When you would like to upgrade your home and make it look warm and more inviting, a great design style to follow is French Country décor. This popular interior design option has a casual elegance with hints of cool colors and rustic charm. As beneficial as this design sounds, it isn’t too difficult to pull off. And perhaps the best part about French country home décor is the fact that it doesn’t cost a fortune to create. Many homeowners often choose to even refinish their current furniture items to create a charming French Country interior.
Understanding the Basics of French Country Home Décor
If you want to add warm and inviting décor to your home French Country décor is the way to go. There aren’t many rules to this type of interior design. For the color palette, you should use warm colors and those that are less intense such as creams, warm yellows and pinks, and soft blues. The furniture itself should feature a style that is both simple and graceful. Older, distressed items made of wood, wrought iron, or even those with rusted metal accents often work very well to help complete the French Country look.
5 Ways to Add French Country Home Décor to your Space
When you are looking for some simple yet efficient ways to add French Country décor to your home, be sure to consider the following tips.
Choose the Right Color Palette
French Country décor is all about warmth, therefore you should choose colors that go along with bringing out that feeling. Consider all beautiful colors, shades, and tones seen in the French countryside such as brilliant emerald green, soft lavender, or bright orange.
There are all types of decorative fabrics that one may choose from when decorating their kitchen, living room, or dining room area. From basic plaids in sky blue to checks and stripes featuring warm pastels found on sofa cushions and curtains. Mix and match these styles with bold, plain primary colors to create the perfect color palette for each room.
Browse Thrift Stores for Vintage Items
Old rustic charm is the theme to go with when changing current home décor to mimic the French countryside. Places such as thrift stores, antique stores, and flea markets will often have items that have that genuine vintage look to complete any room. Some items to look out for include wooden dining room chairs with a distressed look, textile products from decades ago featuring vintage prints and anything for the home made from wrought iron material. This can include curtain rods, old pots, and pans for decorative purposes, and even benches to place inside or outside the home.
Create a Mismatched Look in the Dining Room
One of the best things about the creating a French Country kitchen is that there is no need for furniture items to match or appear to be from a set. In the dining room, it is acceptable to have chairs around the table made in different styles and from various materials. However, they should all have one thing in common and that is a rustic appeal. Mix and match wooden chairs with those made from wrought iron or choose to have all wooden chairs with various patterns or colors on the seat cushions. Unsure where to start? Consider adding items featuring the traditional Toile design. These large motifs will often have a single contrasting color and include illustrations of farm animals, country scenes or elaborate Chinese patterns.
Add a Floral Effect
Large, lush, natural flowers can help bring the look of the French Countryside to any home. Placing them all throughout the home will help to transform any modernized residence to a French Country house in little time. Place flowers in old country pitchers in the kitchen, copper pots, or simple clear glass vases. The main idea is to bring the colors of nature inside. Good suggestions for flowers to include are lavender and geraniums.
Redecorate Using Items from the Past
It’s time to tear out the modernized flooring and eliminate all new furnishings. Replace these items with vintage materials to create the ideal French Country look. Rustic flooring made from brick, clay, or stone materials will help any home owner achieve this vintage interior design. Old, distressed wooden boards will also work well. Keep in mind that most French Country interiors will feature both contrasting textures and colors. Combining plaster walls with dark wooden beams is one way to create this stunning look.
French Country home décor is the perfect design option when you need to remodel while on a budget. Since many of the items used are repurposed, home owners often purchase them at a discounted price. Other newer items may cost you a little extra, but you should still manage to redecorate your home for less by using this warm and comforting style.
