Decorating Your Home In French Country Style

French country style is known for its elegance and relaxed touches. This style has been adopted in many homes throughout the world. There are some key components to this style that are considered to be guidelines and not rules. There are no rules for how it should be done. The key ingredients of French Country style is textured walls, a creative use of fabrics and an attempt to bring the outdoors inside. You can make every room in your house French Country style by following this handy guide.

Bring the Outdoors Indoors

A main concept of French Country style is bringing the outdoors indoors. You may think this is not possible, but it is possible to create an area reminiscent of an open air courtyard or terrace. The first necessity is wrought iron or wooden garden French style furniture. You can set it around the kitchen table or in the sunroom to keep the atmosphere relaxed and informal. Cushions are a must with fabrics such as muslin, linen, or cotton floral providing seating comfort while using this type of furniture. You may also consider making your living room space more informal by placing a wrought iron daybed against the wall instead of a couch and using comfortable quilts and pillows to make the area a place to read and enjoy your morning coffee.

Decorating the Doorways

Doorways get special attention in French Country Style. The spaces above and around the doorframe is a prime area to decorate. Pretty pastel paint and lovely doorway jewellery is a spectacular compliment to your French style furniture. Some things to get you started in decorating include pretty porcelain plates, gorgeous hand-painted tiles, decorative ironwork, vintage post cards, gilded accessories and old photographs in antique frames. The idea that more is better does not apply here. If you are decorating above your doorway, then consider decorating using the” law of three”. This is where you only use three of items on the wall. The item in the middle is the focal point and the two items flanking it on the sides are the compliment. The items don’t need to be large, because you are using multiple items as a complimentary decoration.

Decorate with Textiles

The feel of a fine fabric can make the most mundane sofa feel like it was meant for a king. The use of textiles in French Country Style is an integral part of this style. Sumptuous fabrics may be used to decorate the windows, sofas, chairs, tables, and any other place your creative mind can think of. The great thing about fabric is that it is not so expensive and can completely change the look and feel of the room.

You don’t have to start big either. You can start with an appliquéd handkerchief strategically placed in a focal point of the room. Once you are satisfied with the look of that small piece, you can move on to using more fabric in your décor. A great suggestion is to appliqué the cushions of your French style furniture. You could add a snippet of embroidered cotton to the corner of a tablecloth for your kitchen table. The idea is not to combine perfectly matching combinations, but to pair fabrics and colours in an offbeat but pleasing fashion. Pairing colours that complement each other is the first step. Whites and light pastels should be the main colours used with a splash of bright or bold colouring mixed in. Pillows and throws are another way to add in the use of fabric in your French Country style home. Consider these elements in cotton and toile for added comfort.

Aimee Coppock is an artist living in rural France studying the art of French Style furniture. Her hobby is appliquéing muslin and cotton handkerchiefs to sell at the market.