05/25/2017 Read in 11 minutes.
Sunny Provence, filled with the aromas of herbs and the sea, immortalized in the paintings of Van Gogh and Cezanne, is the birthplace of the interior style of the same name, which is now very popular. The Provence style is most suitable for the kitchen of a country house, but in an apartment you can create a unique atmosphere of the south of France. We will tell you how to do this in our review with a selection of photos from the Group’s portfolio.
Design features in Provence style
The cheerful, warm and light atmosphere of the style is created by its main features.
- Abundance of light and air.
- Natural materials preserving their natural texture.
- Attrition and aging in the design of finishing materials and furniture.
- Active use of textiles.
- Light, pale colors with faded shades.
- Open storage on shelves and racks.
- Rustic and vintage themed decor.
As a result of the renovation, the interior should give the impression not of a converted space, but of a lived-in space that has its own history. A light patina of time can be created artificially by having modern materials at hand. For this, special paints are used that give the desired effect and create imitations of rough surfaces using various techniques.
How a modern kitchen in the Provence style might look like, see the following video collection of current ideas:
How to properly arrange lighting?
For a Provencal-style kitchen, choose lamps with a warm (yellow) glow.
The interior must have a chandelier. Most often - forged, with elements in the form of flowers and leaves or several small fabric lampshades. Simple metal lamps are used less frequently.
You can also use sconces and decorative candlesticks.
Functional spotlights can be installed above the work area.
Color palette
The color scheme of the style is muted, as if faded under the scorching southern sun, mostly cold, with a gray, dirty undertone.
The main share in the overall color scheme is occupied by white, less often milky, pale beige or light gray.
Such a neutral base can be used as a background, further diluting it with dusty shades of lavender, blue, blue, pink, yellow, violet, green, terracotta and olive, characteristic of French country.
We have collected the most interesting and common shades for kitchen design in the Provence style in a separate selection of photos below.
Pistachio and olive
Pistachio and olive colors are often used to decorate kitchen units or walls. It is important to use them in doses, diluting them with neutral white or milky to highlight the beautiful shade in contrast.
Watch a room tour of the kitchen-living room with pistachio furniture:
Violet
Purple and similar shades (violet, lavender) can be used in decoration or design of finishing materials, for example, in small quantities in wallpaper designs.
Sand range
Sand shades are unobtrusive, creating harmony and tranquility. They, in varying degrees of saturation, can create a base and a neutral background, which will later serve as the basis for colored accent elements.
Grey
An ideal neutral base that goes well with other shades characteristic of Provence. This is a good alternative to white or milk if you want to skew towards rigor and elegance rather than romance.
Dirty blue and blue
If the kitchen windows face south and the room is filled with bright sun most of the day, you can use cool shades of blue and blue to balance the light.
Mint
Mint-colored kitchens look beautiful in combination with white or milky colors.
Yellow
Another color that creates unity with nature. Its pale, pastel shades can be used to create a color base for the interior, and its more saturated shades can be used to place accents. Pairs perfectly with other natural shades of Provence - blue, pistachio, olive, brown, gray, cream. Take no more than 3 colors as a basis, otherwise you risk getting a motley interior that is too active in color.
Terracotta
A complex and beautiful terracotta shade can have orange, pink or brick undertones. It is better to combine it with neutral and harmless white, milky, cream or gray. In a Provençal interior, terracotta can be used in decoration or in the design of floor tiles, wallpaper, and aprons. It is not advisable to use this active shade in the design of such large items as a kitchen set. But the buffet or chairs in the dining room will stand out beautifully against the background of a neutral and calm color scheme.
Textiles and accessories
Textiles are another important element of French country music. It is used in the design of windows, upholstery, and accessories. Although there should be a lot of fabric, when selecting them, measure is required.
It is extremely important not to overcrowd the interior so that the room continues to look spacious and open to the sun.
Properly selected textiles will brighten the kitchen
The rustic country effect can be achieved through light ruffled curtains, upholstery or linen covers for chairs and sofas, tablecloths, towels, potholders or a few decorative pillows casually laid out on the kitchen sofa. A cozy checkered blanket on a rocking chair would also be appropriate.
The fabrics selected are simple, natural, mainly cotton and bleached linen with a natural floral or French Vichy checkered print. For tablecloths or napkins, the "buti" technique , popular in 15th century France, is often used. It is easy to distinguish - in the process of fastening the elements of the ornament, the products look slightly convex.
This style will never go out of style
Patterns and prints in decor
Rural and floral motifs, the wine-making theme can be reflected in drawings and ornaments. When working with prints, you should adhere to several rules:
- Don't use patterns that are too large. If it is wallpaper, then it should be with a small, discreet flower.
- Drawings or patterns should be muted, as if faded, like the overall color scheme.
- Don't mix different stories. For example, if a floral theme is chosen, do not mix it with a wine theme.
Traditional decoration and furniture
In Provence, it is not so much the material that is important, but the mark that time has left on it. Dry wood, cracked brickwork, patina - all this creates a unique interior with a very special atmosphere. When finishing, they deliberately create a slight negligence.
Kitchen furniture and household appliances
The ideal set for a kitchen in the Provence style is with framed facades made of solid wood, with patina, light abrasions, bleached or painted in beige, milky or any other shade characteristic of this style. It is better to give preference to facades made of solid wood; a possible budget option is a set of MDF. The old-fashioned appearance of kitchen furniture in this case will only be beneficial. In your kitchen design, avoid plastic, chrome and glossy elements.
If the kitchen is medium or large in size, you can afford additional decorations for the facades in the form of milling, monograms and other decorative elements.
Glass facades and display cabinets are welcome, which can be additionally decorated with curtains.
Furniture for kitchen
This French style is not only extremely cozy, but also very functional. The furniture is selected as simple as possible, with a large number of open shelves or racks with glass doors, where the owners carefully place handmade products. Made in retro style, it is slightly rough, but has elegant shapes.
The right furniture is retro style
There are no strict rules here - high-quality and roomy furniture, painted with light paint or natural texture, is placed freely, at the discretion of the owners - no strict alignment “along the wall”. It is better to use not a serial one, but a custom-made one. It can be:
- open cabinets;
- antique sideboards and bedside tables;
- wooden or forged tables and chairs with comfortable armrests; Rocking chairs are also very popular;
- light 2-3-seater sofas that look like chairs combined with each other, with an abundance of pillows.
Option for a compact kitchen
You can use both a furniture ensemble and assorted furniture - skillfully selected, it may well form a harmonious union. A grandmother’s buffet or a cabinet purchased at a flea market, restored and painted with light colors, would come in handy here. You can also buy modern furniture for the kitchen with an artificially aged facade.
It is better to take a finished tabletop:
- artificial or natural granite;
- marble;
- tiles.
It is advisable to use a stone sink. There is no need for a glass apron here - it is better to decorate it with textured tiles. There should be no gloss or chrome parts, as well as plastic - only bronze or copper fittings and plumbing are allowed.
It is better to take a countertop with artificial or natural granite, marble or tiles
It is important to observe the fragile line between apparent simplicity and crude handicraft. Despite the simplicity of the style, a touch of French elegance should be felt on each of the interior items, be it openwork forged or wooden elements.
Small kitchen in Provence style
Provence is ideal for small kitchen design. A light color scheme will benefit a small space, visually expanding it and filling it with light and air. But, unlike the design of a spacious country house, in a small kitchen the possibilities in choosing finishing and decor options will be limited.
The basic principles are restraint, moderation and simplicity. Avoid lush curtains, complex designs, and open shelves in closets.
Read all about the design of a small kitchen in our separate material ⏩ go.
Distinctive features for an apartment and a private house
There is less space in the apartment, so you need to work on creating an optical illusion effect that will make the space visually larger. This can be achieved with large windows and suspended beam structures on the ceiling in light colors.
You should take care of comfort in a small kitchen. After all, it will be unpleasant to trip over chairs and other furniture characteristic of this direction. Therefore, it is worth following your intuition and using only the basic elements to create the desired atmosphere. And go deeper into saturating the vertical space with glass, wooden cabinets with utensils, this will correspond to the rustic philosophy of the south.
A kitchen in a private home should not be limited in size; the Provence style is characterized by a large, spacious cooking room. In such free space, it will be convenient for the housewife to prepare delicacies and not feel the constraint caused by a closed room.
In such a large room, you can easily place a large round wooden table and surround it with wrought iron chairs for the comfort of the whole family and guests, which is so typical of the hospitable French Mediterranean coast.
Features of design in a country house
The area of kitchens in private, country houses, as a rule, opens up great opportunities in the design of Provence. Here you can afford a large island or U-shaped layout, a real fireplace and a high ceiling decorated with wooden beams.
Kitchen-living room in Provence style
If there is an opportunity to combine a small kitchen with a living room, then you should definitely take advantage of it. A spacious room is better suited for style execution.
Read about the design of a kitchen-living room in Provence style in our separate material ⏩ go.
Different layouts
Women spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so when changing the appearance of the room, comfort and space are taken as the basis for the design. This approach is not entirely correct, since an ergonomically organized space provides more advantages and does not spoil the atmosphere of comfort.
Small room
In a kitchen with limited space, it is worth installing a corner hood with a rotating or linear sealing system with modules up to the ceiling and built-in appliances.
Uneven walls and overhangs can be a barrier to creating a rustic look in a small room, as they can make it difficult to fit furniture.
Studio
The open space offers a wide range of interior design options. Many modern studios have a lot of visual space, but with a harmonious distribution of zones you can create your own corner of France. For example, a dining table or breakfast bar makes a good border between the kitchen and living room.
Since in apartments of this type everything is visible, an orderly state of the work area is required. To do this, order a spacious set that houses not only dishes, but also kitchen utensils, cutting boards, etc. It is advisable to select furniture without protruding handles, this will make it easier to move around the cooking area.
Built-in appliances also save space and visually help to get closer to rustic motifs.
Summer cuisine
A summer kitchen will become a corner of France if the space is not cluttered with furniture.
Grandma's restored sideboard with open shelves is filled with tableware or flower pots, beautiful country-style curtains are placed on the windows, and there is a place on the table for an antique tablecloth with a floral pattern. The walls are painted in light colors, the floor can be finished with wood or stone.
If the summer kitchen is open and represents a small corner equipped for preparing food outdoors, then thanks to plants and fabric accessories you can add a Provencal style. Furniture with forged parts will look organic between greenery and sunlight. It is more advisable to make the flooring from stone, since it will last longer when wet.
Summer kitchen in Provence style.
Corner room
The corner room allows you to successfully place a work triangle thanks to the L-shaped kitchen set. It is better to install all the equipment on one side and leave it for the dining area on the other.
Corner kitchen in Provence style.
