How to Create a Country French Style for Your Home

I have always loved the look and the feel of country French interiors, especially the Provencal look from the South of France. The bright sunlight and warm weather of South Florida is very similiar to the
feel of the Provence region in the southern part of France, so it seems like a natural for this area of the United States.

The fact that I love almost everything French and have always loved the soft and comfortable look of French country furniture also contributed to this look I have been working on for years now. When we recently moved into a brand new home, I was able to finally achieve my look.

I think the most important place to start is color choices. I used a medium blue, often referred to as French blue combined with a warm and cheery yellow. It is set off by lots of white trim, as in all of my woodwork and shutters and blinds. The background for this are my creamy, buttery colored ivory walls, and a neutral and light ivory travertine flooring in my kitchen, family room and bathrooms.

I love the look of pine and oak furniture, both of which are not too dark, in my family room and kitchen table and chairs. This is mixed with lots of small French prints, called indiennes, and different plaids and florals, all in the same color scheme of yellow and blue. It makes for an interesting and fresh mix. One of the main secrets of French decorating is getting the right balance in the mixing of these plaids and prints.
This mix is set off beautifully by the light pine and oak furniture.

The warmth of different types of woods in furniture is a very important part of the country French look.

The use of traditional area rugs on bare flooring in a compatable color scheme really helps to warm up the look. I stayed with my ivory ,bone, and blue look in my area rugs, bringing in a little claret red in the rugs to add a little interest. I have found you can add lots of complimentary colors in your other rooms, as long as the underlying basic colors are carried out throughout. I have different degrees of my favorite blue throughout, but with different accent colors in different rooms. I think it looks more interesting to mix things up a bit, but there needs to be a flow of similiar colors throughout to give it a soft, warm and peaceful look.

The French also seem to favor lots of accessories. I have throw pillows, table runners, lots of pictures both family pictures and lots of great travel photos. We were lucky enough to go in past years on several trips to France, so the photographs my husband took of French scenes add a lot if interest to the home. Also, French pottery is a fabulous accent, in bright yellows, and my favorite, lots of blue and white. The French also have lots of books throughout the home, and flowers whenever possible.

In the kitchen, wooden cabinets , including some with glass doors to show off your favorite dishes (mine are blue and white, of course) really carry out the look. A tile backsplash, mine is simple ivory softens the look of the countertops. Lots of copper, pewter, and more French pottery carry out the country French look, even if the kitchen is more of a modern style than a lot of French homes. I have a few favorite bunnies that I have collected throughout the years sprinkled throughout my kitchen which adds a nice touch.

All in all, I really love my Country French style home in Florida. I took quite some time to experiment with the style and collect the look, but it was well worth it!