Country French Style for Your Kitchen

Colors

The colors of Provence are the centerpiece of French country design. Gentle lavender evokes the vision of the plentiful fields of these flowers, grown for the perfume industry there. Sunflower yellow, deep rust, and bright orange reflect the region's sun-filled days. Deep azure blue mirrors the brilliant color of the Mediterranean Sea. White – from stark white to a slightly yellow linen color – is a reminder of the dazzling sunlight shining through open windows.

Textures

Textures for your French country kitchen are rustic and rough-hewn. These include textured plastered walls, rough-hewn wooden beams, and hammered copper. Finishes tend to be natural, not painted.

Fabrics include brightly colorful draperies and table linens as well as gentle, white lace curtains. Starched damasks and chintzes are widely used for chair cushions as well as natural caning for benches and chairs.

Country French Style for your Kitchen: Design Materials

Design materials, too, can evoke a country French style for your kitchen. Natural materials, such as terra cotta tiles, slate, and natural stone add a country French touch. So, too, do copper, particularly hammered copper, and wooden, parquet floors. A stone fireplace is a natural for a French country kitchen.

Furniture

The most important piece of furniture in a French country kitchen is the table. It should be large enough to accommodate a large family and appear to have been used at family dinner for some time. The classic table design is a thick, wooden plank table surrounded by wooden benches or caned chair with high, slatted backs. Other kitchen pieces might include a carved, wooden breakfront or a simple, wooden serving cart. The wood is generally pine or walnut. Carvings on the furniture, in motifs such as a myrtle leaf, corn, or lavender, are sometimes seen, a tradition carried over from the 19th century.

Country French Style for your Kitchen: Accessories

Accessories in a French country kitchen should be kept simple and useful. Interesting accessories include lemons (always plentiful in the south of France), sprigs of lavender (in a bouquet or in a wreath), and colorful earthenware crocks and copper pots. Wheat – in bundles or as a pattern -- is another commonly used symbol of the bounty of the harvest.

Lighting is important to a French country-style kitchen. Ideally, your kitchen will have plenty of windows and plenty of natural sunlight. To augment the natural lighting, use shaded fixture, not stark overhead lighting. Shades should be in a colorful pattern that reflects the room's design. The lamp or chandelier itself is customarily made of iron or distressed brass. Think of horse gear in an old French barn.

A French country-style kitchen is a place to welcome family and friends. Done well, it is place of warmth, generosity, and goodwill – a place to which your guest will want to return time and time again.