When designing a kitchen, most people focus tightly on organization and efficiency. While those truly are important considerations, don’t forget to give your kitchen a personality as well as functionality. One classic kitchen decorating theme is the French country look.
A French country kitchen makes you feel as if you have just walked into a cottage in rural France. Such a kitchen reflects a joy of living and importance of family and friends. Whether you live in a high-rise urban condominium or a split-level in the suburbs, you can bring the warmth and beauty of the French countryside to your own kitchen. The combination of many small touches is what gives a French country kitchen its vibrant, romantic feel.
Color plays a major role in a French country kitchen. If you stepped into the kitchen of a French country cottage, you would probably find walls painted either a butter or mustard yellow, with cupboards painted cornflower blue or even salmon pink. Of course, you could choose to make your walls blue and use the lighter shades as accents.
In the country kitchens of France, natural light is part of the decor. Window dressings are often simple Roman shades. Fabric choices range from canvas to toile, solid to stripped or even prints of fruits, vegetables, or herbs. Speaking of herbs, one simple French country detail is the presence of lavender. Hang a bunch of dried lavender from a hook on the ceiling or the wall, or stand a clump in a wall vase, and you’ll bring the scent of the French countryside into your kitchen.
