Cottagecore design is taking the interior design world by storm- and many people are looking into the French Farmhouse style design as their go-to look. But what exactly is the French Farmhouse design? How can you identify the aesthetics as that of the French Farmhouse movement?
This article is a quick look at what the French Farmhouse is. This also includes the elements and characteristics that make up this design aesthetics. It also tackles if the French Farmhouse style is the design for you.
What Is the French Farmhouse Style?
The French Farmhouse design is rooted in the Rustic movement with elements that define the cottage homes found in the south of France, a province known for its vineyards. The cities of Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, and Nice are part of this region.
The South of France is known for its rustic charm so you’d expect this design to incorporate wooden worn-out elements as well as vintage pieces that look as if they were collected over time.
French Country Farmhouse style is a blend of rustic elements and refined elegance. It’s characterized by its use of natural materials like wood and linen, a palette of soft, muted hues, and a mix of vintage and new decor. The key is to create a space that feels both understated and effortlessly graceful.
Choosing the Right Antique Pieces for Your French Farmhouse
Antiques are a cornerstone of French farmhouse decor. Look for pieces that have a sense of history and character, such as a weathered farm table or a vintage French chandelier. The beauty of these pieces lies in their patina and the stories they tell.
The Heart of the Home: Designing a French Farmhouse Kitchen
The kitchen is a focal point in French country homes. Opt for cabinetry that reflects a farmhouse style, incorporate rustic elements like exposed beams and cutting boards, and don’t forget the charm of a vintage-style farmhouse sink. Blend functionality with aesthetics to create a warm, inviting space.
Incorporating French Country Decor into Your Living Space
Your living room should reflect a mix of rustic and refined styles. Use a combination of plush upholsteries and raw wood elements. Decorate with baskets, vintage pieces, and soft textiles to add layers of texture.
Selecting the Perfect Farmhouse-Style Furniture
When choosing furniture, look for pieces that strike a balance between chunky, rustic charm and elegant lines. Farmhouse-style dining chairs or a chunky coffee table can serve as captivating centerpieces in any room.
Decorating with French Farmhouse Textiles and Linens
Textiles play a significant role in French country decor. Opt for soft linens, airy curtains, and textured throws. These elements add a sense of softness and comfort to the space, enhancing the farmhouse feel.
The Art of Rustic Elegance in French Country Lighting
Lighting is crucial in setting the mood. French farmhouse lighting often includes chandeliers with a rustic patina, lantern-style lamps, and simple yet elegant wall sconces. These fixtures should complement the room’s overall aesthetic.
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French Country Color Palette: Finding the Right Hues
The French country palette is typically soft and muted, with an emphasis on whites, creams, and pastel hues. These colors create a sense of calmness and simplicity. Don’t be afraid to add a pop of color with accents like cushions or a painted piece of furniture.
Elements of the French Farmhouse
The timeless appeal of the FrenchCottage house style is what draws people to this design aesthetics. Here are the elements to include when creating your French Farmhouse living space.
Aged Wood
Aged wood is a staple in the French Farmhouse interior design. This can be applied as raw, distressed, or whitewashed for the major pieces in the room such as the cabinets, dining table, and the likes. But don’t limit yourself; add aged wood to accent pieces, too like wooden bowls and candleholders.
Weathered Look
The French Farmhouse look is nothing like the Parisian design; it revels the weathered appearance. It’s far from polished, albeit, very liveable and elegant. Regardless of the material being utilized, the French Farmhouse look has rugged features. Ceilings have exposed beams made of wood. The fireplace would most likely be made of stone, with signs of wear and tear.
Greenery
Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash
The lavender fields in Provence are a known tourist spot in the south of France. That being said, greenery is part of the French Farmhouse look. The French country look won’t be complete without botanical prints.
Natural Fabrics
Expect to see natural fibers such as cotton in upholstery and smaller room accents. Natural fibers, together with indoor plants, bring life to any room. Use woven baskets or ones made of burlap as room accents.
Plush Upholstery
French Cottage furniture is plush, casual, and chic. Make sure that your living furniture is comfortable. In the bedroom, your headboards are padded.
Pale and Neutral Color Palettes
The tried and tested color combination for the French Farmhouse style is the blue and neutral colors. Choose the softest blue hues you can find and use this as the accent color while the main color would be the neutral palette. Pale shades of pinks can also be used as your substitute for blue hues. Add this to your bedroom for that feminine French Farmhouse look. Avoid bold patterns and stick to soft pastels.
Antique Pieces
Another staple of the French Cottage Style home is the antique pieces. Such pieces are usually ornately decorated and full of curvilinear lines.
Applying French Farmhouse Elements to Your Design
In this section, you will know how to apply the elements to any kind of room. These are French country decorating ideas on a budget so you don’t have to worry about denting your pockets. Read on to know more.
Add Louis XVI Chairs
Whether you use this as side chairs or dining chairs, French chairs will always have that classic appeal and bring out the French flair to any room. Ensure that these chairs have signs of age and wear-and-tear.
French furniture does not have high legs. On the contrary, French Farmhouse furniture has small cabriole legs. Furniture with a cabriole leg means the upper part of the leg has a curved convex part while the lower part, a concave.
Sideboards Are a Must
Your dining room should have at least one sideboard made of weathered wood. You can also include a wooden cabinet painted in white to bring out that French elegance.
Add Botanical Accents
Use floral wall art to bring life to the room. A proper French Farmhouse style would have floral wall art grouped closely together in pairs, two’s and three’s. Infuse dried flowers to bring a touch of nature to the room. If you can’t commit to proper plant care, you can still opt for faux greenery.
Add a Large Rug
Mach a textured rug made of natural fibers with furnishings in neutral colors to bring out a relaxed vibe. Another option is the overdyed rug in blue shade. This kind of rug is soft to the eye, adding to the comfortable vibe this design aesthetic brings.
Choose Natural Textiles for Accents
Your linens, pillows, placemats, and table runners should be made of linen or cotton. Such materials add up to the soft ambiance that is a trademark of the modern French Farmhouse look.
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Chandeliers Are Your Focal Points
Antique chandeliers made of wood or metal add Old World charm to your spaces. You can showcase one of the characteristics of the French Farmhouse, the flowy ambiance. Make sure that the chandeliers don’t stand out; never ostentatious. Just subtle elegance. For a more casual look, you can pair the chandeliers with gingham curtains. Otherwise, using silk draperies makes the rooms more formal.
Blue and White Combination Is Your Quintessential Blend
The classic French Farmhouse color would be blue and white. Inject some splash of patterned color to your space using this color combination. Try applying it to smaller accent pieces such as throw pillows and linens.
Should you want to use darker colors, make sure that these are injected into the color combination in minimal amounts. These colors should only be used to break the monotony of warm pastel colors.
Plush Living Room Furniture Pieces
Plush armchairs and sofas are a must in French Farmhouse interiors. Such furniture radiates comfort and warmth. Moreover, the plushness balances out the roughness of the wooden accent pieces. Keep these furniture pieces in neutral palettes to keep up with the relaxed look. Embellish your plush sofas with buttons and punches for the classic French look.
Add Gilded Mirrors
Photo by Irina Grotkjaer on Unsplash
Another quintessential feature of the French Farmhouse is the gilded mirror. Use this to accentuate your living room. Place this next to a window so it can reflect light more into the room. Another way to use mirrors as part of the French Farmhouse wall decor is to choose smaller antique mirrors and group them together, just like the plant art decor mentioned above. To make them more French Farmhouse style, choose ones with rustic or vintage frames.
Include Gingham in the Mix
Hardly would you find a French Farmhouse with no gingham pattern tucked somewhere. Patterns are used to add character to the room. If gingham is not your cup of tea, you can also use plaids, checks, and stripes.
Add Traditional French Country Motifs
Small accent pieces should be country motifs are known in southern France. Include roosters, damask, lavender blooms, sunflowers, and olives, all of which are common in that part of France.
Add Eye-catching Collections
Worn cutting boards in an open-shelf Shaker Style cabinet or copper pots hung over stovetops can also act as kitchen accent pieces. The French Farmhouse design has a knack for things grouped as if in a collection. Just like the botanical wall accents, you can decorate your kitchen by piling your chopping boards by size.
Incorporate Toile de Jouy
Otherwise known as toile, Toile de Jouy is a traditional rustic French pattern used in all kinds of fabrics including upholstery, tablecloths, wallpaper, and drapery. The pattern is intricate and characterized by repeated scenes of French landscapes or traditional French flora. Often printed in one single color with a white backdrop, Toile de Jouy is often paired with other patterns such as gingham and stripes.
To End
Transport yourself to the French wine country by creating a room in French Farmhouse style. This kind of interior design looks effortless and classy.
