French provincial style can be subtle yet elegant.
When you are looking for a dining room decorating style that is practical but with a touch of elegance, you may want to choose a French provincial style. Prevalent in France in the 17th and 18th century, the design refined and simplified the heavy and ornate styles of the previous two centuries in France. Although still elegant, the style became more subtle and affordable. French provincial decorating choices are extensive enough to please the taste of almost anyone. Include your own style touches in your French provincial dining room through the use of details.
Instructions
1. Choose your focal point. Select one or two pieces of furniture that you want to build around as a key point such as a buffet, hutch or a dining room table and chairs.
2. Select your dining room table in a French provincial style. Choose solid woods such as fruitwood, walnut, mahogany or oak and pair with fabric-covered chairs. Check out a book on French provincial interior decorating or go online to find examples of French provincial dining room furniture.
3. Include small items around the room since details are an important part of French provincial design. Add small frames, items with French labels or bottles of wine. Subtle nuances make the difference.
4. Select your colors. The French countryside is vibrant with color, so fill your room with color. Instead of a monochromatic color scheme, choose hues in muted shades, as if time has worn and weathered their vibrancy. Choose sage green, lavender, unbleached linen, beige, soft gold colors and cornflower blue.
5. Combine your muted colors with some intense colors such as brick red or chocolate brown as these colors work well with the muted shades. They represent colors found in the small houses in the French countryside.
6. Add accents; muted does not mean dull. Accomplish the desired touch of elegance in your French provincial dining room through fabric choices in French country scenes or floral designs that showcase your colors.
7. Add beads or lace to pillows or draperies. Include a painting or print of a French scene. Frame a piece of fabric or tapestry and use it as a wall hanging; incorporate a wall mirror in your decor. All these elements add eye-catching ornamentation to your dining room.
8. Include wall panels. Since items in a French provincial room often feature a symmetrical and balanced look, use wall panels to create that feel in your dining room.
9. Light your French provincial dining room with a hanging lamp that features a lampshade fringed in beads. Pewter wall sconces with candles also add to this romantic look. Consider adding wood flooring or a French provincial-inspired area rug.
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