Discover how to bring authentic French country interior design into your home. Recapture the magic and tranquility of the picturesque French landscape. Relax and enjoy your home…
Have you ever holidayed in the beautiful French countryside…? If so, you will be very familiar with that relaxed, welcoming atmosphere – the slow, baking sunshine, the fields of wheat and lavender, not to mention glorious grape vines … and of course the slow chatter over wonderfully hearty meals of bread and cheese, all washed down with a generous glass of wine.
So, how would you like to be able to recapture this French country style in your own home..?
In many respects, French country interior design brings the outside in – and not just any outside. Recapture the delights of your French country holiday, with reminders of comfortable farmhouses and relaxing country homes.
Of course, the main ingredient in this recipe for French country style has got to be a rustic base. Ideally walls should be rough plastered or panelled with wood. Textured paints or color washes can also help you to get the look.
Use plenty of colors in your French country style home. Choose colors inspired by the picturesque French landscape – yellow is a real traditional favorite, but also include plenty of red, green and blue. Feel free to mix and match the colors too … you are aiming for a really relaxed, country feel. Use these colors on the walls, but in furnishings, cushions, throws, accessories too.
Your furniture too should be aiming for that distressed, rustic feel. Old fashioned style furniture and antiques are always a good buy. French antiques can be very elegant, or quite rustic in feel – go for whichever look you prefer … and it really doesn’t matter if you mix and match these furniture styles at all…
Fine dark woods look fantastic in a French country style scheme, or you can whitewash woods, for a unified and fresh feel.
Choosing your accessories is the ideal way to really get those authentic French style finishing touches…
Ceramics and pottery are very French, so try to include a small collection, particularly if you are making over a kitchen in the French country style.
Also look out for accessories featuring farm animals, especially roosters, which is the mascot for France. Roosters are a very common theme in French homes.
Signs and posters with French words are a very easy way to get the subtle French feel you desire.
Fine French laces and linens will also lend an air of elegance, luxury and authenticity to your French country scene.
For the perfect finishing touch, a vase filled with typical French country flowers is an ideal way to really bring the outside in … lavender, sunflowers or gorgeous romantic roses are all wonderful options that will fill your room with fragrance.
All you need now, is that hearty meal of delicious French fare, and you can relax and all enjoy all your efforts with a lovely glass of wine…
Bon Appetit!
By: Charlotte Sneddon
French Country Interior Design – Recapture the Tranquility of the Landscape
by adminTropical Interior Design Tips
by admin
Creating at tropical interior design will help you to escape some of the stresses of the day. At work, many people will use posters in a tropical theme to help them create that image of vacations. Others will place a tank of fish by their desk so that they can think about the sun and sand. This look is one that draws relaxation because it reminds people of where they like to be: in the tropics.
Getting The Process Started
There are several things to consider when it comes into play when it comes to this type of relaxing environment. You will want a simple look. You also want the right mix of colors that will provide revitalization for the soul. With warm breezes blowing and the feel of sand between your toes, you really can create that relaxing environment. Yet, there is more to this design than just these factors.
One of the key elements to a tropical interior design is that it will provide you with a warm feeling. Warmth and light go hand in hand here. You need more than fluorescent work lamps to pull this off, though. What you need is a type of natural like that creates the mood for you. In the evening, the light needs to change to be more firelight in tone. In the tropics, torches and bon fires are common and help create that unique feel, along with the warm breeze and the later cool breeze that comes on shore. To create this type of look, start with adding big, beautiful windows that are well insulated and then regulate the temperature.
Material Uses
Bamboo is a type of product that will work subtly in any space to create the unique tropical look. You can use it in several ways such as for bamboo floor mats, bamboo wall coverings or even place it on the ceiling for texture and elegance. This will create a unique feeling of tropical interior design. You can take this look even further by adding in real tropic feeling palm trees to the mix. With the palm tree leaves overhead, you will create a feeling of being in Jamaica.
When you use these basics, you can really create a unique look in the interior design of your home. Do spend time looking for the highest quality in terms of natural substances. You want to incorporate these basics to pull off the look of the home. Without them, tropical interior design is not as pleasing as it could be.
By: Adam Peters
Interior Design – Design Your Own Bathroom
by admin
There is a relatively new trend in bathroom design and that is creating the home spa. Sure, the spa feeling includes glamorous vanities, exclusive light fixtures, luxurious bathroom accessories and much more. It sounds expensive, doesn’t it? Well, this is not necessarily true. If you look at interior decorating magazines you wonder how professionals get such amazing vanities and bathroom suites. That’s not so hard. Creating a luxurious bathroom is, as a matter of fact, an affordable task and having a luxurious bathroom is no longer the exclusive privilege of a millionaire or Hollywood celebrity.
Probably the first step in redecorating your bathroom would be the acquisition of a new bathroom suite. There are so many models to choose from and so many are really affordable. You can opt for a contemporary look infused with an antique touch to create a romantic feeling, or you can even choose deep-set baths that will enhance that modern look you are trying to create. Mixing styles is a modern trend: don’t be afraid to experience it. You’ll get a bathroom design out of its time, one that cannot go out fashion, because it’s distinctive and inimitable. Inimitable doesn’t mean expensive: just give ebay a try. There you’ll find bathtubs and bathroom suites for any budget. Besides, manufacturers all over the world compete to create more appealing products, using innovative materials, including acrylic, mineral crystal composites (such as the Quarrycast developed by the UK manufacturer Victoria & Albert), cast iron and much more.
You can even get that wellness spa feeling with a whirlpool bath, a steam shower or a massage shower cabin. No matter if your bathroom is small or big, there are always ways to transform it into a real home spa. Be creative and you’ll see: you have endless possibilities.
What else is on your wish list? Vanities? They need to match the style of your bathroom suite. If that’s white, you’ll not have many problems choosing the colors. Vanities come in different styles as well. However, you need to make sure what you purchase is protected against warping in moist conditions.
Mirrors are magic: just think how they can reflect the light of your aromatherapy candles while you enjoy a bubble bath. Contemporary bathrooms have large frameless mirrors mounted on the walls or on the ceiling, endorsed by accent lighting that delivers the genuine impression of an ultra-modern home spa.
To complete this feeling you’ll need a few additional accessories, such as fashionable heated towel rails (on sale during the summer), modern or traditional taps with special designs, maybe some plants, candles or special lamps, eventually a bathroom TV or a bathroom radio-CD-MP3-player. It’s really modern to have in a bathroom an LCD bathroom TV with heated screen (that allows condensation-free viewing) and inbuilt water resistant speakers. But, if you cannot afford it, a bathroom radio-CD-MP3-player will create a pleasant mood too.
One last tip: to complete the luxury feeling, use floor-warming systems. No more chills on a cold winter day.
By: Michael Russell
