
If you want to bring a piece of romance into your home, decorate your kitchen in the style of Provence. Simplicity and elegance in it are side by side with functionality and extraordinary convenience.
Content:
Style features
In the 17th century, representatives of French Bohemia, intellectuals and industrialists more and more often began to move away from the strict and prudish classics and equip country dwellings with maximum comfort. A new, more ergonomic and especially cozy style, called Provence, gradually spread throughout Europe.
Since he was born in the south of France, This style was also called the French Cantreand. The peak of its popularity falls on the middle of the XIX century - during these years the representatives of the majority of European nobility became its adherents.
The combination of aged elements of rustic life with French elegance gives an amazing effect. At first glance, this style seems unusually simple and unpretentious. Just looking at the details, you can see the painstaking work of the designer. There are no screaming elements here - all objects are in perfect harmony with each other, creating a special atmosphere of silence and tranquility.
Let us briefly list the main features of the style:
- pastel shades with small bright accents: due to the abundance of the sun reigning almost all year round in the south of France, most of the objects look a little burnt out;
- simple furniture with built-in niches and open shelves;
- wooden, wrought-iron or wicker chairs with woven upholstery, square or round table;
- unpainted or whitened ceiling beams;
- natural fabrics: linen, printed cotton with floral motifs, striped or checkered;
- accessories in the form of antiquities or artificially aged objects;
- Handmade items: carving, weaving, painted, wicker, glazed or earthenware, embroidered napkins and tablecloths, bundles of herbs;
- the floors are wooden or ceramic, baked clay tiles;
- Natural flowers;
- plenty of light: high windows and doors and a sufficient amount of artificial lighting.
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Color spectrum
This style is equally well suited for the design of both small kitchens in apartments and spacious rooms of country houses. As he suggests use of light tonesWith it you can visually expand the room.
Light fabrics and paint on the walls and of furniture They look a little old and burned out in the sun.
In the colors prevail:
- saffron (yellow-orange);
- bluish-lilac (lavender) or turquoise;
- mustard;
- olive;
- sweet lemon;
- calm beige or ivory shade.
Red, green and brown are used to a minimum, only as bright color accents in textiles or accessories.
Drawing on the fabric is in the form:
- bouquets of lavender or poppies;
- small roses;
- olive branches;
- spikelets of wheat;
- sunflowers;
- field plants.
The most popular print is floral with small and large elegant roses or wildflowers. The cage is used mainly red-white or white-blue. Country style strip is thin, not too bright.
return to menu ↑Furniture for kitchen
This French style is not only unusually cozy, but also very functional. Furniture is selected as simple as possible, with a large number of open shelves or shelves with glass doors, where the owners carefully place the handmade products. Made in retro style, it is slightly rude, but has elegant forms.
There are no strict rules here - good-quality and capacious furniture, painted with light paint or natural texture, is arranged freely, at the discretion of the owners - no strict alignment “along the wall”. It is better to use not serial, but custom-made. It can be:
It is possible to use both a furniture ensemble and furniture of various colors - skillfully selected, it may well make a harmonious union. It would be most welcome here to be the grandmother's buffet refurbished and painted with light colors, or a cupboard purchased at the flea market. You can buy for the kitchen and modern furniture with an artificially aged facade.
Tabletop is better to take trimmed:
- artificial or natural granite;
- marble;
- tiles.
Sink is desirable to use stone. Glass apron there is no need - it is better to finish it with textured tiles. There should be no gloss or chrome-plated parts, as well as plastic. Only fittings and plumbing are allowed only bronze or copper.
Wall decoration
In the design of the walls dominate only natural materials:
- a tree with an inconspicuous carving or a little visible gilding;
- a rock;
- pottery with unobtrusive painting;
- brick;
- deliberately rough matte plaster.
Even small defects are welcome. Easy negligence and the complete lack of gloss make the room especially cozy and homely.
When using wallpaper materials are selected with:
- small floral ornament;
- monograms;
- small stripe;
- a cage.
Wall decoration can be combined by laying out a part of the surface with tiles or materials that imitate a stone or brick, and part of it can be plastered or decorated with light wallpaper.
Floors
The floor in the kitchen, made in the style of Provence, mostly wooden. If parquet is used, it should not be glossy and have a glossy finish.Only a light wooden board, slightly aged, with a pronounced texture. Linoleum or too dark laminate here will be out of place.
Use for finishing sex You can also mosaic or stone. Ceramic tile usual square, rectangular or in the form of hexagons.
Ceilings
Ideally, they should be trimmed with wooden or imitating natural wood beams (if, of course, the height of the ceilings allows it) or at least with textured plaster. But such a finish is more suitable for country houses or cottages. In the apartment are valid stretch ceilinghowever, they should be without gloss.
The use of multi-level ceilings without too elaborate elements will also not be too big a mistake - after all, a complete reconstruction of the style is not needed here, only its imitation. When they are painted, the color scheme is chosen in slightly “faded in the sun” shades. A small edging of stucco will give the room a little pomp.
Appliances
Naturally, it is impossible to do without modern technology even in a rustic-style kitchen. But still it should not stand out from the general concept. It is better to hide the refrigerator, the washing machine and the microwave behind the decorative facades.
On sale there are also household appliances, made in the style of country, with a matte surface and a minimum of metal elements. Such devices are painted in bright matte colors: beige, ivory. Handles and switches are made to match the color of aged bronze or forged metal.
return to menu ↑Textiles and accessories
Textiles are another important element of French country music. It is used in the design windows, upholstery, and accessories. Although there should be a lot of fabric, a measure is required for their selection.
The effect of rustic country can be achieved through light curtains with ruffles, upholstery or linen covers of chairs and sofas, tablecloths, towels, tacks or several decorative pillows, casually laid out on the kitchen couch. A cozy checkerboard on a rocking chair will be appropriate.
Fabrics are selected simple, natural, mainly from cotton and bleached flax with a natural floral or French checkered print "Vichy". For tablecloths or napkins often used equipment "buti"popular in France 15th century. It is easy to distinguish it - in the process of fastening elements of the ornament, the items look slightly convex.
return to menu ↑Accessories
Details are given the closest attention. Cookware and utensils in this kitchen are not hidden in the cabinets, but are placed in plain sight. To give the room coziness and create a relaxed atmosphere on the shelves are placed vases, inherited from the grandmothers or acquired at flea markets, from antique dealers.
It is great if the house has simple utensils typical of rural life:
- jugs;
- Krynki;
- pots;
- jars with fragrant spices;
- clay or decorated with a thin glaze vase.
In one of the niches you can put a wicker basket with fruit or fragrant bread.
To decorate shelves can be lace or bleached linen napkins, porcelain figurines and wrought candlesticks. Aged photos, paintings with rural landscapes are used as wall decor. On light surfaces, they will stand out perfectly. The same tree is used as frames.
The plants look very harmonious in such a kitchen:
- roses;
- tulips in vases;
- dry lavender bouquets;
- bundles of herbs.
Not bad fit into it:
- fancy begonias;
- cyclamens;
- fuchsia;
- ficuses
Curly bells that resemble field plants can be placed in hanging pots on the walls.
return to menu ↑Lighting
Lighting devices must perform not only a functional, but also a decorative function.
- a rock;
- artificially aged tree;
- ceramics;
- porcelain;
- forged metal;
- brass;
- silver;
- nickel;
- bronze or their imitation.
All products should have smooth curved shapes, without coarse transitions and corners.
Light textiles with lace trim can be used not only to finish wall lights, but also chandeliers. Naturally, the selected fabric colors should overlap with the rest of the interior.
In the kitchen, you can use small spotlights, not too conspicuous. After all, the abundance of light is another characteristic sign of Provence. To create an atmosphere of softness and home comfort, beige or yellow light is used. Lamps of too much power should not be - a harsh light is useless here. It is better to use a few small ones.
If you want to see firsthand how the kitchen is designed in the style of Provence, watch this video. Here are the best ideas for finishing both small and spacious rooms:
Provence Design
Cozy kitchen
thanks for the photo
Provence style kitchens can you buy here?