French Country Kitchen Decorating

French Country Kitchen Decorating says welcome to friends and family, with its warm cozy comfort, featuring rustic and distressed furnishings.

Shop antiques stores, estate sales and thrift shops for accessories and furnishings such as armoires, buffets and hutches.

Consider hanging open shelving. This is an ideal way to display antique French jars, candle sticks, ceramic urns and vases, colorful canisters, rustic pottery.

Other decorative accessories includes, clocks, spice racks, bread baskets, wicker baskets for storing fresh produce, copper or wrought iron pot racks and pots. French country kitchen decorating uses sunflowers and pots of herbs and lavender displayed in windows or on open shelving.

blue cabinets in french country kitchen

Typically, the walls are covered with natural materials such as wood, brick or stucco. Cabinets can be painted a glossy white, or cream or they can be left as natural wood. Wall colors are most often thought of as blue and yellow but don't hesitate to use reds, and greens. Some of my personal favorites are French blue, burnt rust, ivory, terra cotta, ivory, light gray, taupe and buttery yellow.

Lighting essentials for any kitchen should include good general, or ambient lighting, plus task lighting, at work areas, such as, the sink, stove, kitchen islands and countertops. Don't overdo it with lighting. If privacy isn't of great concern forego window treatments, let the natural light shine in. Of course when the sun goes down you will need alternate lighting and some of my favorites are chandeliers or pendant lighting in a bronze or aged tortoise shell finish, and wall sconces are also excellent in the same finish.

French Country floors are often made of wood, brick, cement tile or natural stone and covered with hand woven or braided cotton and wool area rugs, with novelty scenes such as farm animals, farm scenes, fleur-de-lis, fruit, and toile motifs

Kitchen Islands are one of the most popular pieces of furniture in the French Country kitchen. Common tables for this theme are wood and wrought iron with ornate details. Chairs are often ladderbacks with rush seating or wrought iron.

French country kitchen decorating just isn't complete with out introducing cottons in florals, solids, plaids, farm animals and stripes. This is easy to do by adding towels, tablecloths, napkins, rugs and curtains.

Window treatments are often toile, but calico and chintz are also popular. Another favorite is roman shades in cornflower, lavender, antique white and taupe.