Yesterday I put up some ideas for the french country style when it comes to choosing a house. Today - if you don't mind - I though I'd do the same inside, using pictures from my home and from those of friends near here.
Once again, I don't pretend to be an expert on what is true French country style, I'm just telling it the way it is lived here: never about big, nor impressive, rather living simply and elegantly, using what you have to hand and making the home as comfortable and welcoming as possible.
Now, I'm a big sleeper (that's not a scoop!!) so to me a large comfy bed is really important, you all know about my feelings for old French linen - vital!! - but the bed is important too. My favourite here is the old 'demi-corbeille' that I restored for our guest cottage.
Besides which I like to place a few flowers - everyone sleeps better
in a setting that is prepared with care and attention.
We love open fires, we have two downstairs and one in our bedroom. Real logs, real flames, a little extra work to clean out the ashes, but I certainly don't do that after every fire - life is too short - just now and again.
While we're on the subject of flames, candles are really important here too. We use real candles in our dining room chandelier, lit most days, although our favourite time in the winter is Sunday morning breakfast: a fire, candles, fresh croissant, the newspapers ......
when we eat outdoors candles are obligatory, love them!
Furniture is a happy mix here, quite a few old pieces, often found at
brocantes and re-upholstered by yours truly, using a mix of fabrics
in fact fabric plays a big role in giving the French look, and nothing can be more
French than toile de Jouy, see here at my friend Aude's house
Ceilings tend to be high in these old houses, giving plenty of scope to play with curtains
The true French kitchen is hard to define, and somehow never really fits in to a 'label'.
Of all the kitchens I know here, my favourite elements are the solid
pewter sink and chippy chairs in Frederique's château!
Other vital touches include paintings on the walls,
and propped up behind lamps;
unruly bouquets of flowers from the garden;
and a mix of old china displayed behind wire mesh cabinet doors.
Voila! Ours is not a designer house, we don't lavish huge sums of money on our interior.
The priorities are comfort, elegance and most of all a warm welcome!
I'd love to hear about your priorities in furnishing and decorating your home
Thank you for stopping by
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