Clean and simple elegance with beautiful, light and airy furnishings
Furniture should be gently time worn or new and often found in a light colored wood. Iron, wood and four poster beds are all beautiful choices for the French Country bedroom. Look for furniture such as beds, headboards, vanities, night stands and armoires hand carved in a decorative detailed design.
Toile is the most popular choice for a French Country bedroom. Toile usually consists of a white or off white background overlaid with a repeated scene. It can be used in bedding, window treatments, chair coverings, lamp shades, rugs and you can even choose Toile wallpaper, if you like.
Toile can be used as much or as little as you like in a room. You be the judge for what fits your room the best.
Getting Started
- Wall Colors - When painting walls use muted tones with a matte finish. Choose colors that would be found in Southern France, creamy shades of white, pale cornflower blue, sunny yellow and grassy green.
- Window Treatments - Window treatments traditionally are Toile drapes with tiebacks, shutters, soft sheers, that pools down, puddling on the floor.
- Flooring - Floors are usually brick or natural stone, but wood flooring that is painted or stained will work fine. If using area rugs choose natural material such as sisal.
- Traditional Lighting - For lighting your French Country bedroom, look for elegant chandeliers, wall sconces and lamps. Dress up plain lamp shades by recovering them in toile fabric or by adding crystal beads or fringes. Another great choice is placing scented candles in scrolled candle holders, around the room
- Scavaging - Visit antique shops, flea markets and yard sales for decorative accessories. Choose favorites such as antique busts, antique vases, straw hats, picture frames, vanity trays, tole cachepots, ceramic urns, vintage wall signs, vintage wall planters to display flowers such as aster, sunflower, forget-me-nots and baby's breath.
Roosters are popular for french country decor, and yes, most people think of kitchen and dining rooms for using roosters, but they are positively appropriate used in any room of your home, including French Country Bedroom Decorating.
