French Country Decorating

French country decorating is a great way to bring warmth and charm to your home. This fuss free style of interior design has risen in popularity in recent years, as more and more people have embraced the comfort it brings to homes. This decorating style can give your home a cottage look and feel with a lot of classic floral designs and Old World elements. Use a French country theme to create a space that is both easy going and inviting.

About French Country Design

When it comes to French country style interior design, the name says it all, really. This interior design style is inspired by the natural environment of the French countryside, and it also incorporates the rustic character and charm of old French farmhouses and country homes. The style can be elegant, like French country estate, or it can be more homey, like a simple French cottage. One important key to French country decorating is that there are minimum rules. Your focus should be on creating a space that feels like a perfect French countryside escape to you, and there is a tremendous amount of flexibility in terms of colors and mixing fabrics and prints that might not be acceptable in other styles of interior design. Once you understand the basic principles of French country decorating, its easy to create this look in a casual, family oriented home.

French country style also shares many similar elements seen in other Mediterranean decorating styles, such as Tuscan, as well as traditional and vintage elements seen in English country style design and cottage or "shabby chic" style.

French Country Colors and Architectural Features

The color palette for a French country theme home draws inspiration from the natural elements found in the French countryside. Lavender and sunflower fields provide soft purple and yellow hues. Poppy fields provide the inspiration for accents of bright red and pink. Shades of blue bring to mind the bright, sunny French skies and soft greens reminisce of the green rolling hills of the French countryside. Light shades of beige and cream represent the aged plaster walls of old country farmhouses and varying shades of grey reflect the stony walls of grand estates.

Rough hewn wooden beams in the ceiling, plaster walls and stone, clay or brick flooring are common architectural features of a French country style home. Curved arches, soft lines and stonework are features seen in both estate-like chateaus and simple country farmhouses.

French Furniture

French country furniture can range in appearance from sturdy, rustic looking traditional wood furniture with natural or light stained finishes to painted, cottage wood furniture in pastel shades with a distressed finish. A distressed finish can be achieved by layering a light color over a dark base or layering a darker color over a light base. In either case, the base color shows through the top color in areas that are "distressed" giving the furniture an antique or vintage appearance.

Wrought iron furniture is also commonly seen in this decorating style, such as baker's racks and overhead hanging pot holders. A pewter finished metal bed makes an exquisite piece of bedroom furniture, inspired by 18th century provincial French country iron works.

Classic French Fabrics

The most recognized classic French fabric designs Include the brightly colored paisley, floral and botanical designs found on Indienne cottons and the Toile de Jouy pattern. Toile is a French word meaning "linen cloth" or "canvas" and Jouy comes from Jouy-en-Josas, the location of the factory that first began printing French toile fabrics. The design is a repeating pattern showing figures in pastoral scenes, hunting scenes, farm life and other 18th and 19th century family life. These simple patterns were hand printed and limited by the size of the small wood blocks used in the printing process. Dye colors were also limited to violet, red or blue on a white or cream background, however the fine line work and artistic talent behind these patterns created a unique look that modern print mills have been unable to surpass.

Other French fabric designs come from the French homespun fabrics made by rural peasant women in the 19th and early 20th century. Designs include striped and checked patterns, as well as plaids. French ticking has two distinctive stripe patterns, including narrow stripes in blue and gray and solid stripes in different widths and colors of blue, beige, pink and taupe. Small floral patterns on a solid background were also common on ticking fabrics.

French Country Decorating Ideas

You can give an otherwise ordinary home a French country feel just by adding the appropriate home accents.

Start by covering tables with linens that have a French country style pattern, such as the ones mentioned above or linens with floral, olive tree or rooster designs. Even a simple lace table linen in white or ivory, used by itself or over a solid colored tablecloth, will help you achieve this look. Any type of table can be accented with a decorative linen covering including dining tables, coffee tables, end tables and night stands. An easy table centerpiece can be fresh fruit or flowers in a decorative bowl, vase or pitcher. Throw pillows for furniture can also be covered in a classic French fabric.

There are many good options for French country wall decor. Mirrors with hand painted wooden frames, pewter frames or wrought iron frames are found in this decorating style. Floral wallpaper borders also add a nice touch. Wrought iron wall decor is a major component of this decorating style. You can find items such as:

Iron gates
Iron scrolls
Iron candle holders/sconces
Iron wall baskets
Iron shelves

Terra cotta pottery, including urns, bowls and vases are a standard element in Mediterranean style decorating and that includes French country decor. These earthenware vessels have been around for centuries. Adding any of these old world accessories to your decor will help you achieve the traditional French country atmosphere you want in your home.

A Family Friendly Decorating Style

The key to successful French country decorating is choosing furnishings and accessories that have a timeworn or vintage appearance. Keep the look consistent by avoiding modern looking furniture with very shiny, glossy finishes or shiny metals such as chrome or stainless steel. Simple cotton linens and distressed finishes on furniture make French country both a kid friendly and pet friendly decorating style, perfect for today's active families.