Features of Provence
Owners of apartments and country houses, tired of the strict luxury of classicism, choose Provence for its warmth and simplicity, not devoid of elegance. This effect is achieved due to several distinctive features:
- Interior design in muted tones, which is especially relevant for small living rooms.
- Abundance of plant ornaments, floral prints.
- The presence of antiques with history.
- Proximity to southern nature, which is reflected in the use of natural materials and flowering houseplants.
Living room color
A hall decorated in the Provence style is a cozy, bright room that gives peace and warmth. Pastel colors are soft: the furnishings in beige shades perfectly support natural motifs thanks to inserts of light green, pistachio and blue. The living room design uses muted colors: Provence in flashy tones deprives the style of its charm.
The basis of the color palette is often white, which goes great with the muted range. White relieves the abundance of patterns and decor well, serving as an ideal background for them. When recreating Provence in a small living room, white is the most appropriate color: the style welcomes an abundance of light and air, and shades of ivory help to achieve this.
The photo shows a cozy living room interior in the Provence style in pink tones with splashes of olive and mint.
In houses in the south, where the sun is constantly visiting, the lavender shade is also popular: its use is one of the ways to make a Provence-style living room a little cooler. In modern interiors, lavender sprigs are the main symbol of the French style: they are depicted on pillows and paintings.
Bright saturated colors borrowed from nature (blue, turquoise, yellow) are added in small strokes and do not disturb the overall picture of serenity.
Textiles
Fabrics play a special role in the living room in the Provence style. No interior with a provincial French bias can be imagined without curtains and pillows: they are what give the atmosphere a cozy feel. Textiles on the windows in the Provence style include curtains with lambrequins, curtains with grabs, and simple Roman blinds.
If the hall is combined with the kitchen or serves as a dining room, then tablecloths decorated with embroidery, napkins, and chair cushions will give a feeling of home warmth.
The photo shows elegant curtains with ruffles and upholstered furniture with a floral pattern.
In the hall in the Provence style, natural fabrics are used everywhere – chintz, linen and cotton. Soft blankets in delicate colors, pillows and bedspreads with natural motifs are popular. But when decorating the interior, it is necessary to maintain a balance and not overload the furnishings: if the sofa upholstery has an active pattern, the pillows should be plain, and vice versa.
Finishing and materials
To decorate a living room in the Provence style, it is worth using natural materials and similar analogues.
Floor. Plank flooring is a good way to convey the warmth and atmosphere of a rural lifestyle. Modern manufacturers have learned to imitate aged wood quite convincingly: this texture adds character to the interior.
Engineered boards, parquet, and their imitation in the form of high-quality laminate look great. If the living room is combined with the kitchen, terracotta tiles will be a practical option for finishing the floor in the cooking area.
Walls. The most suitable wall decoration in Provence is plaster. The more unevenness and dents, the more organic it looks in a French country setting, and the brickwork showing through it adds even more character to the Provencal style.
Another popular finishing method is wallpaper. In order not to overload the living room with floral patterns, one wall is decorated with wallpaper, creating a kind of accent. Rectangular wooden panels, decorative brick or stone are also used for wall cladding: other surfaces can be simply painted.
Ceiling. As a rule, ceilings in the French style are covered with white paint. In country houses, beams are often left open, protecting the wood with stain. In city apartments, decorative beams, which are lightweight, are installed to imitate a country house ceiling.
Doors. Usually, door panels do not stand out from the overall light interior: to recreate the rustic style, they are painted white or cream, sometimes decorated with hand painting, decoupage or hand-aged.
The photo shows a living room with a fireplace in a country house. The walls are decorated with decorative stone and plaster, and the beamed ceiling adds texture to the Provence-style interior.
French country style is a whimsical and harmonious combination of elegance and rustic elements. Therefore, log and plank walls are also appropriate in this style. The only condition is that the wood should be light or artificially bleached.
The photo shows a sky-blue modular corner sofa against the backdrop of log walls.
Living room furniture
Furniture in the living room in the Provence style is simple and elegant at the same time. It is free from unnecessary decorations and strictly performs its functions, but at the same time it can have curved shapes, carved elements, metal and gold inserts.
A sofa with a floral print has become the most recognizable detail of Provence. No other style can boast such an abundance of floral patterns. Upholstery of soft armchairs in traditional stripes and checks is also popular.
A wooden wall in the living room in light colors, despite its massiveness, is distinguished by elegant fittings, carvings and can be lightened with glass doors. But most often, antique sideboards or antique open cabinets are used to store things and dishes.
When creating a living room in a true Provencal style, it is very important to reflect the spirit of the times: the furnishings and decor should reflect the life of several generations.
When choosing tables, armchairs and a chest of drawers, preference is given to natural materials: wood, wickerwork, as well as forged details, ideally with patina and a touch of antiquity. In modern living rooms, furniture is aged on purpose, leaving chips and scuffs – in Provence, items with a rich history are welcome.
It is difficult to imagine a living room in a country house without a fireplace. It not only gives warmth, but is also the central element of the room, personifying the family hearth.
The photo shows a country house with a fireplace built into the wall with open shelves and drawers.
Photo of a living room with a fireplace
A fireplace is a real decoration of a hall in the Provence style, but if there is no country house, you can install a decorative portal or an electric fireplace in the room. There is a place for it even in a small living room: models imitating a rustic style will perfectly support Provence. For greater credibility, the floor next to the fireplace is laid with ceramic tiles.
Lighting
Light in the Provencal interior is an important component, since the living room in this style is filled with air during the day, and in the evening it is immersed in a cozy twilight. Antique curved chandeliers, floor lamps on legs, and wall sconces with elements of artistic forging are all suitable for creating multi-level lighting.
Lamps with lampshades and fringes, creating a subdued light, as well as candlesticks, are also appropriate. You should not use built-in lighting – such a modern approach can ruin the charm of the French country.
The photo shows an original lamp with a round wicker lampshade on a figured leg.
Provence style decor
Decor is something without which it is impossible to imagine a real French country, since it is what gives the feeling of a lived-in space. Paintings, particularly landscapes in oil or watercolor, play a special role in a Provencal living room – they help blur the boundaries between the home environment and nature. Flowers perform the same function – roses in elegant vases, herbs in bouquets or clay pots, and, of course, lavender.
Provence lovers choose elegant bird cages for living room decor, which can serve as flower pots. Porcelain figurines, boxes, decanters made of colored glass, antique clocks and vintage photographs create a special gentle mood. Mirrors are decorated with picturesque carved frames.
Photo in the interior of the apartment
It may seem that Provence is difficult to recreate in a city apartment, for example, a Khrushchev-era building, but this is not so. Even a small room can be filled with a spirit of serenity, comfort and calm if you use antique furniture, floral prints and natural textures in a bright living room.
The photo shows a modern hall with notes of Provence, which is manifested in a characteristic palette and elegant furniture. The bay window is decorated with curtains with a floral pattern that matches the accent wall.
Panoramic windows will not only fill the room with light, but also give a feeling of lightness and spaciousness, which is important in the Provence style. To visually expand the space, light shades should be used for the background. A restrained color scheme will help create the impression of an enveloping cozy atmosphere of the French province.
The photo shows a spacious living room, decorated with accessories “with history”: a variety of furniture, as well as cute trinkets on open shelves.
Ideas in a country house
It is much easier to support the rural theme when decorating a living room in a country house. Wooden floors, plenty of light, beams and a fireplace will help to recreate the Provencal style: all that remains is to add elegant furniture and decorate the room with textiles with an unobtrusive pattern. In addition, it is much easier to find flowers outside the city to create compositions that can liven up the interior. The staircase in the house is usually wooden: with balusters or wrought iron railings.
The photo shows an elegant living room with a fireplace and a TV.
Sometimes the owners of the living room are faced with the question of how to arrange electrical appliances that are difficult to fit into the atmosphere of the provincial style. Designers suggest using built-in appliances, and hanging the TV on the wall, inserting it into a carved frame.
