When I say French interior design, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Plain, boring, cookie-cutter? More likely, you imagine something elegant, ornate, and luxurious. Fancy done well.
How about when I say farmhouse interior design? Fancy and ornate? Not so much, right? More like simple, rustic, and comfortable.
Now throw the two in a blender and pour yourself a cup of what we’ll explore today: French Country design style.
We’ve gathered expert advice to help simplify what French Country design is, its key elements, and the colors and patterns that bring it to life in your upholstery. Prepare to fall in love with a style fit for kings, queens, and people like you and me.
Rustic Elegance: The Basics And Beginnings Of French Country Design
Can a style from the 1600s be trendy? Thanks to all the ways French Country design is reinvented by different generations, yes, it can.
(Note: It’s got more names than a secret agent, French Country, French Provincial, French Farmhouse, etc. If you hear French design paired with the joy of bucolic life, it’s that.)
Award-winning interior designer Amity Worrel explains French Country design’s origins in rural France where “…the style drew inspiration from the elegant stylings of Versailles but adopted these ornate flourishes for a more relaxed country lifestyle.”
It’s a mix (a word you’ll read a lot today) of contrasts. It’s practical, comfortable, and rustic, yet also ornate and luxurious.
Author and French Country design guru, Anita Joyce, set the scene in conversation with Architectural Digest (AD), “…if I were a gal living in Paris in a beautiful apartment, and I’ve been collecting these beautiful antiques, silk-covered bergères, gilt lamps, and antique commodes, and then one day, I decided to move out to the countryside…I take all of my beautiful antiques and I mix them into this very rustic home and a lifestyle where I’m dragging my boots with mud on them inside of my home.”
That’s French Country design. (Also, the makings of a fun novel, btw.)
Meet The Colors Bringing Warmth And Comfort To French Country Design
French Country is about elegance and ease. That extends to the color palette, as well. While not devoid of color, you won’t find the brightness of a Caribbean or Miami vibe, nor the moody depths of Dark Academia. Gentler, soothing tones win the day here.
As we learned from Molly Malsom with Homes & Gardens, “The color palette in French country schemes tends to stick to warm neutral shades and muted hues – greens and blues are particularly prevalent, as are reds, yellows, and pinks.”
The Spruce agrees that French Country colors live on the “warm side of the color wheel with hues that have medium to low intensity” adding the insight of Keely Smith, lead interior design specialist at JD Elite Interiors, “Think light shades like creams, blush tones, faded blues, and soft greens.”
Meet The Patterns Adding Eclectic Elegance To French Country Design
That color palette lends itself well to patterns that might feel overwhelming in brighter, heavier hues. AD says we’re talking about patterns like toile, stripes, gingham, plaid, and florals. All offer the opportunity to add visual interest that’s simultaneously classic and compelling in this eclectic setting.
The idea is to playfully feature patterns in unexpected places. For instance, as designer Betty Lou Phillips shared with HGTV, farmhouse kitchen chairs upholstered in stripes beside an old storage cabinet “becomes a full-on display and draws more attention to the owners’ antiques.”
Designer Susan Bednar Long shared with Veranda how fabrics aid her in “finding the restraint, making sure we didn’t over-adorn everything.” So a bathroom fairly ornately appointed gets toned down with soft, pale green “in unpretentious designs hung in fresh, oversized ginghams.”
Sir Mix A Lot: How Mixing Elements Adds French Country Design Magic
French Country is fundamentally about mixing and layering. Part of the charm and appeal is that it’s not simply one style. Neither full-on royal palace, nor all-in on a “gone-country” look. Both/and. And the experts love it.
In The Spruce, designer Lori Shaw gives the 30,000-foot view, “It’s about yin and yang, mixing and matching rough with polished…when done right, every piece looks like it belongs in the room.”
So, that ornately carved piece and that delicate dishware you inherited are both right at home with the rough-hewn textures and comfy vibe of farmhouse design. As Amity Worrel put it, “The most interesting interiors have a mix of high and low decor,” adding, “My favorite part of the effortless aesthetic is that it looks just as good when your home is a mess.”
Layer Up: The Playful Love Of Layers In French Country Design
French Country is playful, mixing and layering textures is encouraged. So the everyday comfort of cotton and wool are right at home with velvet and silk (or faux silk, ‘cause ya’ gotta live).
HGTV looks to the bedroom, “Neutral colors and layered bedding…are two keystones of French country design. Start with a solid base for the duvet, then layer blankets and pillows with a subtle pattern (preferably floral) on top.”
House Beautiful (HB) uses “layers of laidback linens in a variety of hues” to create a bedroom that “exudes warmth and timeless taste.” Mixing highbrow, luxurious textures and patterns, with more comfort-first fabrics results in something that beckons the eye and delights the senses when rest arrives.
It’s like a delicious linen layer cake. And it works with throw pillows, blankets, and more in other areas of the house, too.
Quick Tips: How To Add Personality To Your Home French Country Style
The heart of French Country design is personality. So, we leave you with a hors d’oeuvres platter of tips to help bring your personality into your home’s vibe.
Skirts
Dress a sink or cabinet in a skirt. As Jessica Bennett at Better Homes & Gardens shared, “Consider removing the lower cabinet doors and replacing them with a simple gathered skirt…a simple sink curtain in the right homespun-looking fabric will bring you one step closer to your French farmhouse dreams.”
Seating
HB reminds us, “To fully embrace French country design’s signature coziness, you need ample seating. Opt for neutral upholstery with punches of patterns for an eclectic look.”
So, reimagine and reupholster heirloom and vintage pieces and — viola! — more seating.
Ample seating also adds flexibility just make sure “the room is intentionally arranged to accommodate guests with ease,” says Veranda. Like antique chairs that “can also be pulled into any conversation group.”
Shutters
We LOVE interior design vlogger, Lanchen Mihalic’s, idea of adding shutters on the inside of windows. It’s simple, interesting, and “a really easy way to add a pop of color.” Or instead, “drapes in toile, gingham, or stripes or even café,” Mihalic adds, “but if I’m going to choose any one pattern on this list, I’m going toile every time.”
Okay, I’m out of breath now. That was a lot. As you get your home’s passport ready for the French countryside, give us a call. We’re here to help with all your fabric needs.
Links:
Amity Worrel
Architectural Digest
Homes & Gardens
The Spruce
AD
stripes
plaid
HGTV
Veranda
ginghams
The Spruce
Amity Worrel
faux silk
HGTV
floral
House Beautiful
Better Homes & Gardens
HB
reupholster
Veranda
Lanchen Mihalic’s
toile
call
fabric