Romance of Provence: French-style apartment interior

Provence is an unearthly beauty corner of France, where the sun always shines brightly, the surface of the warm Mediterranean Sea caresses the eye, and tiny villages hidden in the thickets of grapevines smell fragrant with lavender aromas. The interiors in the Provence style are just as delicate, not pretentious, provincial, with an elegantly refined dusting of antiquity.

It is rightly said: being determines consciousness. The style of Provence originates from the existence of a French village of the 17th century - this is the same country, but with an imitation of the southeast of France. He inherited his name from the name of the region of the country of the same name. Unlike the English country traditions, it respectfully and carefully preserves national and ethnic characteristics.

This style began to emerge from the depths of rural measured life, full of work, inextricably linked with the amazing nature of this region. Provincial residents, respecting themselves, tried to create an environment in their homes for a good rest after hard workdays: comfortable, conducive to creative inspiration, practical, without frills and rich details in the interior, but with a hint of grace and delicate taste.

At this time, the financial situation of the petty bourgeoisie and the intelligentsia improved, and whole families of doctors, teachers, lawyers and industrialists wanted to have ancestral estates in the provinces. With special comfort and grace, they began to equip their rural estates, taking care of the maximum home comfort and an atmosphere that is fully conducive to relaxation.

In the 19th century, this style gained well-deserved popularity throughout Europe, and the craving for lightness and harmony with nature embraced all spheres of life in France at that time. The Cote d'Azur (the so-called French Riviera) was rightfully considered their muse by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, Cezanne and Honore de Balzac, Van Gogh and Marc Chagall. To this day, the creative elite is drawn to these places, and the Provence style breaks records in relevance and popularity.

French country is a tandem of rustic simplicity and noble sophistication, the features of which:

• Simplicity and naturalness of life; the pomp and pretentiousness of the baroque or too modern tendencies of modernity are unacceptable for the style. The special charm of Provence is in its simplicity, closeness to nature, some archaism and a long-formed way of life. The interior in this spirit is able to transfer us to romantic France, where the legendary heroes of A. Dumas lived, made friends, fought and fell in love.

• Delicate pastel shades prevail: white, beige, milky, ocher, light yellow, lavender, olive. All the paints seemed to have faded in the sun and slightly yellowed with age.
• Use in the design of natural materials and fabrics: wood, stone, metal, porcelain, ceramics, linen and cotton. Furniture and accessories are slightly worn, with an antiqued effect.
• A room in the spirit of the French Mediterranean is always filled with light and sun.
• The decor in Provencal style is a handmade soulful entourage, family little things dear to the heart, funny little things miraculously found at a flea market, and memorable trinkets brought from travels. It is not customary to hide dishes and other utensils in a chest of drawers; they are put on open shelves as expensive souvenirs.

• The interior has a feeling of warmth and home comfort.
• An indispensable attribute of Provence is a fireplace or its skillful imitation.
• Abundance of textiles - it is one of the main decorative materials. The ornament is dominated by floral motifs, geometric lines in the form of stripes and cells. The fabrics are designed to reflect the national flavor of the French province.

To embody the traditional Provencal interior, as already mentioned, mainly natural fabrics and natural materials with a touch of antiquity are used.

For the style of the French village, wall cladding with plaster, predominantly white, is most suitable. It is great if it is textured, with slight scuffs and irregularities. To create the effect of a natural provincial coating, you can resort to decorative plaster.

Another good option for wall cladding is the upholstery with wooden consoles. A muted pastel palette or a natural shade is suitable for them. It is not recommended to upholster all the walls in the room with an array, and even more so in the entire apartment, a tandem of panels and plaster will be preferable.

Wallpapers in this direction are rare "guests", although they can also be used in decoration, but not in a monochromatic range. In Provence, there is always a place for floristic ornament, a tastefully selected pattern of interweaving of olive branches or inflorescences of delicate lavender on wall coverings will come in handy.

A floor covering within a single room can be a mix of several materials. Often this technique is used for studio apartments or multi-room apartments, where the living room is combined with the kitchen. Preference, as already found out, is given to wooden boards and tiles. Therefore, we exclude laminate, linoleum, carpeting, parquet and other artificial materials. Instead, we use a solid wood board, and if the budget is limited, you can get by with a castle parquet board, but a single-strip option is preferable.

The color scheme is welcome to be light, the floor of beige and coffee will organically fit into the interior of the Provencal apartment. The effect of wear and a slight touch of antiquity will not interfere with the floor materials at all. Unpainted wood is often used for flooring. The natural shade adds warmth and comfort to the interior.

Provence is alien to artificial and modern technological materials. This prevents the creation of a real design in this style. Therefore, stretch ceilings are completely unsuitable for decorating the ceiling space in this direction, it is difficult to imagine a glossy smooth surface in a house where antiques are kept and family traditions are preserved. For the same reason, it is worth abandoning the use of complex plasterboard structures.

Decorative ceiling beams will help to emphasize the spirit of a French wooden house. Natural wood or high-quality imitation is used as a material for them. The color of the beams varies from a dark contrasting shade to a shade bleached in the color of the ceiling.

The hallmark of Provence is furniture that combines useful functionality and elegance. It is she who sets the mood and flavor. Traditionally, only natural materials were used for its manufacture: solid wood, rattan, reed. Chests of drawers and sideboards with legs, chairs with carved elements are classic French country interior items. Such furniture was simple and often antique, with a characteristic touch of antiquity.

Nowadays, both real antiques and artificially aged products from MDF consoles with characteristic cracks, chips, scuffs can be used in the Provencal interior.Vintage style is not the only requirement, the furniture must first of all be solid and strong.

Not alien to projects in the spirit of Provence and forged elements. The use of decorative forging products can revive the room, make it elegant and attractive, because the pattern of metal rods looks stylish and dynamic.

Textiles made from natural linen, cotton, chintz, wool will help to emphasize the atmosphere of the French province. Floral and plant patterns of fabrics reflect all the splendor of the surrounding nature. The blossoming buds of roses and rose hips, lavender inflorescences, bouquets of small wildflowers resemble a real marvelous garden, as if moved into a room.

Floristic motives are often enlivened by butterflies and birds - symbols of love and prosperity. Floral arrangements, lace and ruffles are everywhere - on pillows, bedspreads, napkins and handmade tablecloths.

Curtains deserve special attention in Provence textiles. The ideal curtains in the spirit of the French countryside are airy fabrics and translucent curtains in a palette of delicate light watercolors. Heavy curtains of dark colors and complex draperies are not relevant here. The assembly of the upper part and interceptions on the sides will be quite appropriate, long curtains on the floor are decorated with a wide edging and a soft lambrequin. Stuffing can be varied: floral motifs, delicate checks or stripes, but plain fabrics are considered a win-win option.

Do-it-yourself decor items will look great: lovingly embroidered pillows, decorated with tassels seat seats for chairs, kitchen potholders. But here it is better not to overdo it and stick to the general style of the interior.

For bed linen, ruffles and embroidery are often used.

The color palette of textiles conveys all shades of a blooming meadow - lavender, pink, olive and lime green, ocher and yellow, light blue.

Designers advise to remember some points when decorating a room in a Provencal spirit.

• Provence is a multi-layered style replete with different details. You shouldn't structure it, try to give it order. A traditional setting in the spirit of the French countryside is never perfect right out of the box. To create a real Provencal atmosphere, sometimes a little trifle is not enough: a wicker basket with knitting, from which a ball rolled out, or a faded tie-up ribbon on the curtain.

• Green plants add a special flavor to the interior. If the windowsill permits, you can plant fragrant herbs, such as basil or rosemary, in narrow wooden boxes. Fresh greens will not only decorate the space and delight with pleasant aromas, but also come in handy in the preparation of delicious European dishes. Herbs and fruits will look spectacular in the interior even when dried, bringing in a special spirit of antiquity.

Spring potted bulbous flowers work well for this style too. Decorating the room with fresh hyacinths and tulips is a very good solution.

• Minimalism and restraint in details never accompany a Provencal interior. There is no need to be afraid of accessories here, sometimes it is they who set the right rhythm. A vintage tea box made using decoupage technique, an antique copper coffee pot bought at a flea market - any item carefully and tastefully selected can become an important finishing touch of an interior composition.

Provence does not tend to hide household items. Ceramic dishes painted with bright rustic motifs, multi-colored spice jars, bottles of oils, lovingly placed on open wooden shelves, are considered integral attributes of the French style.

Provence is perfect both for the setting of a large country house and for the interior of a standard two-room apartment. Even the owner of a modest living space can afford renovations in the spirit of old France. In this direction, it is possible to arrange a separate room, if the atmosphere of the Mediterranean is close to its owner.

To embody the Provencal spirit in the bedroom of a young girl or child, you can choose light beige finishing materials and simple laconic ivory furniture. And to emphasize the Provencal spirit with an abundance of soft pink textiles.

Flying translucent curtains, girly bows on the bedspread, touching cushions in the shape of bears, delicate tassels that tie the bench seat, traditional floral motifs in the decor - something that any woman will appreciate.

For information on how to decorate the interior of an apartment in the French style, see the next video.