Get the Look: French Country
Ooh La La! What a Kitchen!
French country kitchen is an elegantly appointed cooking space that manages to feel both rustic and elegant. Kitchen cabinetry resembles traditional furniture, oven hoods are architectural pieces with crown molding or scalloped edges, and rustic accents bring in the French countryside with a Parisian shabby chic sensibility.
The style strikes a balance between rustic and elegant. Nature plays a big role with rolling hills mirrored in curved edges, a warm color palette, and patterns that give the feel of dining al fresco, surrounded by fruit trees or grape vines. Choices in cabinet style, countertop pattern, flooring, and color scheme will ensure you have a modern take on a classic. Thespruce.com has 11 Modern French Country Kitchen Ideas.
Cabinets That Read Furniture
Cabinets in a French Country kitchen should have details that you would expect to find on any provincial furniture piece. Cabinets should have molding, detailed cabinet fronts, skirted cabinetry, and carved patterns. The lines should be soft and almost feminine.
Cabinet colors should be soft. Creams and butter yellows, pale blues, and soft greens are all great choices. Consider a slightly distressed finish to capture an old world feel. Sherwin William’s Butter Up SW 6681, French Moire SW 9056, or Rainwashed SW 6211 are all great choices.
Natural Curved Countertops
The countertops should bring the natural elements and colors of the French countryside indoors. Patterns and colors should remind you of taking in a rustic stone wall with its varying pattern and patina created by areas bleached by sun or covered in moss. It can capture the golds and greens of rolling hills. This will bring the warmth of nature into the space.
The countertop edges should be soft. Cambria edge profiles to consider include cascade, cornice, and glacial. Pair one of these edge profiles with Kendal or Sherwood which both bring in varying shades of green, golds, and tans.
Wood Details
Painted wood conveys an old world charm. It can be used in a variety of ways to bring even more shabby chic into the space. Consider a painted wood ceiling or backsplash. Another opportunity for painted wood is on the floor. Countryliving.com has 18 Brilliant Ideas for Painted Floors. Consider a distressed white or a classic porcelain blue and white tile pattern.
Conversely, natural wood has a place in French country design as well. Picture raw wood ceiling beams and warm hardwood floors. Add graceful, simple wood pieces of furniture that often incorporate some type of carvings that emphasize the furniture’s curves.
Stone, Brick and Tile
There are opportunities to incorporate stone and brick in a French country kitchen whether you are leaning more rustic or more modern. Stone flooring and backsplashes add charm. An exposed brick backsplash can be left natural or be painted. Tile can be used to convey a classic French kitchen blue and white pattern or to incorporate a country tile.
Finishing French Touches
Use vintage touches, including pretty old jars and bottles that hold pantry items, quaint signage for wall decor, wrought iron pot racks, and plenty of copper pots. Textiles should look gently aged. Fabrics in natural patterns such as leaves, fruit, and birds will look right at home on windows and cushions.
Bistro rattan stools can add a pinch of Parisian chic. Overhead iron scroll lighting creates the illusion of age, as does brass and Bakelite cabinet pulls. Wrought iron chairs with a chippy paint finish have a distinctive French country vibe. Place settings in vibrant colors and classic French country patterns can bring visual interest as well.
Let the design experts at Kitchens Redefined take you to the French countryside without leaving the house! Schedule your FREE consultation today!