Provence style decor. Create a unique atmosphere of France with your own hands!

Provence is one of the favorite design directions that are widespread for interior decoration. It got its name from the province of the same name in the southeast of France, combining the simplicity of rural life, as if faded in the sun, the colors of the landscapes of the Mediterranean coast and the lightness of the French character. At the mention of Provence, the imagination draws multicolored meadow grasses under the rays of the bright sun, an abundance of spices and the aroma of coffee. To organize the interior in the Provence style, designers try to use these features, which help to maximally unite such a different spirit of the French provinces into a single whole..

Due to the immense popularity that Provence-style interior design has gained over the past few years, inviting professionals is not cheap. However, knowing the characteristic features of this direction, you can do it yourself with your own hands to create a romantic atmosphere in your home, filled with warmth and light..

Provence style interior decor

Provence style design decoration idea

Modern decor in Provence style

History of origin

Provence as a design originates from the distant 15th – 17th centuries. Since that time, significant contradictions have been noticeable on the territory of France, its northern and southern regions, however, the unifying component remained lightness, the desire for graceful outlines, airiness, the advantage of warm and delicate shades.

All this was reflected first in art – music, poetry, painting, and then in everyday life. Provence is deservedly called French country. By the middle of the 19th century, it was finally formed, absorbing the breath of the southern province, embodied in the paintings of famous artists – Van Gogh, Matisse, Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso.

Interior decoration in Provence style

Provence style decor

Features of creating an interior

As already mentioned, the features of the Provencal interior are pastel colors, graceful, natural outlines of objects. However, given that Provence has absorbed the peculiarities of the rural life of the inhabitants of the south, professionals recommend using the following elements when decorating:

a touch of antiquity on furniture;
uneven, rough plaster;
the obligatory presence of natural materials;
parts made of forged metal;
discreet, as if sun-scorched textiles;
rough wooden beams under the ceiling, or their imitation;
floral motifs on fabric, floral prints, flowerpots with field bouquets.

In other words, to create a Provencal-style interior, you do not need to fill your home with luxurious, frilly pieces of furniture or decor. Simplicity and grace, closeness to nature prevail here. Provence is characterized by the presence of wicker furniture, wrought iron candlesticks on the mantelpiece, the use of wild stone or burnt bricks for the kitchen and corridors.

For interior decoration, warm colors of yellow, blue, olive, purple, orange are preferred. The combination of deliberate rudeness and simultaneous airiness is easiest to achieve in spacious buildings. Here you can, guided by the knowledge gained and your own imagination, create a small island of Mediterranean life with your own hands..

Provence style interior decor

Provence style design decoration idea

Modern decor in Provence style

Wall decoration

If you want to make an interior design in the Provence style, you should paint the walls in discreet pastel colors. For plaster, you can use textured mixtures. With them, even a non-professional will be able to decorate his house in the Provence style. Appropriate in this style is masonry made of rough brick or savage, showing through in places through the plastered surface of the wall.

In addition to plastering, walls can be painted. Regardless of the purpose of the room, delicate shades of white, milky, beige, terracotta, lavender or aqua, ocher or sunflowers should prevail. The walls, painted in pastel colors, convey the atmosphere of real Provence, with its aromas of flowering meadows, a clear summer day and a light sea breeze.

In addition, wood panels are good for partial finishing. They can be given any of the listed colors, as well as emphasize the natural beauty of the texture by treating the surface with a stain and a layer of varnish..

If you are decorating a house in Provencal style, but do not have the skills of a plasterer or carpenter, you can paste over the surface with paper wallpaper. It is better to choose plain embossed wallpaper – in the Provence style there should be no pattern on the walls. The main rule in this style is naturalness and unobtrusiveness. Choose wallpaper that you can paint.

Tapestries, paintings with landscapes or still lifes, and upholstery fabrics on furniture will help to emphasize the delicate neutral background. It is also important not to overdo it here: bright blotches should be selected as an addition to the main background..

For bedroom decor, fragmentary textile draperies are appropriate. If you decide to strengthen textile draperies on a large wall surface, then it is preferable to use a milky, light beige canvas..

Interior decoration in Provence style

Provence style decor

Requirements for flooring

To make the dwelling look like a French house on the seaside, the following materials must not be used for flooring:

laminate;
parquet;
carpet;
ceramic tile.

Simple wood planks work best for Provence-style floors. They are laid in the usual way, without any ornament such as herringbone or squares..

It is best to paint floors in muted shades of gray, which go well with all decor elements. If desired, the bedroom floors can be made white. There is no need to achieve perfect color – small glades will add originality and create the desired effect of antiquity.

Alternatively, you can use unpainted planks for Provence-style flooring. Protect its surface from external influences: after thorough sanding, cover with several coats of clear varnish. The wood texture will fit perfectly into the overall style. Terracotta stoves are also well suited for the kitchen. They may be slightly worn out, with small cracks or small chips..

Provence style interior decor

Provence style design decoration idea

Modern decor in Provence style

Provence style furniture

When choosing furniture in this style, you must remember that Provence is the embodiment of nationality, closeness to nature. Therefore, only natural materials can be used in the manufacture of furniture. These cannot be serial headsets: all furniture elements are carefully selected or made to order. Old things inherited from previous generations are in trend..

Characteristics

All parts of Provence style furniture have simple shapes, without excessive luxury and intrusive decorations. Numerous chests of drawers, cupboards with transparent or blind doors, open shelves, chairs with carved legs look good. Forging can be used for decoration, for example, handles on furniture, headboard. To paint the gables of furniture, colors are used that are darker than for walls. Lacquered natural wood always looks advantageous – light walnut, oak, chestnut.

Interior decoration in Provence style

Provence style decor

How to make Provence style furniture with your own hands

It is not necessary to make custom-made furniture for a new interior – it is very expensive, besides, almost everyone has pieces of furniture inherited from previous owners. You shouldn’t throw them away – just work a little to give the furniture a new life with your own hands:

all pieces of furniture are cleaned of old paint;
sand their surface with sandpaper;
the next step is to paint the furniture in black or deep shades of gray, brown;
after the first layer has dried, all furniture elements are painted again – white or shades of the selected pastel color;
after waiting for the paint to dry, they gently pass with a sanding cloth over the protruding parts of the painted furniture, creating the effect of light scuffing, aging;
completes the work by polishing the surfaces with a soft cloth with the addition of wax.

Even new furniture can be aged with this type of finish. You can achieve the desired effect by giving the surfaces a slightly worn look, imitating chips or traces of wormholes..

To combine different pieces of furniture in a Mediterranean interior, you can not only paint them the same way and then age them. An even greater effect can be achieved using the decoupage technique for furniture, which is very welcomed in the Provence style. Designers advise to decorate the gables of furniture with style drawings, using ordinary napkins, glue and a brush for this. After the drawing has dried, do not forget to cover the surfaces with a layer of protective varnish..

Provence style interior decor

Provence style design decoration idea

Modern decor in Provence style

Provencal cuisine

One of the main premises of any home is the kitchen. It looks especially beautiful in the Provence style. Light walls, solid wooden cabinets, shelves and chairs of natural color or warm pastel colors, original decor items, an abundance of spices, the presence of free space – these are the main features of Provencal cuisine.

If space permits, an open hearth with a large wooden, stone or brick facade is appropriate here. High ceilings can be decorated with artificially aged wooden beams, on which several lamps can be reinforced with forged hooks. You can also beautifully place kitchen utensils on them..

There should not be a lot of forged decor details – just a few “antique” items. These are a grate and tongs for a fireplace, one or a pair of candlesticks, furniture handles. In this case, gilding should not be applied to forged parts – it is better to create an imitation of a light patina patina.

Interior decoration in Provence style

Provence style decor

For curtains on Provence style kitchen windows, you should take natural materials – linen, chintz, cotton with a slight addition of viscose. The color palette of curtains for the kitchen is also limited to pastel shades of the background, but at the same time they can have a bright floral pattern or print – here you should take into account the size of the window. A fabric that is used for upholstery of kitchen furniture, or a canvas that matches the color scheme, is suitable. The shape of the curtains for the kitchen can be varied – these are stained glass curtains, Roman, roller, cafe-style or full-fledged curtains. The choice of shape depends on the size of the window and the area of the kitchen. Light wooden blinds, painted to match the main tone of the interior, look interesting.

We must not forget about the lighting of the kitchen. After all, the Mediterranean is an abundance of sunshine. If the kitchen window is small or faces the north side, it is necessary to make up for the lack of natural light with the help of lamps, placing them above the working area of the kitchen and the dining table..

Provence style interior decor

Provence style design decoration idea

Modern decor in Provence style

How to make a “provincial” watch

The interior, decorated in the Provence style, does not allow for modern details. Ready-made vintage watches are very expensive. But you can make a “provincial” watch with your own hands – while you can create an exclusive copy to the envy of all your friends.

For the manufacture of watches, we will again use the decoupage technique. We need:

clockwork;
wooden or plywood blank for the dial;
primer paint;
drawing for decoupage;
PVA glue;
brushes, sponge, water;
clear nail polish.

We purchase a clockwork or use an existing one from an old, but valid clock.

Interior decoration in Provence style

Provence style decor

In handicraft stores, you can purchase wooden blanks for the dial and stencils for decoupage watches in the Provence style with your own hands. Or you can cut the base from plywood. Provence style watches can be of any shape, the dial is located exactly in the middle or offset to one of the sides.

Getting started.

The workpiece must be well sanded with emery paper, especially the sawn end parts.
If using a plastic base, degrease it well before use..
Mark the hole for fastening the clockwork and hands, and attach the hanging bracket on the back wall.
Prime the wood base with white paint or a selected shade of pastel colors to create an overall background.
Mark the dial in any convenient way, taking into account the general drawing of the base.
Carefully tear out the selected elements of the pattern from the napkin or stencil for decoupage and glue them to the base using a brush and PVA glue diluted with water. It is better to cut off the edges of the drawing, so it will fit more organically on the base. Avoid the formation of folds of paper when gluing, if they appear, try to smooth out the pattern with a sponge.
Let the pasted piece dry, then cover it with a layer of acrylic varnish. After the first layer has dried, repeat the operation again, covering the watch base with three varnish layers.
After the workpiece is completely dry, glue the numbers on the marked places (you can make them from any natural materials, especially if the clock is intended for the kitchen), or carefully apply them with dark paint using a stencil.
Fasten the clockwork on the reverse side, and install the hands on the front..

Your exclusive clock is ready – you can hang it on the wall and amaze guests with your talents!

Create a cozy, sweet-to-heart interior in the Provence style on your own, regardless of whether it is a private house, a city apartment or a separate room. Your main helpers should be imagination, a desire to create, and, of course, advice from experienced designers. A must-have addition to the created interior should be decorative elements united by a common idea, purchased or made independently using available techniques..