Living room in Provence style: tenderness in the interior

Provence style living room: tenderness in the interior

The province of Provence is located in the south of France, from where this remarkable direction of interior design originates. This is a wonderful style that contributes to a comfortable rest in your home and combines rural romance with modern trends.

Style features

The original French Provence style appeared relatively recently. It got its name from the province of the same name, which lies in the southern part of France. This region with a unique microclimate has been praised by many famous artists.

The local landscapes all year round are filled with bright colors that will bring an atmosphere of comfort and warmth to any living room. This style is universal, suitable for any room, regardless of its size and shape.

Provence in the interior of the housing creates a unique image of a European village, enchanting with the irregularities of the plastered walls, the rubbing of furniture and warm colors in the setting. Most often, the Provencal style is resorted to in the design of bedrooms and living rooms.

Modern Provencal style carries the spirit of serene out-of-town life. Each person entering the hall will have the impression that he was transported to a cozy farmhouse on the Mediterranean coast.

In general terms, it is possible to characterize such an interior as filled with air with a noticeable shade of antiquity. This direction involves the use of natural materials, a measured lifestyle in harmony with nature. Business card style Provence - olive trees, lavender and sunflowers.

At registration of the hall it is worth considering the main features which are inherent in this style:

a fireplace is welcome;
wooden furniture;
decor and decoration of the living room exclusively from natural materials;
simplicity of the environment;
neutral shades of colors.

There is a special requirement for natural materials, because they make it possible to emphasize the peculiarities of style. It can be natural stones, brick, wood or iron.

Feature of the living room in the Provence decor is the presence of high large windowscurtained with light colored curtains or simple linens.In order to convey simplicity and color in the interior, paintings with old frames are hung on the walls, and the walls themselves can be covered with wallpaper with large colors.

Colors and prints

Located on the Mediterranean coast, Provence Province is sunlit throughout summer. In the interior design, the same colors are used that can be found walking through the local gardens and fields - muffled tones, paints, as if burned out in the sun, natural wood and stone tiles in the decoration.

The basic rule that should be considered in order to arrange such a room is to use pastel shades. This effect is easy to achieve if a drop of white paint is added to the saturated pigment.

This style direction will appeal to lovers of bright colors. But pure white in this case is replaced with the color of cream or baked milk. Color accents should not be too pronounced, it is better to choose smooth transitionsFor example, from beige to olive or from turquoise to wenge.

The leading colors in many interiors are ocher and terracotta. But it is wrong to assume that Provence is devoid of bright colors,there is a place for green, blue. To create color accents often use aged wood, darkened ceiling beams.

Also recommended the use of the following shades:

Pale yellow and orangeassociated with citrus fruits.
Light pinklike petals of flowers.
Blue and cyansoaked up the freshness of the sea breeze.
Purplereminiscent of lavender plantations.

To create a believable image, not only the visual line should be present, but also a sense of the smell of sunny fields, lavender, and the scent of flowers. Only then will the interior be complete.

Wall, floor and ceiling decoration

A small living room in Provence style does not require expensive repairs. The French initially used only plaster and pigment coating for interior decoration, which quickly burned out in the sun.

To create a vintage effect, you can use decorative plaster, the embossed texture of which will hide the irregularities of the walls. Designers advised to apply the effect of aging to the obtained wall covering.. In some places, stone or brickwork may be visible.

The classic option is to finish the walls with boards that are fixed vertically up to the ceiling. They are covered with pigment in muted tones. The original effect allows you to achieve a bright toning lacquer, through which will look through the pattern of wood.

Wall panels in the color of plaster, which cover the lower part of the wall to a height of about one meter, will help add an interior mood.

Window frames should be combined with the surroundings. They are painted white or in the same shade as the ceiling beams.

In the Provencal style a lot of attention is paid to the windows. They should be large enough for the room to be lit by sunlight.. Ordinary metal-plastic constructions can be dissonant with the interior, therefore it is better to put imitating the natural texture of the wood frame.

For the ceiling, in addition to the traditional white paint coating, boards and lining are used. They are necessarily covered with paint, most often a creamy shade.

To turn an ordinary apartment into a country cottage, you can place decorative beams.. They should be effectively aged, as if darkened by time.To make the interior more light and cheerful, beams are painted to match the ceiling.

Houses in the French provinces were built of stone, the walls were often covered with ocher, which under the scorching sun took on a reddish tint. As cold winds walk on the seashore in winter, the builders built up patios paved with cobble or tile.

On the floor in the living room you can put terracotta tiles or porcelain tiles with a matte surface. If terracotta tiles are used, then products with chips are suitable for the full effect.

Wooden parquet put "deck", which is a classic in the design of the floor, or use laminate with the natural texture of the tree. You can choose a light flooring, cover the wood with light varnish or pastel paint.

To bring a more solemn atmosphere, you can put a floorboard, covered with wood stain under the bog oak.

We select furniture

To emphasize the Provencal style in the interior, it is necessary first of all to pay attention to the furniture that plays the role of decor in the living room. For this purpose, suitable old chairs with carved legs and shabby coating, dressers,night tables, sideboards with paint peeling off from time to time, as well as antique chandeliers and even wrought pre-revolutionary beds. If desired, you can add a very presentable look to them and emphasize the provincial finish.

The bright colors of the furniture and the rubbing, which indicates a “respectable age”, will be just the right thing to arrange the living room. If the antique furniture is missing from you, do not despair, because in furniture stores you can always find models "antique". The surface of such furniture is processed by the method of artificial aging, thereby creating a shabby vintage look.

A great addition to the furniture in the living room will be vintage photo albums, frames framing landscapes and mirrors. Old chests, baskets and wicker furniture harmoniously fit into the Provence style.

Many people use the living room and as a dining room, where they meet guests, arrange gatherings over a cup of tea.

A large round table with an embroidered or checkered tablecloth will occupy one of the central places in the room. Chairs can even be metal, but made antique.In this case, they are covered with paint and then washed in separate areas. On the seat lay decorative pillows with strings.

The coffee table should also fit the overall idea. A simple wooden one will be more suitable, since glass is unlikely to correspond to the chosen theme. Wood can be tinted and covered with a patina. This furniture can be used as a TV stand.

Small sofas are more associated with a village house than spacious furniture corners. You need to choose the classic model of upholstered furniture with high seating and armrests.

Cover for the sofa - white or decorated with floral print. Allowed models with carved legs and the effect of aging. Next you can put a couple of seats, which may differ slightly in shape or color. But you should stick to all the same muted shades.

In addition to the classic upholstered furniture should also consider the characteristic options for the southern countries. First of all, these are sofas with a painted metal or forged frame, on top of which a mattress and pillows are placed.

Also a special color will bring a wicker back into the interiorresembling three stools joined together.

Elements of decor

It so happened that the provincial interior is characterized by an abundance of sunlight. This is due to the fact that when they still knew nothing about electricity, the houses in Provence were bright and cozy. This is only possible due to the presence of large windows and doors in the house, which allow sufficient sunlight to pass through.

Modern building technologies allow to increase the window and door openings, so that the daylight in the house will be quite a lot for natural daylight.

In the evening, as well as at night, lighting will be provided by lighting devices. For these purposes, great suitable forged chandeliers, various sconces, lampshades, wall and floor lamps, made in the old style.

The more colors there will be on the chandeliers and lampshades, the brighter they will convey the Provencal flavor. And the color of the lampshades should convey a soft pastel light, which will contribute to a relaxed, relaxed atmosphere.

The form of wall lamps can be made in the form of intricate monograms and candelabra.

It is impossible to imagine Provencal style without a fireplace, which is given a special place in the interior. In addition, the fireplace is the place where the family gathers on cold winter evenings, he gives his masters a warm and unforgettable atmosphere, you can relax around him after a hard day.

As a rule, the fireplace is located on a massive portal. A special shelf is fastened over the fireplace, which can be decorated with various vases, candlesticks, portraits with photographs, statuettes and other things that warmer the soul and knickknacks. Fireplaces look especially elegant if the treatment is carried out with natural stone, heat-resistant refractory brick or marble.

A little trick: if the brickwork of the fireplace is trimmed with coarse whitewash and forged metal elements, then this will give it Provencal simplicity. A well-known design solution is to place logs by the fireplace in a special metal tank on one side, and racks for poker and blades on the other.

To emphasize the style of Provence in the interior and give the room a special touch, you need to think about textiles. Fabrics with which the decoration of the room is saturated can be made of coarse cotton, flax, chintz and satin. Curtains, pillows for chairs and sofas, capes and chair covers, napkins and tablecloths are made of them.

The colors of the fabrics should be light, large flowers and various patterns abound on them., without which the style of Provence is impossible to imagine. When making the ceiling and walls, if you do not use wallpaper, it is recommended to apply paint in white, light turquoise, beige, lilac, terracotta and light gray colors. The presence of stucco and decorative panels is welcome.

The walls of the living room should be in large quantities decorated with painted plates and saucers.. Large wall clocks, masks and various wooden, porcelain and ceramic figurines fit perfectly into the Provencal interior.

The constant attribute of the situation will be fresh flowers, which should always be present in the house and enjoy the fresh aromas and beauty. They can be placed anywhere: on the table, on the shelves, chest of drawers, coasters, as well as on window sills.

Lace, embroidery, floral patterns are all traits inherent in rustic style, or country. In the living room should certainly be cute little things, stylized by hand.. But the fabric should not be too bright, more suitable muted colors.

It is important that the upholstery of the sofas is combined with lampshades, curtains, bedspreads. You can choose a specific print, for example, embroidery with roses, and use it only.

Curtains should be light and light. Will look great linen cloth with lambrequin. You can attach shutters that will perform a decorative function. They may be made of aged or painted wood, but should stand out against the walls.

In the daytime it is better to use translucent curtains, which will be good to let in light. A striking element will be grabs for curtains, decorated with bows or embroidery. In the living room it is necessary to take care of the presence of a carpet with a traditional oriental ornament. Striped rugs will also suit you, which make a strong association with a village house.