller beds that we have in America, in width. However, in length always longer. In some countries thee was basically no “double” bed, it was always twins pushed together, and with separate sheets and bedcovers.
bonnie in provence
Je viens de relire cet article et commentaires, très intéressants et j’ai vu que personne n’avait parle de l’odeur d’interieur des maisons. Ca n’a sans doute pas beaucoup d’importance mais pour moi, qui vit aux USA. c’est un petit detail que moi et ma famille avons remarque lorsque nous rendons visite a la famille en France ou vice versa. quand les frenchies viennent aux USA ! ,Nous disons ou on nous dit, ”ca ne sent pas pareil !”. lol
Bonnes vacances.
Bonsoir Françoise et merci pour ton commentaire. Maintenant je suis curieuse… quelle est l’odeur différente ? Tu veux dire l’odeur des bougies ou des cheminées pendant l’hiver ? Ou littéralement la différence entre le bois et la brique ? Je n’ai personnellement jamais remarqué cela. Juste l’odeur de l’air si il y a une bougie ou un parfum d’ambiance…
Bonne soirée !
Thank you for explaining the differences, which I now understand.
Hubby and I don’t sleep well in a full size bed so I have been looking for rentals with either a queen bed or twins pushed together. I appreciate that the French like to snuggle in their double beds. Merci Beaucoup, Bonnie!
Our French relatives homes have doors into every room off the common corridor whereas we have wide open entries. I am fairly sure this is to help with heat costs in the cold weather, but it is different to have doors that close off the kitchen, dining, and living rooms.
As we vacation in France we find that the lack of toilet fans is odd. Stink the room up and then let it simmer seems to be the way here after staying in several homes. I could make a fortune selling bathroom fans!
Every apartment we’ve had, there was a window you could open (often onto an air shaft so nobody really looking in).
Just got back from 3 weeks in France staying in 3 different areas in 3 different rental apartments. My observations about differences: tiny kitchen sinks that make you get creative when washing anything larger than a cup or bread plate, multi-headed showers with multiple controls to adjust water temp & where it goes, less emphasis on the bathroom being somewhere to spend any time in but they have awesome towel heaters, French homes tend to have an entry / foyer rather than walking directly into the living room, no separate laundry room & they all have drying racks.
My volets are on the inside of my apartment! Although not the norm, I have seen other places like mine. Another unusual feature is that i have 4 clims, one in each room! I only moved in in December but I am wondering what I will do when the nicer weather gets here and I want to leave the windows open at night for fresh air, but it will also let in all the lights from the street!
As Tam said, going electric heating radiators makes sense. But it does not cover the cooling of the house, where a conversion wall unit would.