Decorating
How
to Live in (French Country) Style!
by
Batsheva Vaknin
Parlez-vous
Françes? Don’t worry - you don’t need to speak
French in order to enjoy the bright, comfortable and classic style of
French Country in your home. From weathered walls to wide wooden
tables, it is not hard to achieve the French Country look using the
following guidelines.
French
Country style is all about well-used, worn-in, imperfect but
beautiful architectural elements, furniture and accessories. Forget
sleek lines, fine china, and black, white and gray color combos.
Instead, fill your house with chunky wood tables, dozens of
sweet-smelling flowers, and brightly patterned couches, curtains and
pillows styled after the look of Provence, the southeast region in
France that borders the Mediterranean Sea.
When
choosing a French Country style home, think along the lines of
cracked wood beams, curved panels, hand-carved decorations and raw
material flooring and walls, like stone or exposed brick. Raw or
distressed wood also can be used to cultivate a French Country
atmosphere, as do uneven plaster walls.
Don’t
worry about that spider crack in the paint in your kitchen, or the
slight discoloration of the paint in your bedroom or living room. In
French Country "speak", these imperfections simply add character.
Other
French Country architectural features include shutters for your
windows, narrow, deeply cut window sills, and striped fabric awnings
over windows to afford the home dweller extra protect from the heat.
But
what if you just want to add some French Country flair to the home
you already have, without changing its walls, floors and windows? No
sweat. Rustic furniture is a key element to the French Country style.
Think oversized rectangle or round wooden dining room tables, with a
dull waxed or natural finish.
Chairs
and occasional tables of the French Country style can be curved or
boast carved designs in the woodwork. Dining room chairs can have a
ladderback style or vertical slats. Also, large armoires are
well-suited to the French Country look, giving the owner a nice cool
place to store dishes, linens, or even clothing.
Finally,
achieve that French Country style with the perfect fabrics and
accessories that have that certain je ne sais quoi. Use toile
material, a gauzy linen or cotton, in white, cream or yellow with
bright contrasting colors. Choose themes such as monkeys, Chinese
patterns, and eighteenth century courting scenes, all of which are
predominant in French Country design.
Large,
thickly woven baskets, chunky clay or old metal pitchers,
Chinoiserie pottery, and iron garden shelving units all fit in nicely
with the French Country look. So do ceramic plates, tiles,
tablecloths and curtains sporting motifs of roosters, sunflowers,
beetles or lavender. Save money by hunting for these and other
accessories at flea markets and antique stores.
The
final touch needed to makeover your home in the style of French
Country is the addition of flowers. Fresh sunflowers, lavender, and
geraniums especially all say "French Country", and the more
the better!
Put
flowers in old pitchers or copper pots, in window boxes, and glass
vases. Use a variety of colors, and make sure the arrangements
don’t look too tame or stylized. Natural grasses are another way
to bring the French Country look into you home.
Whether
you decide to go full out, adding wood beams and stone flooring to
your home, or whether you just add a nice chunky wooden dining room
table, carved chairs, or a roomy armoire to your existing furniture,
the French Country look can be achieved by anyone who wants to bring
a little of the Provence countryside into his or her everyday life.
About The Author
When
Yale graduate, BatSheva Vaknin is not writing helpful and insightful
articles like the one you just read, she writes plays, screenplays
and short stories. In fact, she has just completed her first novel.
Find great home furniture online at her site www.homeandliving.com
Back to Home
Decorating: Index
