French Country Kitchen Design and Decor Tips

The most captivating room in a French country home is often the kitchen because it serves as the social gathering point for good food and conversation with friends and family. You can add this rustic charm to your kitchen by focusing on the colors, fabrics, furniture and decor. Bringing these elements into the design of your French country kitchen is easier than you may think. Many countryside homes in the southern region of France are fairly small and so are their kitchens. Their French owners focus on warm colors and maximizing available space with functional earthy furniture and old-age accessories.

Warm Colors - Many rural French kitchens use warm colors across the full color spectrum. Sunny yellows, gold, rustic red, azure blue and dark hunter green are commonly used to create that warm and elegant French country hillside feeling. Walls are often painted a buttery yellow color to accentuate the natural light. Tuscan sun-drenched color can be emphasized with terra cotta tiles or a worn wooden floor. Creamy stucco walls with dark olive green and rich burgundy accents immerse your senses in the ambiance of a quaint vineyard home in the south of France.

French Country Cabinets and Furniture - Cabinets and furniture should use indigenous woods such as cherry, walnut and pine. The kitchen table can be square or round but much of its appeal should come from the rough and natural tone of the wood. If you plan to replace kitchen furniture, focus on large pieces with clean curves and slightly irregular painted surfaces. Simplistic and elegant furniture made of rustic hardwoods should be complimented with accent pieces of wrought iron, marble and terra cotta to create that old world south of France charm.

Decor and Accessories - Natural materials are an important element in the selection of accents and accessories when designing your French country kitchen. Hanging pots, often made of copper, are a classic for the theme. Wrought iron and ceramic are also common old world Tuscany kitchen classics. Provencal fabrics are normally straight or plaid patterns with matching or contrasting colors. You can choose bold yellow or reds to brighten the room or light blue or cream to soften the look. Toile is also common in the region with blue, red or black patterns offset on a white or cream background. Just be sure the fabrics blend with the walls, artwork and décor. Focus your accents, pictures, fabric and accessories on traditional French motifs including roosters, olives, vineyards, grapes and lavender flowers.

Getting Inspiration – One of the best ways to spark your creativity when decorating your French country kitchen is to study classic art work from the various regions of southern France. Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne were impressionist style painters with unique paintings of scenes and landscapes from Provence area of France. The color and themes in their paintings exemplify the style and elegance of the scenic villages and landscapes of the area. While a visit to the museum is the best way to immerse yourself in this activity, a more simplistic keyword search on the internet would suffice. There are many online décor stores that sell items that will blend nicely with the theme.

Finishing Touches – Imperfect and worn-in looking wood, stone or brick flooring, uneven stucco or plaster walls, striped or toile fabrics in aged muted shades should be complimented by an abundance of flowers. Flowers will add the finishing touch to your French country kitchen design because gardens are often a natural extension of the home in the south of France. Hang dried, silk or fresh flowers from wrought iron fixtures and add them to pots, window boxes and vases. Hydrangea and geraniums are abundant in the south of France and commonly used in French country homes.

Whether you decide to go all out or prefer a lower cost approach, focusing on furniture, décor and accessories that are aged, comfortable and earthy will bring the quaint elegance of the French country hillside into your home.
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