French Country Curtains

French Country Style – The Basics

If you pick up any home decorating magazine or flip on one of the many home decorating programs on TV, you’ve surely heard the words “French Country” time and time again, but how much do you really know about what the style is? French Country style emulates the rustic, homey charm of homes in the French countryside, and like these homes, French Country interior design takes its inspiration from the French countryside itself. Some popular elements for French Country style design include:

• Soft lavenders, greens and blues, mixed with bright yellows and rust reds
• Large, wooden furniture pieces, either in dark wood or white/antique white painted wood
• Wrought iron, distressed brass, and copper
• Soft lighting
• Floral fabrics
• Toile prints
• Lace
• Rooster motifs
• Ticking Stripes

All in all, the French Country look is all about simple charm. It’s not fussy, and it’s not rigid; you can mix floral fabrics with stripes if you like and break all kinds of rules that would not fly in other design styles. Likewise, there’s no fear of over accessorizing in French Country design – the right amount of accessories is just the amount that you feel turns your house into a home.

French Country Curtains

Of course, when you deck your home out in French Country style, nothing finishes things off like hanging French Country curtains. There are lots of different directions you could go with your French Country curtains. Long drapes, short valances, and everything in between work just fine with French Country style design – the curtain style decision should be based solely on your personal preference, the size of your windows, and the overall feel of the room – long curtains are a little more formal, short curtains more casual.

Likewise, with French Country curtains, there are many different styles from which you can choose. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Lace curtains are very popular in French Country design. The lace can be white, off white, or even a soft color. You can hang the lace curtains on their own, or you can pair them with a thicker curtain in a solid color or a print.

• Toile is another common choice for French Country window treatments. Toile used to be hard to come by, but now you can find many different kinds of toile fabric in nearly any home decorating store in a wide variety of colors.

• Floral prints

• Plaid prints

• Prints that incorporate other French Country motifs, like lavender, lemons, or roosters.

The possibilities are really endless for French Country drapes and curtains. The only caveat to keep in mind is that keeping colors on the light/bright side works well with this style. For instance, if you go for a floral print, choose one on a white or off white background as opposed to the strong floral prints on black backgrounds.

French Country Curtain Resources

The internet is chock full of websites on which you can do your French Country window treatment shopping. Remember to measure your windows carefully before placing any orders:

• Decorating with Lace – This site offers a wide selection of gorgeous lace curtains, including many that are perfect for French Country design.

• Annie’s Place – Annie’s Place is a site dedicated to Country design in general and has plenty of links to good French Country retailers.

• Window Toppers – Window Toppers is all curtains, all the time, and they have a good French Country selection.

• Vintage Lifestyle – This UK based site has a lovely collection of country curtains, as well as great furniture and other French Country accessories.