Hello World! Welcome Friends! If you like the look of old-world, rustic and charming decor, then chances are you are a fan of French country decorating. It has a warm, casual feel that is inviting to your guests. The French country style has some unique elements that give it its own welcoming look and attitude.
Architectural Elements
Typical colors used in French country styling include those most often found in nature. These include:
- Greens the color of light grass and also darker hunter green
- Warm gold and sunny yellow tones
- Soft blues, the color of the sky and the ocean
- Burnt rust and bright red
- Grays, blacks and whites to contrast with the brighter colors
Woven baskets filled with flowers, bright ceramic tiles, colorful pottery and carved wood decorations are signature pieces that can be found in any room. Rusted metal and copper accessories and lighting fixtures are often used as well.
Typical French country kitchen decor will include an old pitcher or two, copper pots and some tin buckets. Instead of fine china, you’ll find country motifs in the tableware. Roosters, sunflowers and other colorful flowers, olives and grapes are common themes. Colorful tablecloths and placemats are frequently used on the farmhouse kitchen table as well, some with hand-made tapestries.
Wooden kitchen floors are often painted by hand in colorful hues. The kitchen cabinetry frequently mimics the look of furniture with brass cabinet pulls and vintage-looking hinges. Many of the cabinets also have an open concept to display the colorful pottery and ceramics. A hammered-copper sink and wrought iron chairs can add a lot of warmth and coziness to the kitchen space.
Toile, which is French fabric made of linen, cotton or canvas, is popular in French country decor. It usually has a background of white or off-white with a pattern repeated in one color. The pattern usually shows a pastoral scene, such as a countryside picnic, farm animals or an intricate flower arrangement. Toile is usually used in curtains and upholstery, but is also commonly seen in bedding, decorative towels, seat cushions and tablecloths.
Plaids and stripes are often used in decorative pillows and cushions in the living room and kitchen. Linens and slipcovers also add to the warm country decor. Wall art is mostly quite muted so that it doesn’t interfere with the more colorful aspects of the rest of the decor.
There are so many different styles that people can emulate when decorating their homes. French country decor has perhaps the most cozy, warm and welcoming appeal. The old-world, rustic charm it brings will make you want to hurry home from wherever your travels take you.
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