The romantic and elegant French country kitchen design is one of the most popular design styles. This design style is truly reflective of a vacation home, retreat or countryside home. This style involves using light, airy fabrics, light floral accents, and rich hardwoods or dark woods furniture. The French Country kitchen design is very inviting.
The architectural features of a French country style house include abundant use of natural materials such as stone and brick, exposed wooden beams, iron, and copper, rough-textured walls, and lots of handcrafted hardware and knick knacks. The most elaborate pieces of architectural features are the most hard to find. This style highlights the beauty of natural objects. The colors used to decorate usually come from the palette of the shade spectrum, with the exception of reds, oranges, and yellows which are more common.
In the French country style, furniture is usually made of solid wood or wicker. Some pieces may be made from natural fabrics like linen, but for the most part solid wood is the norm. Lots of beadwork and embroidery is done on the furniture. Much of this decorative embroidery comes from a natural palette that combines wood and earth tones.
The French Country look is also highly inspired by the classic colors of white, beige, and linen. These colors are timeless and comforting. In the French country style, wall coverings are kept simple with many patterns of wallpaper stencilled on them, curtains made of lace, woven tapestries on the curtains, and natural stone or tile flooring. Key pieces of furniture in this room include the bed, the side table, and the dressing table.
The flooring in a French country style home is normally made of material that is not too common such as straw, lambskin, or crepe paper. For the upholstery of the chairs, the choices are usually limited to leather, vinyl, or felt. The use of rugs on the walls is minimal as well. The lighting of this interior style is very bright with most shades being dark.
Flooring in French country style decor is decorated in a way similar to the dining room. Lots of antique doors are found in this style. The use of candles and lamps in French country look interiors help bring the entire look together.
Wall art in French country style decor can include paintings of nature scenes like the ocean or fields with farmhouses. These pieces are normally on the walls in all sizes. However, if you do not have the space for larger paintings, you may want to go with prints. Many people choose wallpaper to accent their French country home interiors. Many wallpapers are available for download in digital form, so you do not have to worry about hanging the pictures on your walls.
When choosing the colors for your French country style home, stay away from bright, vivid colors like reds, oranges, yellows, and blues. These colors tend to make the home look too busy and it can also make it seem less sophisticated. Instead, choose colors that have a natural calming effect on one's spirit. You may want to go with the tones of beige, brown, and gray as these colors provide just the right touch. For the most inspirational effect, go with the French Country look and use the fabrics and linens in rich colors like red, blue, and browns.
For furniture, you can use an old French country style table with farmhouse chairs and side tables. Other pieces of furniture you can use are a chest of drawers, antique French country style beds, and antique French country style dressers. In the dining room, you can look like you have spent years in France by adding a table and chairs with French farmhouse tablecloths and top. If you are not looking to spend money, you can simply use a rustic wooden table and chairs and add some flowers and candles in candle holders.
For accents, you can find French country style mirrors that have French country designs or you can buy a painting or print that has an English theme. The walls of the bedroom can be decorated in true French countryside scenes like fields with farms or hayloft. You can use curtains that have lace borders or old fashioned toile cloths. Look for accessories that have the same flair for an authentic look.
The dining room can also be updated with traditional French country style furnishings. The seats can be upholstered with florals in crepe paper and using distressed wood finishes. The walls can be painted in the traditional French colors of creme and white. Wall decors can consist of hanging tapestries and photos of the outside world.