TRADITION has it that, like mist over the channel, a certain froideur exists between us Brits and our continental neighbours.

But if our interiors are any kind of barometer, then a little thawing out is bringing out the Francophile in all of us.

The stereotypical stance goes like this – us Brits bemoan the French ability to, literally, mange tout, from frogs' legs to pigs' trotters.

In repartee, our Gallic cousins are similarly unimpressed by our ability to overcook vegetables and cremate meat – an opinion that abounds from Bordeaux to Villefranche.

But pigeonholing aside, you only have to flick through interiors magazines or watch ubiquitous property programmes to see how eager we are to espouse the French approach to many things.

Notwithstanding their enviable life/work balance and less materialistic take on life, we simply can't get enough of their relaxed interiors.

Historically, a trend started when Peter Mayle prompted a mass exodus after publishing A Year in Provence. Tens of thousand of Brits upped sticks and happily took hammer and chisel to dilapidated French barns and farmhouses, spreading the British obsession with property to far-flung Gallic corners. There is even a British mayor in Normandy, and the Dordogne is regularly dubbed 'Little Britain' or 'Dordogneshire' as Brits now outnumber locals in some villages.

And many of us who stayed in Blighty are keen as Dijon mustard to embrace the same French charm that seduced so many ex-pats in our homes here.

If your idea of French interiors stops and starts with the flamboyant ostentation of Versailles though, then think again.

Real French interiors are all about subtlety – pale hues, chippy painted furniture that makes no apology for age and usage, and simple, practical items that just seem to add an indefinable je ne sais quoi when placed in the right surroundings.

The French have a remarkable knack for transforming the unremarkable into the sublime. Clutter is rejected in favour of carefully chosen pieces, all of which unify to create a visual feast.

In many ways the French approach to interiors is akin to their approach to cooking; they take the right ingredients and then combine them with innate skill.

The look is a careful balance evolved from serendipitous flea-market finds teamed with family heirlooms, however humble, and shop-bought items. Grandmother's rustic armoire is happily juxtaposed with Philippe Starck Ghost chairs and a 19th century chandelier.

Our desire to emulate la belle France in our homes has spawned a swathe of web-based companies such as Dibor and Cox and Cox, offering everything from reproduction Louis furniture to enamel kitchenware, and the high street has followed suit.

Laura Ashley, traditionally known for English country style, has fully espoused the trend for French curves and colours, and bagged a few design awards during the process. The so-called 'shabby chic' look has successfully introduced distressed paint effects and character pieces into our interiors.

But if browsing around a brocante in Brittany isn't an option at present, rest assured that francophiles are well-served here in Gloucestershire.

Tetbury has excellent antiques shops specializing in French objets, Sharland and Lewis being of particular note. A rummage through the Antiques Emporium on the Stroud to Cirencester Road is also worthwhile, as is a trip next door to Scumble Goosie, who produce and paint French-style pieces to order.

Shops in Cheltenham's Suffolks are good for treasure-hunting, whilst Centrepiece offers the fabulous full range of Farrow and Ball paints – perfect for recreating the pared-down French palette of soft greys and varying shades of off-white.

The nicest thing about our love of French interiors, though, is that it is fully reciprocated. Read any French interiors magazine and it soon becomes apparent that we have a cross-channel mutual appreciation society going on.

What do they aspire to? A British country property with a cottage garden? Well, imitation is the highest form of flattery. Vive La France.