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One of many reasons for the French furniture to be so popular, is its timeless ability to transform your living space. From a cool, austere room, to an inviting, comfy and warm room that you and your friends will admire. Add to it a few pieces of soft furnishings, hang up a classy French chandelier, and you'll feel like sitting in your own chateau somewhere in the Southern France.
One of the most important elements in any French Country home is its kitchen and dining area furniture. A large rectangular or round wooden table that seats the whole family is a must. Wooden chairs are perfectthere's nothing fussy or formal about French Country furniture; it's all part of its charm. A simple iron baker's rack or wood sideboard completes the look and gives you plenty of storage and display space for tableware, decorative accessories, and, of course, bottles of good French wine.
French Country walls are usually covered in wallpaper, particularly toiles. Traditional toile wallpapers feature repeating patterns in a single color, usually blue, red, green, or black, on an off-white background. The fleur-de-lis, a stylized iris flower often used to represent royalty, is especially popular. It's essential to keep your French furniture simple and unassuming if you choose to hang patterned wallpaper. If you prefer to paint your walls, use nature as your palette. A bright, sunny yellow or Mediterranean blue will bring the outdoors in, complement rustic furniture, and keep your home feeling warm and cheerful all year long.
To decorate the windows in your French Country home, stay away from dark, heavy drapes that block out the light. Opt instead for cotton or linen sheers or simple lace curtains hanging from a wrought iron rod with a graceful finial. Your furniture will look warm and inviting, when exposed to the sun light entering through semi-shaded windows. In your kitchen, leave the windows bare, if you can, or compromise by hanging short café curtains that block any unwanted views but still allow light in. If you've chosen painted walls over wallpaper, you could use toile for your café curtains, to keep that vintage French Country feel.
Try to fit hardwood floors in your French country home. If your wall-to-wall carpeting is covering up wood flooring, rip out the carpet, no matter what condition the wood is in. Do some simple sanding and ageing for that extra touch of class. If it's simply not possible to do away with the carpeting, or if you have vinyl flooring, choose faded Oriental-style area rugs or textured cotton throw rugs to disguise the flooring without detracting from the natural beauty of your French Country furniture.
Don't forget the outside of your home when you're creating your French Country getaway. Feel free to explore your creativity when arranging plants around your home; use topiary trees and hanging baskets as the most "French" in their character. French lavender loves sunny positions in your garden. Also, get rustic patio furniturea bent willow armchair, an old wooden rocker with a distressed finish, and some tile-topped patio tables. This will help you create a unique living area, that you can also use for entertainig.
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Discover why French and country home decor is back, stronger than ever. Simple yet elegant interior of your French country ' styled rooms will charm you and your visitors alike. Sam Ness finds her decorating ideas from http://ohsochic.com.au
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