For almost every one of us, France is associated with romance, luxury, and subtle exquisite taste. The magnificence of castles and that past life with treacherous beauties and noble courageous heroes will not leave without participation any sensual and gentle nature. And if elegance, sophistication with notes of aristocratism are the things you like, then this interior will suit you perfectly. We will see the most striking examples of implementing this sophisticated and refined design in the following French interior design style overview with a photo gallery.
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Basic Characteristics of French Style
One of the main features of the French style is the high cost of the interior, from furniture to small decorative elements. A large number of fabrics are welcome: rich drapery of velvet and brocade combined with lightness and transparency of chiffon or organza. Characteristics of this style are all kinds of stucco moldings, friezes, and rosettes. An integral part of interior design is mirrors and paintings in carved frames with gilding or in silver and bronze color. Additionally, porcelain and crystal are most often used as accessories.
The French style of the interior welcomes various lighting fixtures, such as sconces made with candlesticks and floor lamps with original fabric shades and crystal pendants. But with all this, it is important that the room was spacious enough with high ceilings and a large window, providing a sufficient amount of daylight.
The furniture here should be special. It includes wooden and metal chairs with gracefully curved legs and backs, tables on the thinnest rounded legs, armchairs and sofas of exquisite shapes with metal decor elements, and upholstery with ornaments from the most expensive fabrics. It is not necessary to select all pieces of furniture in one color. The main thing is that they fit together. Also, the connection of objects of different styles and eras is welcomed, it is here they will be able to get along together and create a special atmosphere in the room.
The Color Scheme of the French Style
The main rule when choosing the color for the design of a room in the French style is restraint. Preference should be given to pastel tones, and in the place of the usual for everybody white use ivory color. Lilac, emerald, gray-green, soft blue, blue, and silvery colors will be relevant here. When choosing shades, you need to remember that France is first of all about elegance, not pomposity, and all the more vulgar.
Interior Finish
The walls in the French interior, as, indeed, in any other one, set a special atmosphere. They are painted with matte or semi-matte paints. Wallpaper is also often used. Special romanticism in the room is brought by the drawings of old cotton fabric. Quite often, designers decorate large frames of a special plinth on the walls, where they place lamps, mirrors, or paintings.
The floor covering should be expensive. Laminate, parquet, glossy ceramic granite, or polished stone of light shades will be an ideal option. On this floor, usually put small rugs with plant patterns. But a cheaper floor finish, such as linoleum or carpet, can significantly spoil the perception and the overall picture of the room.
The idea of decorating a ceiling in the French style can be very diverse. This is a classic version of a painted ceiling with wide cornices, popular stretch glossy or matte ceilings, and even a ceiling with exposed beams that bring the spirit of the past into the interior.
Accessories
As an ornament for the premises, you can use all sorts of glass and porcelain figurines, carved and metal caskets, aged screens, lacy handmade napkins that are placed on tables and chests of drawers, and then they put small vases with small bouquets on them. Here, as nowhere else, will be appropriate open shelves with exposed porcelain dishes. Excellent decorative elements with which you can combine all shades used in the room will be decorative cushions with hand embroidery of ribbons or beads.
How to Decorate a Living Room in French Style
Living room in the French style is a low-key luxury, which contains all the chic and grace. The main objects of furniture in this room should be chairs, a small sofa, an oval or round stylized table and, if possible, a fireplace, on which mantel candlesticks, photographs, and other small decor elements are placed. Above the fireplace usually hang a picture or mirrors in the corresponding frame of this style. A small glassed sideboard in which porcelain dishes are placed will be relevant here as well.
The windows in this room should be as open as possible so that the room gets maximum light. But at the same time, they should be originally decorated. Although this does not mean that you need to refrain from dense heavy curtains made of expensive material with beautiful cornices, lambrequins, tassels, and picks. On the contrary, their presence will bring a special charm to the room, and even solemnity. But only their design should make it possible to open the curtains easily, letting the sun rays into the room.
Lighting devices should be in such an amount that one could feel like a sunny day late at night. The main decoration in the living room can become a huge crystal chandelier, the reflections of which will fill the entire room with rainbow lights.
How to Make a Bedroom
The bedroom in the French style is something chic and at the same time reserved and noble. As in any bedroom, the main subject here is a bed: a pedestal, the greatness of which emphasizes all the rest of the environment. Usually, it is a high-backed bed with a fabric drapery or even a chic canopy made of transparent fabrics, decorated with gold embroidery, lace, and frills. Such an ensemble usually includes bedside tables with curved legs, a dressing table, or a chest of drawers with a mirror. Bedside lamp lamps or lamps with beautiful lampshades will be an excellent addition to the sleeping set.
Cabinets in the bedroom can be made both in antique and in the fashionable style with compartment doors decorated with floral patterns imitating the pattern of bed coverlet. As a rule, the bedroom does not use catchy and cumbersome stucco. Having a simple ceiling cornice, finishing the tranquil decoration of the walls will be enough.
But the accessories are given special attention. The favorite and proven exclusively French accessory used in decorating the bedroom was the tailor’s dummy, which is decorated with all sorts of ribbons, beads, and lace. And it’s not strange that it looks very organic here. A special chic to the decoration of the bed is attached to quilted bedspreads of chic shiny fabrics and a huge number of very different in form decorative cushions of different tones and shades, the colors of which are selected in accordance with the main color theme of the room. As a rule, the curtains and drapes on the window are made of the same fabric. Curtains are made heavy and sometimes even on the lining, the color of which must match one of the pillows on the bed. If you keep all these little things and do not miss a single nuance, then the whole bedroom will look very organic and thoughtful.
Lighting in the bedroom should be focused on the walls. The crystal chandelier is not appropriate here, the light should be muffled and intimate.
Bathroom Decoration
The French bathroom design is an old luxury in gentle caramel shades. And although in urban apartments it will not be possible to recreate the full picture, because, as a rule, a French bathroom has huge windows. But you can try to bring the style closer to the ideal. There must necessarily be a huge mirror in the carved gilded frame, white or ivory bathtub, washbasin, and a pair of shelves, both open and closed type. And also it should accommodate the number of lighting fixtures that will make it possible to muffle the light or make it very bright if necessary. Usually, the bathroom in this style is not placed near the wall, it is installed so that there is an approach from either side, and water pipes lead to it under the floor. Here, low tables on thin rounded legs will be appropriate, for storing towels made of raw fabric or putting vases with fresh flowers. Walls here are painted like in other rooms, and the floor is lined with wood or stone.
Kitchen Decoration
A kitchen with a French interior will be the decoration of any apartment. The furniture here should be of smooth lines and various bends with elements of gilding. An integral part of this style of kitchen is forged parts, which are harmoniously combined with different glass inserts and carved doors. All textiles should be exclusively natural. This applies to towels, tablecloths, and curtains. As finishing materials, you should use wood, tile, stone, or high-quality imitation. The dining area of the kitchen can be decorated with a traditional round table on interesting designed legs and stylistic chairs, the upholstery of which must necessarily be of expensive fabrics such as velvet, linen, and brocade. As nowhere else, panels from natural stone and wood or imitate the old brickwork will be appropriate here. Porcelain dishes, placed on the shelves of kitchen furniture, will be an excellent completion of the whole ensemble.
