French Country Decorating — How To Design A Warm, Inviting French Country Kitchen

Your kitchen is the heart of your home. So why not enhance it with French country decor? French country decorating is earthy, warm and rustic, and creates a cozy, inviting space. If you’re longing for slow, easy country mornings, sipping coffee and chatting with your family, a French country kitchen is the perfect backdrop, and brings that warm cottage ambiance into your everyday life.

French country decorating is amazingly simple. Wall colors that evoke the countryside of Provence, rustic natural textures, casually elegant fabrics and prints and rich, earthy pottery are all you need to recreate the relaxed, homey atmosphere of rural French life in your kitchen. While there are many ways to utilize French country decor, here are some basic tips to get you started.

Wall Treatments
French country decorating uses shades found in nature to bring the outdoors in, so wash your walls with buttery yellows, sky or cornflower blues, or gentle grassy greens. For a real old-world French cottage feel, use a textured wall treatment, like plaster or rough stucco, and then coat them in a warm neutral tone such as oatmeal or cream. Ragging over this with a chocolate brown glaze will enhance the aged look.

Furniture
French country decor uses lots of natural, rough wood and wrought iron. Think aged, knotty tables, ladderback or rush-seated chairs, and slightly worn painted cabinets. You can leave chairs natural, whitewash them, or do a slightly aged, crackle treatment to make them look as if they have been there for years. Add some bead board and vintage hardware to your cabinets, and paint them a warm cream. Hand a wrought iron chandelier over your table, and some wrought iron accessories in and around the kitchen.

Fabrics
If you have windows, use sheer or lace curtains hung on wrought iron rods. Layer your kitchen with cushions, throw pillows and linens in colors that both compliment and contrast the main color scheme. French country decorating motifs include toile, stripes, checks and plaids, as well as casual botanical and outdoor themes. Beetles, bumblebees, leaves…use your imagination, and don’t be afraid to layer and mix different prints! For the floor, toss casual braided, hooked or rag rugs wherever you need them.

Accessories
This is where French country decorating really gets individual. You can display brightly colored pottery, hang copper pots and pans, set out wrought iron candlesticks…the choices are endless. Sunflowers and lavender are common in the French countryside, so prints, fresh flowers or dried sprigs will work beautifully. Antique kitchen tools, wooden roosters, earthenware bowls…whatever makes you happy and looks rustic will work.

French country decorating is simple, down to earth and cozy. With these tips, you’ll be sipping your morning coffee in your very own rural French cottage in no time!