French countryside interior

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Jillian is a freelance journalist with 10 years of editorial experience in the lifestyle genre. She is a writer and fact checker for TripSavvy, as well as a fact-checker for The Spruce.

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French country style is defined as a mix of rustic and refined decor inspired by the homes in the French countryside. It's a popular style worldwide because of its comfortable and casual elegance that's never ostentatious. Three distinct characteristics make up the style:

• Softly patterned fabrics in muted colors
• Distressed, painted, and vintage furnishings and accessories
• Lots of wood and other natural materials

You may also hear this type of decor called provincial style. Provincial style is recognized as a slightly more formal, refined look. Some of its elements, such as its rich colors, bold patterns, and gold accents, can be incorporated into the French country style.

Colors, Prints, and Materials

Colors of this style can be found on the warm side of the color wheel with hues that have medium to low intensity. Think of soft yellows, warm pinks, baby blues, and creams for your rooms. Provincial-style fabrics are known for having more saturated colors, such as sunbaked ochre and deep brick red that bring to mind the pigments found in the region's natural clay earth.

Toile de Jouy, best known as toile, is a traditional pattern printed on cotton or linen fabrics used for upholstery, drapery, tablecloths, and wallpaper in French country rooms. Toile de Jouy is also known as the "fabric of Jouy" because the 18th-century factory of Jouy-en-Josas located near Versailles became famous for printing the fabric.

The toile pattern is characterized by its designs of landscapes and figures of one color printed on a white or cream background. The beauty of toile is that it can be paired with many other patterned fabrics, such as stripes, plaids, checks, ginghams, sunflowers, and small florals. Other patterns used on French country fabrics include roosters, damasks, and the borders that characterize bolder-colored provincial-style fabrics.

Furniture

The key to French country-style furniture is comfort and style. Upholstered seating and chairs always incorporate soft and cozy cushions. Other furnishings, such as tables and chests, are typically graceful, simple wood pieces that often incorporate some type of carvings that emphasize the furniture's curves. The furniture is also characterized by distressed, painted, and often whitewashed finishes. You can use milk or chalk paint to distress furniture to get this style.

French provincial furniture is a touch more formal with added embellishments than French country style, and its history explains why. French provincial furniture was created in the 18th century for wealthy families living in the French provinces as more affordable adaptations of the luxurious Rococo-style pieces made for the monarchy.

Tip

Wrought iron or rusted metal accents and accessories are often paired with distressed French country furnishings.

Architecture

The style's architecture is taken straight from the French provincial countryside. Here are the style's most popular interior architectural elements:

• Exposed wooden ceiling beams
• Natural stone, wood, or brick floors
• Weathered appearance

French country homes incorporate stone, wood, and muted colors into their exterior architecture, as well.

Kitchens

A kitchen in this style is both comfortable and sophisticated. Cabinetry may look like regular furniture with molding and carvings. Casual kitchens of this style feature shabby chic and vintage touches, including pretty old jars and bottles that hold pantry items, quaint signage for wall decor, wrought iron pot racks, and plenty of copper pots. Modern French country kitchens are known for their signature, decorative range hoods.

Dining Rooms

A rustic chandelier of distressed wood or metal with candelabra bulbs is a must in a traditional French country dining room. A lighter-toned wooden dining table surrounded by whitewashed, vintage, or mismatched chairs brings in a casual and welcoming look. For a casual feel, hang gingham curtains to the floor with a little puddling. Lightweight silk draperies puddled on the floor add a bit more formality.

Living Rooms

Airy, whitewashed, and sun-kissed describe the style of French country living rooms. There should not be any heavy, dark fabrics or furniture in the room. This style living room beckons guests with an uplifting and pretty mix of patterned fabrics and painted furniture. Use sheer lace curtains to allow light to stream in while still providing privacy. For a quaint and whimsical touch, place a wrought iron garden bench with pillows under the front window for the look of a casual window seat.

Bedrooms

A French country bedroom is feminine and soft with a mix of cottage shabby chic and comforting vintage elements. Add in a small crystal chandelier somewhere in the room, layers of soft and lacy white bedding with a toile comforter and curtains, and a headboard made of distressed wood or an old iron gate, and you have the makings of a beautiful bedroom. Use an old metal garden bench at the end of the bed as a sitting area. A bedroom is the perfect place for painted and distressed dressers and armoires.

Bathrooms

Just as a bedroom in this style will have a feminine flair, so does a bathroom with the same decor. Toile wallpaper, a small crystal chandelier, candlestick-style wall sconces, a mirror framed in gold with a bit of carving, and a vintage clawfoot tub combine to create the perfect French country bathroom. For a casual feel, use a wrought iron towel rack or stand for linens.

Tip

A distressed or painted bureau transformed into a bathroom vanity and topped with a vessel sink is a beautiful French country touch.

French-style house - romance and simplicity (69 photo examples)

French-style house - the dream of any romantic. The originality of Parisian design inspires. She is able to breathe freshness and lightness into any interior. The Dekorin project wanted to show you the basic principles on which this unique direction is based. Ready to move on to France? Go!

What does a French style house look like? Distinctive features of architecture (with photo)

Not all of us can boast that we have a house in France somewhere among lavender fields or on the banks of the Seine… But you can convey the spirit and mood of Paris if you decorate the facade of a private house and its interior accordingly.

So, by what architectural features do you recognize the French style? Well, firstly, the house should be quite spacious and bright. The windows are large, with many partitions, often arched or panoramic. (More information about French windows here).

This style has evolved over centuries. You can feel the influence of different historical eras. The old French houses have absorbed the features:

• of the Roman era. This is the period of the XI - XII centuries, when there was an active construction of churches and castles. Hence - domed vaults, round arches, various architectural ornaments.
• Gothic era. This is a later period, the formation of which ended closer to the XV-XVI century. The Gothic symbol is the lancet arch.
• Renaissance (XVI - early XVII century). Here are the columns, pilasters. The facades are strictly symmetrical, decorated with patterns.
• Rococo era (XVIII - XIX century). From this historical period, the French style took grace, sophistication, an abundance of decorative elements.

It should be noted that there are three main architectural trends a la France:

• chateau;
• provence;
• Norman style.

This is what the completed projects of houses in the French style look like.

Impressive, isn't it? There are arched windows and gothic elements here - in a word, fabulously beautiful.

If you are planning to build a house on a country plot, consider some interesting project in the French style. Here are ideas for inspiration. It seems that princesses, kings and queens still live in such houses, which look like real castles.

French style in the interior (with examples on the photo)

French style in the interior is an extreme attention to detail, comfort, some kind of elusive lightness and airiness. Unlike the categorical hi-tech and one-sided minimalism, the French style is not for everyone. Some tasks can only be done by experienced designers.

Here, look at these photos.

The first impression is that there are so many. But, looking closely, you understand how much soul is invested in each piece of furniture. It becomes clear why this or that color was chosen in the decoration of the walls.

But - first things first.

French style does not tolerate low ceilings. In a modest space, all its magic is lost, this special charm disappears.

And one more thing. There is no desire to bring everything to perfection. On the contrary, some roughness, irregularities are allowed. You can even say that they bring some mood to the interior, set the tone.

Generally speaking, there are:

• Classic French style. It is characterized by lightness, sublimity, purity and the desire for freedom in space. Here's what it looks like.
• French country (Provence). This direction has something in common with the classical, but more original in character. Here you can not restrain yourself and embody a variety of design ideas.

French-style living room interior - what to take as a basis?

For the interior of a living room in a country house, the French style is a great idea. The space will turn out to be festive, cozy, with a touch of chic. The main thing is not to overdo it with gloss. The idea is to modestly hint at the level of prosperity. No pomposity or pretentiousness.

Decorative plaster, sometimes wallpaper, is used for wall decoration. The best solution is to paint in a matt slightly bleached color:

• ivory;
• pale olive;
• white;
• ecru;
• light pink;
• grey;
• pale blue.

If the choice fell on wallpaper, you can use light ones with a small floral print. They look like slightly faded chintz.

The ceiling must be perfectly flat and white. If the height of the room allows, you can decorate it with plaster moldings, rosettes, moldings.

A simpler option is a stretch ceiling with volumetric photo printing. The view is impressive - you can’t distinguish it from real gypsum elements.

Porcelain stoneware, parquet, wood are suitable for flooring.

The essence of decor is that the design does not attract all the attention. The main role here is played by furniture. It is different in color and texture, “alive” and, it seems, does not fit together at all. But that's the whole "salt". Ottomans, chests of drawers, a console table, a sofa - each element has its own history, energy. And this is the unifying link.

Much attention is paid to textiles. Satin is used for furniture upholstery. Its barely glaring texture fits perfectly into the general idea of ​​the French style. Sometimes the upholstery repeats the wallpaper print.

How to create a French interior in the bedroom?

In a bedroom decorated in the spirit of Paris, all eyes are on the bed. It should be large, comfortable, with a massive headboard, it is possible with a canopy. The colors in the wall decoration are also muted, restrained. Peaceful harmony, elegant beauty, restraint, dignity can be traced in everything.

Expensive bed linen, curtains and other textiles are contrasted with forged headboard elements. This is especially evident in black and white interiors decorated in French style.

French style kitchen design

The kitchen looks great in French country style. The design can be filled with various "tricks".

Appropriate here:

• kitchen utensils similar to the countryside;
• textile chair covers;
• cabinets with curved legs;
• vintage crystal chandeliers;
• textured wooden beams;
• floor tiles;
• French curtains.

It is important to be able to create a special mood in the kitchen. Textiles will help with this - there should be a lot of it. These are various capes, lace mini-pillows, fringed curtains, napkins.

No special requirements for furniture. It can be a modern set, stylized antique, or any antique items.

The Dekorin designers wanted to say that there are many ways to decorate a French-style house. But before choosing something as a basis, listen to your inner feelings. The interior should be native. Where you want to be and receive guests.

Country house: French style in the interior

Socialite Béatrice Ogier entered the decorating profession at an age when others are retiring. But she got down to business with youthful enthusiasm! Here is her project - a former orphanage in Normandy, turned into a country residence.

In order for this spacious living room to appear in the house, Beatrice had to combine four rooms. The walls are painted beige, Farrow & Ball. The sofa, Caravane, is upholstered in gray velvet. The low pouffe is used as a coffee table.

Photo

Pierre Laurent Hahn

In her "past" existence, Beatrice worked in the press services of Yves Saint Laurent, Cartier and even the Paris-Dakar rally, was the director of a consulting company. “I worked a lot and had a lot of fun,” she recalls. - I traveled, explored the world, always tried to look refined and elegant. And suddenly I realized that all this is not that!

Floor-to-ceiling glazed cabinets act as a partition, separating the dining room from the kitchen.

Photo of

Pierre Laurent Hahn

The floorboards and ceramic tiles were bought from vintage builders.

Photo

Pierre Laurent Hahn

Now Beatrice paints flowers and decorates interiors. And, as her decorated house in Beaumont shows, in her new profession she is not an amateur at all. The building, stylized as Norman farms of the 19th century, was once intended for an orphanage.

The facade of the house is covered with Japanese grapes.

Photo

Pierre Laurent Hahn

All kitchen furniture, except for the antique oak table, is painted white. The working surface with a sink is adjacent to the window, so that the hostess can admire the landscape “on the job”. On hot days, the windows are covered with roller blinds, Silent Gliss. The floor is paved with antique concrete tiles. Faucets, Dornbracht.

Photo of

Pierre Laurent Hahn

The new owners asked Beatrice to make the interior brighter and more modern, while maintaining a rustic feel. She approached the task with great tact. The house has a lot of antique furniture - but in trendy bright upholstery.

Chess tables, Moissonier, perfectly combined with antique chairs of the Napoleon III era, the seats of which are upholstered with velvet of different colors

Photo deglazing, to match the window frames of the house. In the kitchen, the sink is located in front of a window overlooking the garden - a concern for the spiritual comfort of the cook, unthinkable in the old days. Comments are unnecessary!

A half glazed partition separates the guest bedroom from the bathroom. The starting point for the design of both rooms was an old bright red bedspread. To match his tone, Beatrice picked up the fabric for the upholstery of the headboard and for the curtains on the bathroom window.

Photo

Pierre Laurent Hahn

I worked a lot and had a lot of fun, I tried to always look elegant .

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