How the French decorate and arrange their homes is the subject of a new book

Fundamental good manners fail me when walking past a chic house exterior with windows stripped bare of curtains, writes Carol O’Callaghan.

I’m like Icarus drawn to the sun, unable to avert my gaze, as I scan the limited vista of a sitting room window.

It’s surprising what you can see in that few seconds as you walk by, although insufficient time to determine if the walls are painted in Elephant’s Breath or Purbeck Stone without risk of being caught.