The style originated from French palaces dating to the 1600s. Louis XIV was on a mission to make France the symbol of style and refined taste. By the late 18th century, people all over Europe were seeking this style, including those who lived in the more humble countrysides. They wanted the sophistication of the French goods, but functionality and “every day living” led to a mix of old and new. It’s a focus on every day use of the home and the tradition of family – many of their fancier pieces were handed down from generation to generation.
So, some of the key elements of this style I wanted to bring in were:
- Colors – rich grey and cream tones set the neutral backdrop for the pop of the Provence blues I wanted to bring in.
- Furnishings – the distressed look embodies the hand-me-down feel. Curves and embellishments bring the fancy but the distressing brings the love.
- Patterns and textures – Cottons, linens, animal prints and natural woods throughout the room mix together a unique, layered blend that creates some visual interest. PLUS my husband really likes wood and animal print stuff – I mean, I think he is thinking more along the lines of the massive elk hanging in our living room – but hey, I am compromising!
- Accessories – I wanted to blend the ornate with the rustic – so you will see vintage chippy windows, classic crystal vases, antique jewelry boxes and gilded frames.
Other important elements were my projects – one of which was an awesome Facebook Marketplace furniture transformation with the help of a paint sponsor, .
They supplied the paint, but all opinions are my own - I would not review a product if I didn't love it!
The furniture pieces started humbly enough:
Have a question about this project?
Why not use chalk paint? Then you don't need to sand.
some cheaper type Walmart furniture doesn’t seem to sand well to repaint. But the pieces would be nice to repaint. Your paint mentioned seems like the better of the two paints but will this paint stick at all in a case where sanding doesn’t take well?
how does one go about becoming a paint sponsor?
If a sponsor is interested in working with someone they can reach out to Hometalk or to the writer themselves.
Where did you get the rug and what is the color name and style? Room is beautiful!
Hi Carla! Thank you so much! At the bottom of my post here, http://www.breakingdownthebox.com/orc-week-6-the-french-country-bedroom-reveal/ I link directly to the rug I used (off of Amazon!). It's doing really well so far! Still soft and holding up great to the kids and dogs :)