Create A Cozy, Romantic Getaway In Your Garden With French Provincial Furniture
No matter what its size, your garden is just as important as any other room in your home. It is an extension of your living space, and a getaway from everyday life. French provincial furniture creates a romantic, inviting oasis right outside your door, and allows you to design an outdoor garden room that flows seamlessly with the rest of your home.
A French garden room is designed for comfort and relaxation, a place to soak up the beauty and fresh air of the countryside while sipping a glass of Bordeaux and visiting with cherished friends. French provincial furniture that is used outdoors compliments the natural surroundings and is used to evoke a casual elegance and create an intimate gathering place.
Outdoor French provincial furniture is made of natural materials. The most common material used is cast or wrought iron, but wicker and natural wood are also favorites. You can combine furniture made of different materials, such as a wooden table with wrought iron chairs surrounding it.
The French country look is rustic and old world, and you can easily recreate this by aging furniture in the French provincial style. Wrought iron can be black and treated with a spray-on rust treatment, found inmost home improvement stores, to make it look as if it has been in your garden for a long time. You can also paint wrought iron white…it’s okay if it chips a little. Perfection is not the goal.
Wooden French provincial furniture can be left bare, to naturally age in the sun. Or, whitewash the wood or paint it a light gray, green or blue shade and let it weather and fade. An aged or crackle treatment will help the furniture get that worn, family heirloom appearance.
Enhance your French provincial furniture with comfortable cushions in simple, casually elegant fabrics and patterns. Some common French country patterns are toile, checks, stripes or plaids. You can also use outdoor motifs, such as bumblebees, roosters, beetles, leaves or casual florals. If you plan to use your outdoor garden room for dining, linen or cotton tablecloths and napkins are essential. Use tableware made of natural materials, such as wooden serving dishes or stoneware plates. Dress the table with fresh flowers in glass vases, and serve drinks from a round, enamelled pitcher.
Wooden, wrought iron or terracotta planters, filled with colorful, blooming flowers, add beauty and compliment your French provincial furniture. If you need lighting, use hurricane lamps and tea lights made of punched tin or glass, either placed around you on the ground or hung above the table. Birdbaths, stone urns or small statues add an old world feel.
French provincial furniture and a few rustic touches will create a romantic, relaxing getaway right outside your door! No matter how big or small, your French outdoor garden room will beckon you to nestle in and soak up the beauty of your own little private oasis.