Provence style in the interior of country houses and apartments

Designers use different styles to create an interior. Among them is the Provence style, which fits perfectly into the design of country houses. However, it can be applied in the apartment, if you are a fan of natural design and want to create a cozy home atmosphere in your home.

What is the Provence style

Provence style owes its birth to the colorful, eponymous place Provence in France. The inhabitants of these places value proximity to nature, love purity and sunlight, lead a dimensional lifestyle. From generation to generation they have formed their ideal idea of how the ideal interior of the house should look like.

Features of the style

Elements of French modern Provence, materials and colors perfectly fit into private homes and summer houses.

It has the following features:

• interior and exterior finishes of natural materials, mainly iron, stone, wood;
• pastel colors, as if burned out over time by sunlight;
• inclusion of fabrics and materials depicting flowers (most often roses) in the interior of the house;
• large windows that let in maximum sunlight, with light, translucent curtains;
• many sources of additional artificial light;
• furnishing the room with artificially aged, vintage, elegant furniture;
• various interior items that are the result of the work of home masters (art painting, wood carving, weaving, sewing, knitting);
• a lot of live floral bouquets, dried flowers, indoor plants;
• the presence of elements of fine, delicate iron forging;
• light textile jewelry (ruffles, lace);
• the presence of clay, ceramic and porcelain figurines and dishes on open racks and shelves.

Provence in the interior is good because it gives you the opportunity to create a very individual, unique image of a country house, preserving a single style direction.

The cardinal difference between French Provence and Russian countryside is that the wooden surfaces are painted in pastel colors. In the Russian rustic traditions are supposed to preserve the texture and color of raw wood.

Exterior finishing of the country house

Projects of houses in the style of Provence abound in natural finishing materials. Various types of plaster are welcomed. Wooden and plastered walls are painted in pastel colors of the Provence style:

• sandy;
• milky;
• pale purple;
• light blue;
• lavender;
• pistachio.

On the facade, color accents are created using contrasting colors (mahogany, yew, wenge). Multi-pitched roofs are welcomed. The best roofing material – clay tiles.

In single-storey buildings equip the attic with large windows or a balcony. On the windowsills and terraces should be a lot of greenery and flowers in pots and vases. It is desirable to install on the windows outside shutters, inside hang openwork curtains. Facade decorative elements should be handmade, including wrought iron door and window hardware.

The entrance to the house should look like an extension of the yard and should not have high steps and flashy railings. Therefore, the basement part of the foundation should be as low as possible. An excellent solution for the dacha interior is planting at the front entrance to the house of a vine or wicker rose.

Design country house in the style of Provence, make complete a light, airy pergola, bench, wrought iron table surrounded by a small orchard, lanterns along the paths and retro lamp above the porch.

Interior decoration of the rooms in the houses

In the house, stepping over the threshold, you should immediately feel an abundance of sunlight and coziness. For decoration, light shades and natural materials are used.

Entrance hall

Narrow vestibules are excluded – the hallway should be as large as possible and made in light colors. No heavy cabinets and dark nooks French Provence does not allow.

In the hallway put soft pink and blue pouffes, on the wall hang mirrors in elegant frames. For shoes and clothes use hangers and stands made of openwork wrought iron, or painted artificially aged wood.

Obývací pokoj

Heavy partitions in the living room if necessary to zone the space, should be replaced by sliding screens, curtains, or color accents. It is desirable to install a fireplace, which will immediately create a special mood.

It will look good aged artistic parquet. The walls are covered with paint in pastel colors or textured wallpaper with floral motifs, or in stripes. The ceiling is made without modern mirror elements. Leave the protruding painted beams, or make a classic whitewash. Allowed lightweight plasterboard construction.

Ložnice

The room in the style of Provence, designed for sleeping, should be romantic and calm. Such an environment is created by delicate textiles, flowers in large vases, curtains with floral elements, an abundance of cozy plaids, pillows and bedspreads with ruffles.

Beds with iron “airy” backs are covered with cotton or linen. On the bedside tables put candlesticks and cozy floor lamps. The height of luxury – an elegant transparent canopy over the bed.

The main thing in the design of the bedroom is to withstand the colors of Provence. It is necessary to completely exclude black and dark brown. Replace the white color with milky and creamy.

Kuchyně

To modern kitchen in a country house acquired the features of French Provence, you need to pay attention not only to the overall color scheme and natural materials, but also to the details. Ordinary kitchen utensils become an integral part of the decor. This can be such accessories “under the antique”, such as coffee grinders, mortars, knives, cutlery.

It is necessary to change plastic to wood, and electric appliances should be built into the kitchen set and decorated with metallic gloss. Coziness of the kitchen in the style of Provence gives numerous textiles: towels, tack, lace napkins.

Open shelves with light-colored dishes, patchwork-style kitchen apron, will enhance the impression of coziness of the kitchen in the Provence style.

Bathroom

A Provence bathroom is a room, not a utility room for hygienic procedures. The more warmth, light and space, the better. Ideally, it should be at least 9 square meters, have a window with curtains, a couch, a rattan chair and a lot of nice little things that promote relaxation.

In the bathroom it is preferable to use milk, olive, pale pink color. Leave brighter shades only for small details and accessories. Freestanding bathtub of traditional white color on elegant legs, perfectly emphasizes the sophistication of the style.

The furniture used is simple, made of whitened wood, or painted in light colors, with the effect of “artificial aging”. Plastic soap dishes, glasses, dispensers for the bathroom in the style of Provence, change to ceramic. Plumbing fixtures and accessories should correspond to the spirit of antiquity, approaching the classics.

Style when finishing rooms in apartments

Even in the smallest apartment can create the coziness of the French province: keep the finishing of the walls in natural pastel colors with floral motifs, and furnish the rooms with aged furniture, decorated with patina or carvings.

Narrow hallway should be visually expand, using light colors in the finishing of the walls, as well as a large mirror in a frame under the antique. A heavy closet for outerwear should be replaced by an open hanger with forged details. Since it is impossible to add another window in the apartment, the emphasis should be on artificial lighting.

The classic “walls” and “slides” should be removed from the hall in the Provence style. The center of such a room should be a large and cozy sofa with beautiful pillows.

Due to the fact that wood is very sensitive to moisture, in a small bathroom you can create a French style with the help of pastel-colored tile and expressive fittings.

To decorate an urban apartment in the Provence style, stock up on porcelain figurines, as well as textiles with ruffles. Add fresh flowers and replace heavy curtains with light curtains.

Lighting

Thoughtful selection of lighting fixtures – one of the most important components of style. No matter how hard you try to match the furniture and finishes, if there is little light, the desired effect will not be achieved.

It is preferable to choose table lamps on elegant stands, with lampshades and fringes of textiles. Wicker lampshades will be appropriate on terraces, loggias and kitchens. It is great if the lamp shade is made by yourself.

In large rooms you can use heavy chandeliers with supporting elements of wrought iron, imitating candlesticks. In theme to them you can hang on the walls a few sconces.

Porcelain, ceramic and forged candlesticks will make the room even cozier. In front of the entrance to the house and terraces look great lanterns in wrought iron braiding. LED spot lighting in the rooms, if skillfully used, can also fit well into the interior.

Furniture

The highlight of the French style is elegant furniture with a rustic flavor:

• cabinets with rounded corners, made of painted and natural unlacquered wood and finished with carvings;
• rattan wicker furniture for the terrace and kitchen;
• beds, chairs, armchairs with wrought iron details in matte iron (patina);
• upholstered furniture with natural textile upholstery (monochrome, striped, with plant motifs).

Renovated grandmother’s dowry, antique cupboards, chests of drawers and chests – this is what will be suitable for creating an interior in the Provence style.

Curtains

Heavy curtains should be replaced by curtains made of chintz, staple, linen, taffeta. They are draped with grip tapes. Color curtains are chosen in contrast to the walls: terracotta, pistachio, olive, apricot, preferably with a floral motif. Magnificently looks textile with embroidery or printed pattern. Also to create a style will need light curtains of openwork tulle, organza, batiste, chiffon.

Bottom line

The interior of a country house or apartment in the style of Provence is able to create an environment that will help to restore strength after an active day of work, improve psychological comfort. This is exactly what modern man needs in the conditions of a busy active life and constant stress.

Let sunlight and warmth into your home, get rid of toxic plastic, replacing it with natural materials. And then, step by step, start creating a cozy world around you, in which you will be comfortable at any time of day or night.