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French Country Decorating Ideas

Ashwini Kulkarni Sule
Casual, laid back, warm and inviting... that is all about French country decorating style. Follow the ideas given here to bring the charm of French country to your home.
The word 'French country' immediately conjures up images of beautiful lavender fields and warm rustic homes, in our minds. This decorating style is the most sought after trend in interior designing for home decorating these days.
More and more people are willing to recreate the calm and warmth of French country in their own homes. No matter if you live in a high rise urban apartment or a two story suburban home, you can easily create your own French country home.

French Country Home Decorating Ideas

Colors

French country style exhibits a unique blend of vibrant colors like yellow and orange and somber shades like gray and brown. This style makes ample use of blues and pinks in all shades. Distress white and butter yellow are the favorite colors for painting walls. Kitchen cupboards are often painted in blue or salmon pink with hand painted design on it.
Shades of green such as bright grass green and dark hunter green and used in combination with cobalt blue to depict the hues of nature. These bright colors are often punctuated with gray or brown. Accent pieces are mostly colored in black. Yellowish brown colors are used in ample to exude warmth and rustic charm.

Illumination

French country decorating style mostly relies on natural light for illumination. The whole idea of illumination is to create a cozy and warm ambiance. Hence, to recreate the magic of French country, use lamps or light bulbs that emit yellowish light.
You also have an ample scope for experimentation where lampshades are concerned. Beautiful lampshades with a stem in shape of rooster, which essentially stands for French country culture is a great option for illuminating your house in French style.

Furniture

Antique wrought iron furniture is a must have if you truly wish to bring the old world charm into your own living room. If you cannot lay your hands on old, rustic antique piece of furniture you can simply give rust-treatment to your new piece of furniture.
Old, faded wooden furniture with a worn out appearance is also a must have in your French country style home. However, to make it last long, first paint and then stain it to achieve that rustic look. For an impression of hand painted work, add decals.

Accessories

Wrought iron candle holders and chandeliers are an indispensable part of French country style decor. Large wall clock or an ancient looking fire place can be an ideal focal point for your French style living room.
Ornate table lamps can be used for added illumination as they can definitely enhance the look of your French country style living room. You can look for these accessories in antique shops or websites dealing in such stuff. You may get these accessories for cheap and may need only a fresh coat of paint and staining to achieve a desired look.

Drapes
French country style makes use of basic fabrics such as cotton, canvas or toile. Laces and fringes are a must for drapes in this type of decorating style. Bedspreads, pillow covers are mostly hand painted, so use decals if you want to create a similar effect. The colors of drapes and other fabrics is mostly in sync with the wall color.
Hope the French country decorating ideas given here will help you decorate your home in a true French country style. This cozy and inviting style of interior decoration will definitely make you look forward to coming home after a day's work.