| |
| |
|
Interior Decorating Information |
|
|
|
Live in (French Country) Style
Parlez-vous Françes? Don't worry - you don't need to speak French in order to enjoy the bright, comfortable and classic style of French Country in your home. From weathered walls to wide wooden tables, it is not hard to achieve the French Country look using the following guidelines. French Country style is all about well-used, worn-in, imperfect but beautiful architectural elements, furniture and accessories. Forget sleek lines, fine china, and black, white and gray color combos. Instead, fill your house with chunky wood tables, dozens of sweet-smelling flowers, and brightly patterned couches, curtains and pillows styled after the look of Provence, the southeast region in France that borders the Mediterranean Sea. When choosing a French Country style home, think along the lines of cracked wood beams, curved panels, hand-carved decorations and raw material flooring and walls, like stone or exposed brick. Raw or distressed wood also can be used to cultivate a French Country atmosphere, as do uneven plaster walls. Don't worry about that spider crack in the paint in your kitchen, or the slight discoloration of the paint in your bedroom or living room. In French Country "speak", these imperfections simply add character. Other French Country architectural features include shutters for your windows, narrow, deeply cut window sills, and striped fabric awnings over windows to afford the home dweller extra protect from the heat. But what if you just want to add some French Country flair to the home you already have, without changing its walls, floors and windows? No sweat. Rustic furniture is a key element to the French Country style. Think oversized rectangle or round wooden dining room tables, with a dull waxed or natural finish. Chairs and occasional tables of the French Country style can be curved or boast carved designs in the woodwork. Dining room chairs can have a ladderback style or vertical slats. Also, large armoires are well-suited to the French Country look, giving the owner a nice cool place to store dishes, linens, or even clothing. Finally, achieve that French Country style with the perfect fabrics and accessories that have that certain je ne sais quoi. Use toile material, a gauzy linen or cotton, in white, cream or yellow with bright contrasting colors. Choose themes such as monkeys, Chinese patterns, and eighteenth century courting scenes, all of which are predominant in French Country design. Large, thickly woven baskets, chunky clay or old metal pitchers, Chinoiserie pottery, and iron garden shelving units all fit in nicely with the French Country look. So do ceramic plates, tiles, tablecloths and curtains sporting motifs of roosters, sunflowers, beetles or lavender. Save money by hunting for these and other accessories at flea markets and antique stores. The final touch needed to makeover your home in the style of French Country is the addition of flowers. Fresh sunflowers, lavender, and geraniums especially all say "French Country", and the more the better! Put flowers in old pitchers or copper pots, in window boxes, and glass vases. Use a variety of colors, and make sure the arrangements don't look too tame or stylized. Natural grasses are another way to bring the French Country look into you home. Whether you decide to go full out, adding wood beams and stone flooring to your home, or whether you just add a nice chunky wooden dining room table, carved chairs, or a roomy armoire to your existing furniture, the French Country look can be achieved by anyone who wants to bring a little of the Provence countryside into his or her everyday life. http://www.homeandliving.com Please find the original article and more information about this subject at http://www.homeandliving.com/DesignAdvice.aspx?Category=FrenchCountry When Yale graduate, BatSheva Vaknin is not writing helpful and insightful articles like the one you just read from http://www.homeandliving.com, she writes plays, screenplays and short stories. In fact, she has just completed her first novel. If you would like to publish this article on your own site, please feel free to do so. Please let us know the url of the posted article by emailing the url to batsheva@homeandliving.com. All we ask is that you include the whole article, without changes, including the link to the original article location, author information, this disclaimer and the following link. Find great home furniture online at http://www.homeandliving.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Interior-Decorating - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Persian Area Rugs - Tabriz Rugs are a Fine Choice to Enhance Your Room's Décor Tabriz rugs are made in the north western part of Iran. The quality in a Tabriz rug is exceptional. What are Water Softeners? Soap scum. Stiff clothing. Bathroom Vanity Cabinets Bathroom vanity cabinets are considered bathroom furniture, and usually range from simple two door storage units with a wood veneer or a single color paint to exquisitely detailed richly carved hard wood cabinets, with hand applied finishes and marble inlay tops. The vanity cabinet is the place to start in adding sophisticated elegance to the bathroom, as it can and tie together the occasional disparate element between mirror and sink. The Barkeeps Guide to Buying Bar Stools Purchasing a bar stool is a very meticulous process that you do not want to mess up. My personal road has taken me on a path that makes me qualified to show others what to do when shopping for a bar stool. The Benefits of Dried Fruit Baskets Usually combined with varieties of nuts, dried fruit baskets have become the second most popular version of the original fresh fruit basket today. According to growers and manufacturers, dried fruit baskets have soared in recent years due to the amount of time one can take to consume the dried product and still have it taste as delicious as the day it arrived. What is a Duvet Cover? A Duvet Cover is actually just another name for a Bed Comforter Cover. It's like a very large pillow case, is is normally used to cover a down comforter. Faux Wood Mini Blinds Though wood blinds and shutters are the most popular window coverings sold in America, these two products are among the most expensive. Faux wood Blinds offer nature's rich, subtle colors and unique textures at a fraction of the cost of real wood shutters. How to Choose Bed Sheets Effectively Buying sheets is not as easy as it used to be or should be. There's such a wide variety of styles, colours and fabrics to choose from. Want a Beautiful Limestone Floor but Worried About The Maintenance? Read On Limestone is a type of sedimentary rock. It is chemically made up of the mineral calcite (calcium carbonate). Inuit Stone Sculptures From The Arctic North When most people think about stone sculptures, it's probably giant pieces of abstract art located outside large buildings or perhaps inside a famous art gallery or museum. Sometimes people think of stone sculptures as the ancient Roman or Greek mythological characters like Apollo, Venus or Zeus. Decorating a Childs Room - 8 Simple Strategies to Make You Both Happy! When it comes to decorating a child's room, your approach should be much different from decorating an adult bedroom.For kids, their bedroom is where they play games, read, listen to music, day-dream, or just go to be alone sometimes. Decorating Your Kitchen With Accessories Just like a nice outfit, your kitchen can benefit from accessories! If you are thinking about redecorating but don't have a lot of dough to put into your kitchen, try simply adding some accessories in a matching theme or color and see how it transforms the room!Now before you rush out to the store, you should probably decide what sort of theme you are going for. Do you want the look of old Italy? How about a cottage theme? Why not try a country style kitchen? You will want to buy different accessories depending on the theme you choose. Childrens Furniture Children's bedroom furniture and nursery furniture can help turn a bland and boring bedroom into a fun and cozy retreat. Since there is a wide range of designs and materials available, you can find the perfect children's furniture for your child's bedroom, whether you prefer a whimsical decorating style or practical, sturdy pieces. A Look at Waterbed Sheet Sizes Just like conventional beds, waterbeds come in a number of sizes. It is important to buy the appropriate size sheet for the bed, or the sheets will not fit properly and make it difficult to sleep on the bed. Decorating Roll Up Bamboo Shades Plastic or real bamboo roll up shades can be decorated with a designed waterproof shower curtain in front so when you roll it down for your Jacuzzi or other relaxation area it will be most pleasant to your eyes, and also serves as a privacy shade. The most popular are done in tropical print to add to a special area of relaxation. The Function of Hurricane Shutters Every part of the world has its share of natural disasters. Flooding, earthquakes, monsoons and tornadoes -- most every region occasionally suffers some unpleasant or dangerous weather. How to Repair Your Dishwasher Your dishwasher isn't measuring up to the price you paid for it. The dishwasher might not even turn on, the dishes aren't getting clean, or the machine won't even drain. Ceiling Fan Blades The blades of a ceiling fan make all the difference. The amount of airflow a fan generates depends on the type and size of blades it has. Using Color To Change The Size Of Your Bedroom Did you ever wish your bedroom was bigger or smaller? Well if you don't have enough money to change the actual size of the room, then you can use paint to make the bedroom seem bigger or smaller.Paint is well known as one of the least expensive and easiest ways to change the look of any room, but if you pick your colors carefully you can give the space a new feel as well as a new look. Custom Mini Blinds In the mini blind market, you have three types of options: You can buy what is ready-made and is widely available in retail stores; buy ready-made but cut to fit blinds; and one-inch slat mini blinds that can fit one-eighth of an inch near your required specifications.In the first option, you get the general size of your window and find the blind that closely fits it.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |