Features of French Provence for the living room

When decorating the interior, many residents of our country choose European styles. Among the variety of stylistic trends, a special place is occupied by a homely, cozy, archaic Provence. It originated in the southeast of France in the 17th century and is successfully used to decorate residential premises to this day. It’s easy to recreate an authentic Provencal atmosphere in a city apartment. You just need to know what materials to choose for decorating a room, which decor elements to choose from..

In Provence, modern technology, fashionable materials and bright colors give way to calmness and pacification of a cute country atmosphere

Bright tones are appropriate only on small details to attract attention.

Provence combines simplicity, personality and French chic. Provence style living room design involves the use of:

artificially aged furniture of light colors;
natural materials;
light curtains;
a large number of textiles in low-key colors or with floral prints;
wooden beams on the ceilings;
lavender bouquets, sunflowers in baskets or in ceramic pots, vases;
interior details made of clay and porcelain, painted plates, mirrors in openwork frames;
sewing, cutwork and ruffle;
textured rough plaster for walls.

Shabby furniture, uneven finishes and cracked wood surfaces are welcome

Provence style is unthinkable without a huge number of light sources. And the sun acts as the most important lighting device. Therefore, large windows are characteristic of the French living room. Numerous sconces, a forged chandelier, floor lamps with textile lampshades and ceramic lamps will help to achieve harmony in the room..

Living room decoration: what to look for

A large room is a definite plus. In the conditions of a vast space, it will not be difficult to bring to life any design idea. But what if the living room is mediocre? Designers recommend redeveloping your home. The most popular solution is to combine the kitchen and living room into one room..

Provence-style interior may resemble classics, but everything is lighter and lighter here.

The colors and shades in which the room is decorated should overlap with each other. Let’s say you have chosen upholstered furniture in a light green shade. So that it does not look foreign in the living room, choose curtains for the windows of the same color. Or decorate the room with light green table vases and other interior details. But remember, everything needs to be in balance. Do not clutter up the room with a lot of accessories.

Handicrafts that are slightly careless and show signs of long-term use are appreciated.

Important. An integral attribute of the Provence style is floristic motives. The use of “floral” textiles is encouraged. Window curtains, sofa cushions, tablecloths with wildflowers will look appropriate and elegant.

In addition to floral motifs, a check and a stripe are often used in the design.

Flowers will become a decoration of any living room. And it is not necessary to acquire live flora or a fresh cut. Take a closer look at artificial bouquets. Use small zinc buckets, straw-braided bottles, kitchen earthenware, and pastel-colored ceramic pots for containers..

Interior decoration: what materials to choose

Deliberate simplicity, French charm – this is how the Provence style can be characterized. Many owners of houses, cottages and country apartments have difficulty choosing finishing materials. Everything is ingeniously simple and everything simple is ingenious! Use wood, glass, natural stone, leather, textiles in the living room.

The main finishing material is wood in any variations, plastic and chrome are practically not found

Walls

An ideal option for a Provencal-style living room is decorative plaster. The construction market offers a wide range of compositions of various textures and shades. So choosing the right plaster is not difficult. In addition, the material has high performance characteristics, is used as a heater, hides wall imperfections, does not absorb odors, lends itself to further coloring and does not require special care..

If you are not satisfied with the plaster on the walls, use paintable wallpaper

Less commonly, wallpaper is used for surface finishing. Many designers believe that paper wall covering is an outdated option. But in practice, this is far from the case. Combinations of various wallpapers are appropriate: plain and with a pattern. The main thing is not to be mistaken with a shade. Give preference to paper coverings in natural colors: white, milky, beige.

In the recreation area, flower wallpapers will come in handy.

Well, remember about paint. A distinctive feature of the Provence style is the surfaces burnt out from the scorching Mediterranean sun. Choose a coloring composition of bleached and burnt out shades for the living room. The shades of lavender, yellow, sand and terracotta will look nontrivial and fresh when decorating the interior..

Floor

No linoleum, parquet or carpet for the living room. A good solution is to buy a wide wooden floorboard. But such coverage will require a lot of money. More budget options will come to the rescue, for example, wood-like laminate.

Plank floors can only be lightly coated with matt varnish

Ceramic floor – option for a thick wallet

It is appropriate to use artificially aged ceramic tiles or massive stone. Pay attention to the color of the flooring. The material in dark brown, graphite and black colors will visually narrow the room. Stay in light and warm shades.

Ceiling

The choice of coverage directly depends on the area of the living room. For a large room, choose a wooden ceiling. The French style involves the use of materials that have darkened and faded from time to time. But if there are none, a wooden ceiling with skillfully decorated ceilings will do. If desired, the surface can be painted with white or beige paint. Play with contrast, cover the ceiling with a light coloring agent, and leave the beams in a dark color..

A flat ceiling can be left just white or decorative wood beams can be added

It will be chic if the wood on the ceiling maintains a uniform design style, displayed in furniture legs, countertops or decorative elements.

Plaster is suitable for finishing the ceiling of a small living room. But it doesn’t have to be perfectly flat and smooth. Use a matte relief composition with an imitation of the textures of natural materials. Fashionable decor “art-concrete” is widely used to stylize the ceiling. Give preference to warm and light shades. The correct choice of ceiling color will visually enlarge the room.

Furniture selection

Provencal-style furniture plays not only a functional, but also a decorative role. For the living room, it is appropriate to use vintage furniture. But the price can be extremely high in stationary stores and on the Internet marketplaces. Visit the flea market. Retro furniture is sure to be found there and will cost a penny.

Furniture should maintain the reputation of a room in which more than one generation of households grew up.

Furniture type	Specifications
Chairs	Made of natural wood, with rounded backs and carved legs, forged elements are acceptable.
Sofa	Light shades, decorated with a blanket or cushions in a solid color or with a floral pattern.
Dresser	Massive, but without sharp corners, with scuffs and a touch of antiquity.
Armchairs	They can be from the same headset with a sofa. Encourages the use of wicker chairs with medium height armrests.
Coffee or dining table	Made of wood, has a rounded table top, legs can be forged with a slight bend.

For the French style, furniture upholstery with an ornament in the spirit of Russian Gzhel painting is excellent.

There can be a lot of sofa pillows, even a lot. They perfectly complement the interior and create comfort and coziness

The interior of the living room in the Provence style is soft and delicate. Therefore, it is highly undesirable to use furniture that is outlined by a rectangular profile in geometric shapes. Avoid sharp corners. It is better to pay attention to objects of round or oval shapes..

Drapery windows

Textiles are the hallmark of the Provencal style. Therefore, the choice should be taken with special care. It is the curtains that will help to unite all the interior elements into a single whole, bring a bit of comfort and harmony into the room..

Toile de jouy

Curtains made from natural cotton fabric with a printed pattern look good in the living room. Textiles are usually decorated in white and blue, but variations are possible. The use of pastoral and neoclassical subjects is typical..

Draped curtains have a classic, recognizable look

Linen curtains

The French style involves the use of natural fabrics such as linen. Raw linen of a rough texture can be “softened” with a braid located around the perimeter of the curtain or small pompoms in pastel shades.

The color of linen curtains should be repeated in tablecloths or upholstered furniture

Tulle

If you do not want to focus on the window in the living room, use curtains made of flying and light fabrics. They can be white, beige, milky, lavender and pale yellow..

Light curtains made of airy tulle over the kitchen sink

Patchwork

An excellent option for those who prefer non-trivial interior solutions. The patchwork curtain is assembled from scraps of fabric with floral motifs. This curtain looks great within the Provence and country styles..

Patchwork curtains are often sewn by the hostesses themselves from the remnants of fabrics of variegated colors

White curtains

Immortal classic. They are found everywhere in France and are considered a summer option. Visually expands the room and does not block the light. Suitable for decorating a living room, bedroom and hall.

White curtains made of translucent fabric can be combined with roman blinds made of denser material

Wooden shutters

They perfectly protect from the scorching midday sun and look appropriate not only in the living room, but also in the kitchen. The distance between the lamellas should be 2 to 4 centimeters. Paint the shutters in a light shade or decorate with a floral pattern.

Wooden shutters can be located both outside and inside the room

Kitchen decoration

Use a white theme for a Provence style kitchen. To make the room not look like a hospital room, add bright accents. The French style is inconceivable without an element of archaism. It is not difficult to achieve this effect. Put a floor-standing ceramic vase with artificial lavender in the far corner, hang a painted plate on the wall opposite.

Provence style kitchen with white furniture

A kitchen set from floor to ceiling, decorated in light shades, will not look heavy and massive. Color solutions can be completely different: all shades of beige, pistachio, variations of blue and light brown. Choose facades with panels and inserts made of durable glass. Elements made of metal and iron will fit into the interior: handles for cabinets and doors.

A hallmark of the Provence style is the flaunting of kitchen utensils.

Open shelves are an invariable attribute in the Provencal style. Decorate them with containers for free-flowing, decorated using decoupage technique, put a tea set on the surface. Well, don’t forget about textiles. Place a tablecloth and napkins on the dining table, decorate the windows with curtains, tulle or light curtains.

It is quite appropriate to combine fanciful elements with simple accessories.

Many apartment owners are wondering how appropriate is the combination of household appliances with a vintage kitchen set. Such a tandem has a place to be, because the French style is a kind of cocktail of deliberate old-fashionedness and technological progress..