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A country kitchen, even though not apparent, is much more than just function, organization and efficiency.
It should have appeal, personality, and that extra something that can make cooking fun and light up your senses. A good looking kitchen will make all that time you spend inside it much more pleasurable.
A French country kitchen is one of the best classic kitchen designs. Considering French country kitchen décor is absolutely a good idea.
If you’re after a traditional, yet unique look that takes you back to rural France and its hillsides, go for it. French country kitchens look stunning in anything from rural to modern, urban kitchens.
Image source: Kitchen Kraft
The look of a French provincial kitchen reminds you of the rustic French farmhouses, lavender fields and pastoral settings, and this kind of design represents a very unique French living style. With a kitchen design like this, you’ll find that the look is generally rustic, old and warm.
Elements used in this design vary, from French country cabinets, to a French country kitchen table and French country kitchen island, and even rustic French country kitchen curtains. A good option would be to go with light color wood furniture, and decorate using an ornate carving style.
The colors used in a French country kitchen
Image source: Alicia Shearer, ASID, CID
Colors are actually very important when you’re looking at French country kitchen ideas, and we’re talking about colors of everything, from the furniture and elements, to the French country kitchen lighting.
When you’re looking at combinations, use impressionists such as Monet, Renoir and Van Gogh for your inspiration. The basic colors can be, for example, a combination of cobalt blue, bright red, sunny yellow, rust and soft ocean tones.
Image source: Adeeni Design Group
You can also go with other options, such as sunflower yellow, poppy red, meadow green, bright blue and even sunset purple. As far as the cabinets, furniture and walls go, you could opt for ivory, light beige or taupe.
You can go with glossy white cabinets, or just leave them in their natural woody color if you want to keep things natural. Light colors will make your kitchen look bigger, light and airy. For the seats’ cushions, and the curtains, for an ethnic French look, go for paisley and stripes or floral prints.
What materials are used?
Image source: Mike Smith / Artistic Kitchens
Using natural materials in the furniture, walls and cabinetries is important here. Commonly used materials include natural stone for floors, granite for the countertops and tumbled marble backsplashes. You can put the natural materials on beamed ceilings and walls, and you can have them plaster painted or wood painted.
The flooring is best done with bricks, stone, or cotton rugs. A stone fireplace should be present, as well as a window that has wooden shutters. For the cabinets and furniture, a distressed or rustic look is very suitable, and ceramic tiles having backsplash are ideal for your countertops.
Accent pieces
Image source: Debra Campbell Design
In this area of the design, you’ll find a pretty extreme use of rustic urns, pottery accents, and hand-painted European ceramics. Terracotta pottery and ceramic tiles are used absolutely anywhere you can put them, and a couple of copper pots will give you that spark you’re missing.
A French kitchen is an ideal design for any kitchen. It’s the center of your house, and this design will give your whole home a trendy and aesthetic look. Your kitchen will undoubtedly be noticed by visitors once you apply this design style to it.
Image source: Cabell Cummins Interiors
And, you won’t just be gathering appreciations, but you’ll fall in love with it as well, because this kind of kitchen design is good at spreading lightness and positive vibes. Once you have a kitchen with this design style, you’ll find that cooking is actually fun, and spending hours in it isn’t something you mind at all.
Open shelves are another thing you can consider. Use them to display anything from rustic pottery, to ceramic urns and vases, candle sticks and even antique French jars.
Image source: Sunscape Homes, Inc
Other decorative items may include bread baskets, spice racks, wicker baskets for fresh produce, and wrought iron or copper pots and pot racks. Windows and open shelves can also be used for displaying pots of herbs or even sunflowers, a sight pretty common with this design language.
Walls are usually covered with natural materials such as brick, wood or stucco. Wall colors are usually in the blues and yellows, but using greens and reds isn’t something you should completely discard. Some favorites include buttery yellow, taupe, ivory, terracotta burnt rust and French blue.
Image source: Monogram Appliances
When we’re discussing lighting, you should have good ambient light, and task lighting at work areas such as your stove, countertops, kitchen islands and your sink.
Overdoing it with lighting is something you shouldn’t be doing, and if privacy isn’t a problem, let some extra natural light shine in. When the sun goes down, yes, you’ll need light, and some options include chandeliers, or pendant lighting and wall sconces in a matching finish.
Image source: Colonial Craft Kitchens, Inc
As far as floors go, natural elements such as brick, wood, cement tile and natural stone are the way to go here, and you can cover them with braided or hand-woven cotton, as well as wool area rugs that have scenes such as farm scenes, toile motifs and farm animals.
The kitchen islands are another popular piece of furniture here. Common tables are usually wrought iron and wood, and ornate details. The chairs are often ladderbacks with wrought iron or rush seating.
Using a soft color palette
Image source: Susan Serra
A creamy yellow hue on the walls, and a bit of soft sage on the cabinets will give you plenty of coziness and warmth. To complement this serene palette, go with khakis and muted greys.
To play up the country theme, opt for delicate chicken wire in accent-door inserts, and some floral fabrics. The fabric can be repeated as the window treatment, which you can hang on a rod above the sink area.
Elegant and airy
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This style embraces the past, and uses centuries of different styles in an amazing combination. Open shelves and brick walls will get you a real French farmhouse feel, and to introduce a layer of elegance, go with gold-finished light fixtures, or simple, white perimeter cabinets.
A country appeal
Image source: Murphy & Co. Design
Natural and aged finishes are something you should be embracing if you’re after a rustic country French look. Find ways to add antiqued details, such as primitive vessels, to accentuate the design.
You could opt for reclaimed wood cabinets, which will use their knotty, unfinished look to lay the foundation for the remainder of the space’s look. A furniture-style island which is hand painted will give the illusion of age too.
The devil is in the details
Image source: Karr Bick Kitchen and Bath
With a crisp color scheme and c’est magnifique details, you can introduce the French country design in your kitchen.
Classic Gustavian detailing can be combined with steel hardware, and you can go with charming dormers and arched, Gothic windows to draw the viewer’s eye to the ceiling. A blue and white color scheme with a few modifications, such as light fixtures or hardware, can easily give you the French look.
The cabinets
Image source: ROM architecture studio
The cabinets used in this kind of kitchen give you a truly unique twist on the country kitchen style, and they’re characterized by a refined, yet lived-in style, as well as very intricate craftmanship.
The “furniture style” features is a trademark here, and the designs often have intricate arches, glass-paned doors and other elements that lean towards the classic French furniture style. To finish the design, you can go with elegant, yet substantial hardware.
Image source: Starion Custom Residences
Wood surfaces are commonly distressed or slightly antiqued, which pairs the overall elegance of the design with a lived-in, welcoming look.
And, last but not least, you can pair those natural woods with metals and other materials that provide contrast, to give your cabinets and antique, ageless feel. You’ll often find bronze and copper elements, as they hint at a design that is historical, and yet has evolved over time, making use of plenty of diverse styles.
Ending thoughts on French country kitchen design
The classic French country kitchen design can be recognized by the intricate woodwork, graceful lines and rich fabrics. Accentuated with country details, this style will give you a space that is refined, yet rustic, and homey, yet extremely elegant and welcoming, making your time in the kitchen very fun.