The French Country kitchen style is everywhere, from celebrities homes to home improvement television shows, they are currently the ‘it’ kitchen style.   There is no wonder they are popular, the mixtures of relaxed, and worn finishes along with lighter tones of colors is appealing to anyone who enjoys spending time in their kitchen.  This style is reminiscent of a simpler country life, where artisans and laborers enjoyed their homes and the craftsmanship of exposed wood beams was common place.  Looking to achieve this look in your home? Here’s how to achieve the French Country kitchen style in your home.

CABINETRY: Worn surfaces with muted color themes are typical of the French Country kitchen.  Slight ornamentation and crown molding often adorns upper cabinets. Knotted pine and walnut wood cabinets are rich in textures but light in appearance. Darker woods and painted cabinetry can be combined with the lighter cabinets to give French Country style a modern edge.

ISLANDS/COUNTERTOPS: Family, large meals, and celebrating life’s accomplishments is historically how families and neighbors gathered around the kitchen.  The French Country kitchen combines that feeling in the architecture and design of the kitchen. Granite, marble, and wood islands with additional seating brings guests and host together, this is the true tradition of French Country styling. Countertops adorned with farmer’s house sinks, and pot filler faucets adjacent to the stove, are bonus touches that makes a French Country kitchen desirable.

Remember the old world styling of metal candelabras made from forged iron? Iron, brushed oil copper and metal with aged patinas are gorgeous when combined with copper hanging pots above a counter or sink.  Iron scroll imitation candelabras are popular in today’s high end furniture store catalogs.  To create centerpieces for the dining room table – use vintage wine bottles in various sizes and colors, coupled with fresh flowers to mimic the French Country way of entertaining and bringing people together.

FIREPLACES/HEARTHS: Who doesn’t love gathering around a roaring fire, or baking a pizza in an authentic brick oven?  Common in luxury French Country kitchens are fireplaces that can be used for ambiance, or to cook.  Many kitchens copy this styling by adding fume hoods and decorative brick/stone arches throughout the kitchen to give the feeling of the hearth around the space.  Mosaic tiles, and backsplashes behind the stove sometimes takes the same warmth cue – with having fireplace images hand painted on the tiles. Remember French Country, like other décor styles it is about evoking a familiar feeling of the traditional, simpler life and all the amenities that it offers.

Freshome Reader’s, do you remember the Cottage Style décor featured last week? The French Country has similar qualities that make both styles so inviting.  Do you have either of these décor styles in your home?  What’s your favorite way to bring the feeling of relaxed living into your home?

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