The French Country Design Style

The French country design style is an elegant, yet rustic style inspired by Provence in the French countryside. The style combines a warm, refined feminine elegance and a natural traditional rustic design that seeks to attain both comfort and style.

The French country design is often confused with the modern farmhouse style because both embrace nature and antiques. However, unlike the farmhouse style, which is casual, the French country style has a feminine touch with refined elegance.

French Country Style Architecture

The main inspiration for French countryside architecture is nature, and therefore, this design tends to blend in with the environment. Typical features that distinguish this style include:

Tall sloping heaped roof
Tall rectangular windows with arches or wooden shutters
Double stone or brick chimneys on both sides of the house
Exposed wooden beams on ceilings
The weathered appearance both in interior and exterior architecture

French Country Materials

The French country style incorporates natural materials in its design, typical of all traditional styles. The idea is to effortlessly recreate nature in the home while maintaining an exquisite style and relaxation. The most common materials used in this design are:

Wood for flooring, ceilings, windows, and furniture
Natural stone for building walls and chimneys
Wrought iron or rusted metal in the interior
Wool or cotton rugs to cover natural stone floors

French Country Colors and Finishes

Warm colors are the definition on walls of rooms with moderate to light shades, like, baby blue, cream or soft yellow. More intense colors like dark brick red and ochre that match the earth colors are used for fabrics. Darker shades like black and gray are used minimally to contrast the warm colors.

You cannot talk about the French country style without mentioning patterns. This style is characterized by different patterns, especially on fabric and wallpaper such as plaids, stripes, checks and toile. The most common is toile, a unique repeated pattern that depicts a natural scene.

Natural stone, specifically limestone, defines one of the floor finishes of this style. Wide wooden planks are, however, the most common flooring option. Exposed natural stonework finishes enhance the natural look, especially in kitchens and chimney areas.

In summary, the finishes and colors that define the French country style are.

Warm faded colors on walls
Limited dark color
Natural earth colors for fabric
Plenty of patterns, especially “Toile de Jouy”
Natural stone and wood finishes

French Country Furniture and Decor

The elegance in the French country style is portrayed through the wooden chairs with soft and cozy cushions. The furniture is mostly distressed with whitewashed finishes to bring out the natural aspect and antique style that comes with this design.

This refined furniture is accompanied by soft, rustic décor that speaks of nature, such as real flowers or floral patterns.

Outstanding features of French country furniture

Curved edges
Distressed finishes
Whitewashed finishes
Wooden chairs with soft and cozy cushions

French Country Lighting

The French country lighting complements the elegant design in your indoor and outdoor spaces and the calmness and comfort that nature brings. With antique styles such as simple glistening chandeliers with flame bulbs reflecting the traditional use of candles for lighting and outdoor pendant lights, you will have nailed the look in your home.

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