How to decorate a country house in Provence style: 6 steps to your dream interior

The rural country style is well expressed by the Provence style in the interior of a country house. The color scheme and subtleties may vary, but the overall appearance is the same. The most popular at the moment is French Provence.

The interior in the Provence style is distinguished by light finishes, natural materials, textiles in a rustic manner and elegant, yet comfortable decor.

Main features and distinctive features

A country house in the Provencal style is the embodiment of not only the rural life of the southern province, but also its culture. It “breathes” him with calmness and peace. While inside, you plunge into the atmosphere of hot sun, warmth, sea, and romanticism.

A country house in Provence style has a special, light atmosphere

Provence style denies modern devices, furniture made of plastic and steel. Wood, pastel colors, green plants in pots are popular here, the decor is comfortable and simple. Village residents are not in a hurry, they do not chase fashion and new products, so when you are in a room decorated in Provence style, the furniture is shabby, artificially aged, natural materials, antiques, and a lot of decorative items.

The interior of the room consists of simple elements, artificially aged materials and antique decorative items

Distinctive features:

• lack of bright, saturated colors;
• walls, ceiling are several shades lighter than the floor;
• aged furniture elements;
• all textiles are made from natural fabrics;
• main print – floral;
• the windows are large, with many sections;
• no heavy curtains.

In this interior there is no place for bright flashy colors, and preference is given to calm pastel shades

The entire room, furniture, decor in most cases, has a white, light color. The homeland of this style has very hot weather, so they try to create an atmosphere of coolness and lightness in living spaces.

In French style interiors there are a lot of dried and fresh flowers placed in vases, tubs or herbariums

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Living room in French style: 5 color ideas

Living room in Provence style

Although Provence has features that are unique to it, they can be modified. For example, the statement that interior walls and ceilings should only be light in color sounds inappropriate today. The modern abundance of building materials allows you to combine the most unexpected shades, while remaining within the strict boundaries of the chosen style. However, white or its shades must be present in a Provence style room, but not be the only one.

Living room in bright colors

White is the base, and absolutely all colors go with it. The most interesting options for living rooms in the Provence style are rooms with blue, purple, yellow, brown and green colors.

The living room with heavenly inserts is full of freedom, air and space. Being a cool shade, blue will allow you to add other, more cheerful colors to the interior - yellow, pink, green. The number of blue elements in the interior of a light room should not exceed 30%, otherwise the room will receive an unpleasant cold tint, unusual for the warm Provence style. It is successful to experiment with shades of blue: sky, sea, azure and other shades will go perfectly together in a light interior, sometimes without requiring dilution with other colors.

Appropriate use of blue tint in the interior of a white room

Purple or lilac inserts in a bright Provence living room look chic, but the fine line from richness to bad taste is not easy to maintain. The fact is that purple is a flashy, saturated color, which easily turns into vulgar. At the same time, having maintained the edge in design, this color takes on a different sound - appropriate, fashionable and French. To do this, you need to use light shades of purple and in limited quantities: no more than 3 elements in a snow-white room. You can choose two bright objects of the same purple color, and add a third one, different in shade, to them, as was done in the photo:

White Provence style living room with purple accents

A sunny yellow living room pleases the eye and lifts your spirits. Such a cheerful combination will suit the French style perfectly. However, it should be remembered that yellow and white are light shades that do not create the necessary accents. Therefore, it is recommended to dilute this duet with additional colors: for example, orange, red, beige, brown.

Original yellow living room with red and brown accents

Chocolate inserts combine elegantly with the white interior of the living room, adding sophistication and richness to it. Such a room looks strict, majestic and at the same time French. In addition, the duet of brown and white allows you to diversify the living room with other colors to your own taste - red, yellow, lilac. For example, in the photo there is a version of a white and chocolate living room with red accents. This combination is classic and therefore a win-win.

Provence living room with chocolate shades

The green color, pleasant to the eye, goes well with the Provence style, which advocates a return to nature and natural materials. Being the main natural color, green skillfully colors the white walls of the living room and goes well with additional shades - pink, yellow, red. A white living room with green and pink accents will help the owners relax after a hard day at work and find peace of mind.

Green living room with white and pink shades

Color features

Provencal style stands out from others with its unobtrusive, pastel colors. At first glance it may seem that everything is the same color, but if you look closely, you can find many different shades. The environment of hot southern countries cannot be saturated for a long time; in the sun it quickly fades. Decor or furniture items can be bright.

Shades of pink, light brown and green are used for decoration.

Variations of pastel colors are also suitable for furniture, decor and textiles

The main shades of this style: white, pale green, yellow and mint, beige, blue, lemon, azure, terracotta. All these colors can be used both for finishing a room and for decoration.

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Light filling

Although Provence allows you to experiment with color, the case of the bedroom is special. This is where the line of pastel colors, soft and sleepy, should be maintained. You shouldn’t get carried away with bright colors if you want to get a unique room - otherwise all the charm and all the charm of a Provence style bedroom will disappear in an instant. It is recommended to use white, cream, beige, pale yellow, delicate blue, light green as the main color. Don’t be afraid that the bedroom will look like a hospital: to eliminate this misunderstanding, Provence has prepared 2 more important points.

Bedroom in beige shades of Provence style

Room decoration

Decorating a country house begins with drawing up a plan and purchasing materials. All repair work is carried out in stages.

The rustic style welcomes an abundance of small decorative elements that make the home feel lived-in and cozy.

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Wall decoration

In rooms decorated in Provence style, the main option for wall treatment is decorative plaster. It is applied in many ways, the surfaces can be uneven and rough. The shades of vertical surfaces should be light. Because of this, the room visually expands, refreshes, there is a feeling of cleanliness, and it becomes possible to install any decor.

Plaster on walls is often specially applied with uneven surfaces

The walls can be finished with wood panels. In such cases, all finishing is done from natural materials. Provence style allows you to paint wall panels white or beige; artificial abrasions look great on them. If the owner wants to create the interior decoration of a village hut, decorative structures can be made, for example, in the kitchen, vertical surfaces can be decorated with tiles or mosaics.

Structural elements are used in the design of walls, for example, logs are not painted, but only treated with protective compounds

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Ceiling

In the Provencal style, the ceilings are painted in light shades and whitewashed. In some cases, the surface is decorated with wooden beams; contrasts can be emphasized favorably and the method of artificial aging can be used. If you are decorating a living room or dining room, the ceiling can be decorated with stucco.

As a rule, the ceiling has a light color and contrasting wooden beams

Stucco molding is appropriate on the ceiling in the living room, but it should also look aged

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Floor

The classic of this style is wooden floors. They can be painted or left untreated. All finishing materials must be natural and of high quality. If you are decorating a kitchen or other utility room, you can put tiles on the floor, for example, brown. Designers consider this option practical.

In living rooms, a wooden floor looks most logical. Parquet, laminate or engineered board – it’s up to you

You can lay tiles in the bathroom and kitchen. This solution is practical from a cleaning point of view.

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Windows and doors

In the Provence style, window openings and doors are preferably made of wood. They can be left naturally processed, painted, or artificially aged. To add more natural light to the room, you can make clear glass inserts in the doors. In this style, the “French window” technique is often used. That is, an opening is made from the ceiling to the floor; the window can be used as a door.

The highlight of the style is the “French window” from floor to ceiling, which can be made in the form of glazed door sections

Doors can serve as contrasting elements if made from dark wood

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Provence kitchen walls

Finishing materials for the wall can be varied, and here the Provence style does not limit the choice. The main criteria are the color and naturalness of the material. Finishing stone or brick (artificial and natural), imitation panels (especially “wood-like”), light tiles and simple plaster with a fading effect are suitable. Wall materials should be combined with the ceiling and floor and not deviate from the overall color scheme. For example, stone walls are perfect for a ceiling with wooden beams, and simple plastered walls are perfect for panels on the ceiling and tiles on the floor.

Spectacular wall design using tiles

At the same time, a popular combination is light floors and dark walls and vice versa. The kitchen can also be colored: in this case there should be one accent spot. This could be an apron, a bright kitchen cabinet, curtains, one wall or an entire kitchen unit (then the rest of the space should be a neutral color).

Kitchen with light furniture and red wall

Selection and arrangement of furniture

Provence style in a country house implies massive wicker or forged furniture. Plastic, steel, fittings are prohibited. If you don’t have enough money for real wood, you can purchase elements from chipboard, MDF with high-quality imitation.

For rural style, solid wood furniture or decent imitation with a characteristic design is suitable

If the housewife or owner of the house is a creative person, you can collect old furniture from friends, acquaintances, market sales and put it in order and restore it yourself. Online master classes and advice from more experienced lovers of this style will be excellent “helpers” here.

Real Provence is wooden or wicker furniture with forging elements

The main decoration of the room, decorated in a rural Provence style, are sideboards, chests of drawers, cabinets, chairs, and mezzanines. All of them should be of substantial size, in good condition, painted in light, pastel shades. Paintings and engravings on facades are allowed. A dining group consisting of a massive table and several chairs will add chic to the dining room. In the living room you can put several wicker chairs on which you can place several pillows. You can throw a ruffled blanket over the sofa.

If you want to visually free up space, hang simple shelves instead of massive cabinets and sideboards

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Provençal style and decor

The key task is not to overdo it with decorative elements. The interior of French country houses is characterized by seasoned vases, vintage frames and candlesticks, figurines and antique tableware. It is also worth mentioning the great love of Provence fans for wicker baskets. They can be used to store children's toys, books and clothes. As you can see, even decorative items can become original and functional helpers.

Bedroom design

Many supporters of this style attribute to it excessive asceticism. It has really smooth lines and a certain minimalism. But you can always decorate the walls with neat paintings with wooden frames or family photos. Speaking of painting, note that the Provence style is suitable for landscapes and vintage motifs. Modern modular paintings and abstractions have no place in a measured and smooth stylistic direction.

Kitchen combined with balcony

Selection of decorative elements, textiles

Country style and, accordingly, Provence “loves” high-quality, natural fabrics (linen, silk, cotton, muslin, chintz). Drawings are preferably plant-based, for example, flowers. Such prints are ideal for decorative pillows, light curtains, and tablecloths. The windows are decorated with tulle with interceptions, ruffles, and tassels. The bedroom is covered with quilts. Do-it-yourself elements will fit perfectly into the interior. Lampshades, floor lamps, and floor lamps can be decorated with fabric inserts with a floral print.

When choosing textiles, give preference to natural fabrics - cotton, linen, silk or chintz

The right mood in the room is created by an abundance of all kinds of decor, many of the elements of which can be made with your own hands

The walls are decorated with paintings depicting nature and rural life. Place small wicker baskets, candlesticks, several lace napkins, and ceramic dishes on the shelves and table. Mirrors are hung in wrought iron frames. In the village you cannot do without flowers in pots and cache-pots, and there is a herbarium on the wall.

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Finishing work

There are three types of work for finishing the façade of a building:

• plaster. Produced using ready-made building mixtures. To add color, color compositions have been developed that immediately give the desired result;
• wooden elements. This method has fairly easy installation work. Wooden parts are attached to the surface of the building. Insulation is laid between the walls;
• stone. Any type of stone is suitable for this. It can be sandstone or granite. Details can be present both throughout the entire area and in the form of individual elements. Facade cladding work requires experience, so you can’t do it without the help of a professional.

Lighting

Each style has certain requirements regarding the selection and placement of lighting fixtures.

Lighting fixtures often use open candle-shaped lamps

Basic rules of Provence style

Several light sources are installed in the rooms, helping to zone the room and adding accents to certain decorative elements

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Other decorative elements

This design direction tends to use natural materials, and this also applies to fabrics. Therefore, tablecloths, sofa cushions, furniture covers and curtains in a rustic French country style are made from fabrics such as linen, chintz, burlap, muslin, cotton, calico, etc.

Curtains in a rustic French interior should have light shades to block out excessive sunlight and complement the decor of the room. You can use both plain products, in the manufacture of which linen is used, and chintz curtains with a pattern. Country curtains can be decorated with floral or marine motifs, checkered patterns, images of a rooster, etc.

At the same time, lighter curtains can be supplemented with coarse and thick curtains, the sewing of which was made using burlap . Such decorative elements will help complement the overall atmosphere and create a contrast between textures.

Small elements will help create an atmosphere of comfort and complement the interior with thematic accents, which may include:

• candlesticks;
• clay dishes;
• wall lamps with lampshades decorated with floral print;
• seascapes;
• lace napkins;
• wicker baskets;
• mirrors in forged or carved frames;
• small panels.

As decoration, you can use almost any vintage items that you have at your dacha - old kerosene lamps, linen napkins, wicker rugs, etc.

Additionally, you can create a green corner inside your home by planting plants in clay pots. Also, bunches of onions, garlic, peppers, cereals, dried herbs, dry or fresh bouquets of wild and garden flowers will help decorate the interior space.

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Registration of a suburban area

In order for the atmosphere of the Provence style to be fully felt, one must not forget about decorating not only the residential building, but also the land plot. The landscape can be easily transformed with the help of a small gazebo, an old-fashioned fence with a miniature gate, and wicker garden furniture. Along the gazebo you can plant grapes, which will grow over time, bush roses, lilacs, and wisteria.

The appearance of the house and everything nearby must correspond to the chosen style

If you have space in the garden, you can place a small gazebo or even a summer kitchen near the house

Provence style is preferred by calm people who live in harmony with themselves. These are not necessarily poor individuals; there are also wealthy owners who strive to create a homely environment in their country house, warm, without any luxury. Everything is as simple and convenient as possible.

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Tinted accents

There is a white bedroom, flowers are also present. But this bedroom is still missing something. To complete the beautiful picture, Provence suggests adding one or two color accents to the interior: for example, bright curtains, a rug near the bed, a multi-colored throw on the sofa. With the help of one color element, the bedroom will take on a new meaning and reveal itself to its fullest. The result is an ideal Provence style bedroom, romantic and peaceful.

White bedroom with floral accent wall and bright curtains

Photos of cozy interiors in Provence style