Design Features: Myths and Truths About French Style
Each region of France has its own style, like a visiting card of a particular province. These features relate to the characteristic differences in the architecture of buildings, colors and decor. They all help to distinguish one region from another and are elements of cultural identification that are difficult to confuse. We offer you to understand all the intricacies of this style, including white whitewash, antiques, candles and lanterns, a shiny crystal chandelier, linen towels, white lace and silver trays and plates..
Myth 1. Extremes
French style for tourists
French style for the French
If you think that the Palace of Versailles is the standard of the French style, then you are deeply mistaken. This palace became the embodiment of all the wealth that King Louis XIV possessed – it was an era of luxury and outrage that preceded the era of the fall of the French monarchy.
Reality. Restraint and moderation
Classic French style
Moderation is a key design concept in French style, and this applies to both fashion in clothing and fashion in interior design. The carefully thought-out design, aimed at balance in everything, is characterized by sophistication, lightness and grace of details. Even in the children’s room, everything is very restrained: a pastel palette of colors and carefully selected accessories that can be easily changed if the child has grown.
Myth 2. French style is luxury
Dining room interior in modern French style
Of course, there are exceptions in everything, but speaking of the French style, one can note not so much luxury as the value of antique and exquisite things made of expensive natural materials, including stone, linen, silk, marble, polished mahogany furniture, high-quality aged wood.
Reality. Harmony
Calm tones and natural materials
The French perceive surfaces made of precious stones as tasteless and vulgar, while beauty lies, in their opinion, in simplicity and harmony. This does not mean that they completely reject luxury, it just should not declare itself with brilliance and pretentiousness. It does not matter whether it is expensive or not – the main thing is that it is tasteful and has a simple design, is beautiful and practical. The fact is that France cannot boast of such a territory as Australia, and, therefore, the houses in it are not large, so that impractical things are present in the interior. All interior elements must play a role and be functional. We must not forget about the balance. If there is a pendant lamp made of brass in the interior, it should be surrounded by discreet decor.
Living room interior in French style
It is very important to understand what materials should be used. It is necessary to focus on quality and authenticity. The modern French style is based on natural stone, oak, ash, elm, plaster, wool, iron, steel, etc. The most favorite material in the drapery is unbleached starched linen. This is a very beautiful material, as, on the one hand, it is very textured, and on the other, it is soft and natural. Flax wrinkles, it is not perfect, but this is its highlight.
Myth 3. The French live in completely white houses
Mediterranean French style
White fabrics, white furniture, white plaster on the walls. Many, for some reason, tend to believe that the French house – «temple white». We will not deny that white is not the last color in French design, but it is perceived as a representative of a cold palette of colors, so the French successfully combine it with other colors..
Reality. Neutral colors
The color scheme may be different
If we talk about colors, then the French style corresponds to a simple pastel palette, including muted gray, white, beige, light blue, brown, gray-brown, dark green. French-style patterns are indistinct, sophisticated and mostly used in architectural and structural details.
Interior by A&D Vanessa Faivre
The French are not afraid of bright accents, but they don’t use more than two colors for them to maintain balance and harmony. Since the houses are small, the play of colors is often used as a way to visually increase the space: certain zones are highlighted or, conversely, sharp boundaries are masked. The interior in the photo is a vivid example of how the accent is skillfully used in the decor, in this case, the wall-to-wall cabinets.
Bright accents in the interior
To liven up the decor, the French use colors such as bright blue, lime green, hot pink, terracotta, orange, mustard and red, but the priority remains with one or another region of France..
Myth 4. Tradition and order
Nice shabby French interior
The generally accepted concept of luxurious French decor evokes associations with massive pieces of furniture, clear straight lines, strict symmetry, perfect surfaces and complete order in cabinets and shelves. It’s just that most of us have never been home to the average Frenchman. In small French houses, firstly, several generations can live together with several animals. On average, an apartment has an area of 60 m2, so it should be very functional, and furniture, if possible, should be folded or removed.
Nice house for sale in the French province
Houses in France are mostly old, which means that the floors can be worn out, and the plaster on the walls can fall off in places. These flaws, one might think, are the charm. The French consider visiting flea markets a national sport, as a result of which curiosities appear in the interior and decor from time to time..
Reality. Eclecticism
Living room interior in modern french style by padovani maurice
Another feature of the French style is eclecticism. Since French architecture and culture over the entire period of its existence has experienced numerous influences from the cultures of other peoples due to historical circumstances, eclecticism has become an element of identification of French culture. The French boldly combine features of different styles and eras in the interior and decor.
Myth 5. Provincial spirit of Paris
Provincial spirit of Paris
This is not to say that this is categorically not so, because the spirit of the province lives in all of France: in the suburbs, small and large cities. In terms of tradition and geography, France is a very different country, which means that the styles in different parts of the country differ..
The provincial style mainly includes furniture in neutral colors, wood, forged parts, limestone, plastered walls, terracotta or sand floors. This rustic style needs to be clothed with original architectural solutions to make it look chic. The French are trying to give it a modern sound. Perhaps everything looks like a provincial style, but this is mainly done for tourists in hotels and boarding houses.
Reality. The French love country style, but that’s not the rule
Traditional French style by Décoration et provence
The French do not like to follow any rules or clichés, this also applies to interior design. In any style, there is always a place for surprise and wonder to create an energetic and unique atmosphere. Designers use stone, linen, iron, wood in decor, but they do it in a modern, unexpected way, applying today’s trends and avant-garde forms.
It’s not about luxury, it’s about harmony
The interior in the photo is a good confirmation of this. The cleanliness of the dressing table, the trendy washbasin shape, modern mirror and plumbing fixtures, with the high ceilings of an old building, old tiled floors, rustic wooden stairs and linen linens.
Despite all the love for tradition, harmony and moderation, modern architects amaze with their creations. We offer an overview of 24 masterpieces of modern French architecture that everyone should see.
