How do I do a country french kitchen?

Question

I saw somewhere a country french kitchen that had alot of black accents and twall (may not have spelled right) fabric. They also used french sayings on the wall and roosters. I am trying to do this in my kitchen and have looked on Yahoo and Google search engines for examples of this style and have not found what I am looking for. I am not remodleing my kitchen, just restyling it. I have painted the walls and cabinets and now am looking for additional decorating ideas. Anyone got any ideas for this style I am looking for?

Answer 1

The magazine Veranda often features French country kitchens and you can find it at the home improvement stores. The style embodies a lot of different looks because it can be high country, provinceal, cottage country, etc. Toile in black and white is often the fabric of choice, as is yellow and blue. You can find some really neat sayings on wallwords.com and translate any of the sayings into French, although they have some already. It is a really easy to apply system that isn't terribly expensive.

Most of what characterizes the French Country style is large chunky columns, long wooden tables with ladder back chairs, table linens, napkins and placemats that reflect patterns from nature like leaves, florals or scenes from everyday life. The French are big on flowers, plants, fresh fruit and vegetables as art on display.

I took a tour of France from the north near Verdunn all the way down to the mediterranean sea looking at architecture and design. I found the concept in French country design to be varied widely, but all had one thing in common. There is an elegant, yet functional simplicity to food preparation and dining.
It is more of a feeling that you want to evoke from those entering your kitchen that the food prepared here is for enjoyment. You will often see the items used in food preparation like oils, vinegars, even beans, pasta and coffee used in decorative containers as accessories.

And, you are right the French love their roosters. In almost every kitchen I visited, there was either a collection of them or a very large ceramic rooster placed in a position of prominence.

Answer 2

The French country kitchen design can provide your kitchen with a look and feel that brightens the spirit and can transform the kitchen into a room that is much more than just a place to dine and prepare food.

The French country kitchen is known for its elaborate designs. It creates a feeling of country living but with a unique French flair about it. It is a warm and elegant look that you can have in your kitchen regardless of its size.

Color is an important element in French country kitchen design. Sunny yellow and soft gold, burnt rust, bright grass green and dark hunter green, cobalt blue and soft ocean tones – are all colors found in French country kitchen design style.

French country kitchen design conjures up images of the Provence and the French countryside with it’s pastoral settings, lavendar fields and rustic French farmhouses. The French country kitchen represents country living that is uniquely French. In designing your French country kitchen design you discover that French country look is always very rustic, old and warm.

There are many elements that go into the French country kitchen including the use of large pieces of furniture made mainly of light colored woods and can be decorated with ornate carving.

Color & French Country Kitchen Design

Color is an important place to start the design process. You can draw inspiration from some of the principle French impressionists like Monet and Renoir, Van Gogh.

Colors that are used in the French country kitchen style can include sunny yellow or soft gold, bright red and rust, grass green, cobalt blue and soft ocean tones.

You can decorate in the style of the French country kitchen design by using vivid colors – poppy red, sunflower yellow, bright blue, meadow green, and sunset purple. Your walls and cabinets and large furniture can be painted in off white, ivory, light beige, and taupe.

Cabinets can be painted a glossy white to brighten light-filled spaces in the kitchen or they can be left as natural wood. These colors can provide a light, airy feel so you do not want to use strong colors here. In fabrics such as curtains and seat cushions you might also add paisley, stripes and floral prints to your French Country Kitchen theme.

Natural Materials

Natural materials are an important element in walls, cabinetry and furniture that is used in the design of French country kitchens. Natural materials can be used on walls and beamed ceilings, and can be rough stained or painted plaster, or wood painted in natural colors.

Floors can be made of stone or brick and covered with wool or cotton rugs, a fireplace made of stone with a heavy beam that can serve as a mantel, and wooden shutters as window coverings. Furniture and cabinets can have a rustic or even a distressed look. Countertops can be done in ceramic tile with tile backsplashes.

Accent Pieces

In French country kitchen design you will find that tile, rustic urns, hand-painted European ceramics and pottery accents are used extensively. Ceramic tiles and terra cotta pottery pieces are used wherever possible. Add copper pots and a French country kitchen can can encompass many old world decorating colors.

Answer 3

French country: toile curtains,either black or blue lots of wrought iron like plate racks,pictures of wines,french countryside,blue checked curtains,wine racks,wrought iron pot rack.Go to www.hgtv.com they have lots of french country rooms and decorating ideas