French Country Pillows

Decorating with French country pillows adds a creative element to any room. The pillows come in a variety of colors, designs, and materials.

French country style contains a natural and rustic appeal. It includes natural colors that can be seen in the countryside of France such as red, orange, yellow, gold, green, and cornflower blue with hints of lavender mixed in. French country style offers a relaxing environment that sets very few rules when it comes to decorating. With this style, a plaid pillow may be next to a toile pillow and yet it works with the overall style of the room.

There are several styles and designs for pillows used in French country decorating.

Needlepoint pillows are the most common ones used in French country decorating. There is a wide range of items or designs stitched into the pillow, with the rooster as the most popular. These pillows will have a main item stitched onto the front of the pillow with a beautiful floral, plaid or paisley background. Some other common items, besides the rooster, stitched onto needlepoint pillows are:

• Bunnies
• Hens
• Swans
• Leaves
• Fruit
• Vineyards
• Churches
• Farmers

Toile pillows are very popular in French country decor. The pillows have an off-white or beige background that contains a pattern or repeating scene in a cornflower blue color. Although blue is the classic color, toile pillows are seen in red and green as well. The scene or pattern on the pillow is reminiscent of the countryside just as the needlepoint pillows are. They contain the same kind of pictures and motifs.

Black and white pillows fit into a modern French country theme. The pillows usually have a black and white design on the front such as a floral or paisley and then the back is all black. The front of the pillow could also be a scene from the countryside just like the toile pillows.

Use French country pillows in a variety of ways for decorating a room.

• The most basic use is placing them on couches and chairs in the living or family room.
• Toss the pillows as decorative items on a bed in the master bedroom or the guest room.
• When using the pillows in basic places as the bed or the couch, select pillows that are varying in size and color. This gives off a good contrast and makes it more interesting and visually appealing.
• Fill a large wicker basket full of the pillows and place the basket on the floor in the corner of a room.
• These pillows look great sitting on a window bench in a living room or a bedroom. The wood and the design go together perfectly.
• Use a large pillow as a doorstop for any door in the home.
• Utilize large pillows as extra seating on the floor. Store them under a coffee table or in a large basket so they can be a decoration as well.
• Place small pillows on side tables or on shelves as knick-knack items.

Pillows that fall in the French country theme are available at many antique stores and boutiques. Consignment stores and auctions such as eBay may also carry these types of pillows. For modern French country styles, shop at home decor stores like Ethan Allen and Pier 1 Imports.

Several online retailers specialize in pillows of this nature.

• Pierre Deux
• Village House
• Two Sassy Sisters

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