Design features
Furniture in the Provence style is made from natural wood, forged metal, wicker or rattan. Wooden products are characterized by elaborate shapes, carvings and aging. Forged furniture should look light and delicate. Wicker furniture (tables, chairs, rocking chairs) fills the room with lightness, unity with nature and ease.
Wooden stools on high carved legs, antique low cabinets and chests look harmonious in a Provencal interior. Their appearance should be as if they had served their owners for several centuries.
IMPORTANT!
Provencal furniture does not contain glass, chrome or plastic elements.
Antique vintage furniture is expensive, but furniture pieces can be given an aged appearance yourself using different techniques:
- dyeing;
- patination;
- decoupage;
- artistic painting.
Artificial aging
Artificial furniture is aged using different methods:
- mechanical. By applying scratches, chips and cracks with sandpaper and various tools;
- chemical When paints, stains and special craquelure varnish are applied to surfaces;
- thermal, using an open flame and a soldering iron.
To give your furniture an aged appearance on your own, you need to stock up on the following materials:
- acrylic paints;
- special varnish;
- paints with the effect of silver and gilding;
- stencils for creating drawings;
- sandpaper.
Artistic painting
With its help, furniture items acquire elegance and nobility. Floral patterns are chosen as ornaments. Popular colors are: turquoise, soft green, lavender, chestnut and beige. There are no bright colors in this direction. Ornaments are applied to a white or colorless background. There are the following types of artistic painting:
- decoupage (use of ready-made designs from napkins, postcards, wallpaper);
- using a stencil (in this case, a ready-made template is used to create a drawing);
- oil or acrylic paints (in this case you need to be able to draw beautifully).
ATTENTION : artistic painting is applied only to furniture made from natural wood.
You can draw anything on furniture: climbing plants, lavender or poppy fields, pets, birds, unopened rosebuds, landscapes, still lifes.
ATTENTION : it is best to paint furniture with rounded lines and curved legs. It will bring a special warm atmosphere of home to the Provencal interior.
Antique painting
To give a piece of furniture an old look, just use:
- light-colored paint;
- sponge;
- sandpaper;
- candle (paraffin).
The coloring process is as follows:
- The old layer of paint and varnish is removed from the furniture, and the surfaces are cleaned with sandpaper.
- Next, the wood is rubbed with a candle and painted.
- The aging effect is achieved with a regular kitchen sponge, which is used to rub certain areas of the furniture with vertical movements.
- To consolidate the resulting effect, the furniture is coated with several layers of varnish. To get the effect of cracking paint, you should use craquelure varnish.
ATTENTION : when choosing furniture for a Provencal interior, attention is paid to every little detail, since there must be a fine line between luxury and rustic simplicity.
Color palette
Furniture in the Provencal style is kept in light and light shades. The use of bright colors is not allowed here. Classic color options are: white, beige, cream, sand, olive, lavender, coffee, blue, pink.
ATTENTION : when coloring furniture items in a rustic direction, notes of the azure coast, scorching sun, and meadow grasses are visible.
Sofa and upholstered furniture
Wooden, forged and wicker sofas are found in a rustic interior. They are always decorated with small pillows with floral motifs, adding a special homely atmosphere of warmth and comfort.
IMPORTANT!
The Provence style sofa is equipped with soft upholstery without bright accents. Its design may consist of floral motifs or geometric shapes.
The characteristic features of rustic sofas are:
- high backs, smoothly turning into armrests;
- folding mechanisms that allow the furniture to be used as an additional bed;
- soft and pleasant to the touch fabrics.
The upholstery materials used are:
- tapestry, characterized by high density, wear resistance and durability;
- cotton does not cause allergic reactions, has a wide choice of colors, and is highly permeable to moisture and air;
- linen, a durable and practical material that fits perfectly into the Provençal style;
- jacquard, has an attractive appearance and high technical qualities.
As for the color and decor options, the sofas, like all upholstered furniture in the rustic direction, are made in soft and pastel colors and only from natural fabrics. They are quite delicate and laconic, and are distinguished by an abundance of decorative elements:
- fabric capes with ruffles, flounces, fringe. Also, upholstered furniture is often covered with covers that are slightly flared at the bottom and decorated with floral motifs. Knitted capes made from natural and not bright threads look beautiful;
- carriage screed;
- pillows of different sizes. It is absolutely not necessary to choose pillows to match the upholstered furniture. They may differ slightly in color intensity;
- backrests and armrests.
Armchairs and chairs
When making chairs in the Provence style, only natural materials are used. There is no place for plastic or glass products here. Chairs should look simple, but at the same time elegant and noble. Their color scheme is maintained in a natural and natural palette. Chairs are mainly made from natural solid wood. Sometimes there are combined models made of forged metal and textiles, or wickerwork made of wicker.
Characteristic features of Provençal chairs are:
- aged appearance;
- presence of cracks, chips and abrasions;
- bleached tones.
Quite often, chairs are equipped with soft seats and backs. For these purposes, only natural textiles (chintz, cotton, linen), designed in soothing colors and with floral patterns, are used. They are decorated with covers made of cotton, calico and chintz; ties, Velcro, and buttons are used as fastening elements. With their help, you can periodically update the interior, introducing fresh notes into it.
IMPORTANT!
Chairs and armchairs in the Provencal style are distinguished by a comfortable fit and ergonomic sizes.
As for armchairs, the Provence style uses upholstered products and rocking chairs made from wicker or natural wood. They differ not only in shapes and designs, but also in sizes. The armchairs are decorated with lace, capes with tassels or fringe, and decorative pillows.
Accessories to match your style
A room decorated in a single style ensemble may have decorative painted dishes, homespun textiles, an abundance of flowers - fresh, dried and in the form of prints, knitted napkins and tablecloths.
Pillows, all kinds of capes and bedspreads can be decorated with tassels, lace inserts, hand embroidery or patchwork style.
What is better: a regular wardrobe or a built-in one?
Cabinets in the Provençal direction have the following qualities:
- aged surfaces;
- carved or forged elements;
- curls;
- decoupage;
- hand painted.
Natural wood is used as the main material for making cabinets. Such products look bulky and are often decorated with artistic painting.
ATTENTION : a cabinet in the Provence style plays not only a decorative role, but also a functional one. Its interior space contains numerous shelves, drawers and all kinds of compartments for storing clothes.
If you have a small space, you can opt for a compact built-in wardrobe. Its sliding doors take up less space than swing doors. Such furniture pieces will fit perfectly into hallways, bedrooms, children's rooms, and living rooms.
When arranging a room in the Provence style, special attention should be paid to the bookcase. It looks especially organic in such an interior. Glass showcase doors allow you to beautifully place items inside so that they are clearly visible to guests. Such cabinets most often house collectible books, figurines, and porcelain dishes.
IMPORTANT!
The color of all furniture in the Provencal style should be matte. Glossy surfaces are not used in this interior.
Lighting
There is never too much light, especially in the south of France. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a good lighting system. The ideal solution is large windows through which sunlight will enter. But it is clearly not enough for the dark realities of Russia.
The basis of artificial lighting will be a ceiling chandelier with the lights of stylized candles, a forged base, and a waterfall of crystal. The diffused light should reliably illuminate the entire room without leaving dark corners.
Intimate twilight will be created by cute floor lamps with fabric lampshades decorated with fringe, or wall sconces of antique shapes.
Beds
A luxurious bed plays a special role in the bedroom interior. It is made of wood or forged metal. When decorating a bed, attention is paid to carved elements and the aging effect. The highlights of the design of the bed are the head of the bed and its legs. They are made pretentious, curved and with various decorative elements.
As for forged items, they are made of iron, brass or bronze. It is these metals that are resistant to negative factors and have a long service life. Weightless curls will bring French simplicity and grace to the bedroom.
ATTENTION : when arranging a bed in the Provence style, a special place is occupied by the canopy above the bed. It is made from natural and flowing fabrics.
Forged interior items
Forged furniture in Provencal style is a beautiful accent in the interior. It is made in dark or white color and placed in small quantities. Here it is allowed to install a forged table and chairs, a bed, a bookcase, a banquette, and a flower stand.
The advantages of forged furniture include:
- lightness and pleasant airiness effect;
- long service life;
- rich and luxurious appearance;
- resistance to negative factors.
ATTENTION : white forged furniture in the interior looks lighter and more delicate.
Color spectrum
The design of the Provence living room is based on the use of soft shades.
The best solution would be to use attractive shades of white (but not cold snow-white), soft sand, light cream, warm beige, elegant silver tones. And, of course, you can’t do without inserts of exquisite pink and simple lavender shades.
Additional colors will also include turquoise, olive, pistachio, mint, cornflower blue, violet, and sunny tones, but they should also give the impression of muted and time-worn colors.
