Provence style decor +75 photo do-it-yourself decorating ideas

Light flowing fabrics, delicate floral patterns, exquisite vintage patina - Provencal motifs in the interior will not leave indifferent any guest at home. Each craftswoman who likes simple but sophisticated echoes of country music can make an original decor in Provence style. Products decorated using decoupage technique, artificially aged furniture, hand-painted kitchen utensils and soft tilde toys will help to create a unique atmosphere of French comfort in the room.

History of Provence style

The Provencal Current originates in the eponymous southeastern French province in the XV-XVII centuries.

The specific features of climate and nature, the life and mentality of local residents, and the development of the economy made this style recognizable far beyond the borders of the historic homeland.

The abundance of sunlight contributed to the rapid fading of bright colors, which is why soft and subtle pastel shades are so popular in Provence style. The development of pottery craft also contributed to the general canons of decoration design. Floral patterns, among which rose occupied a special place, gradually became an adornment of not only ceramics, but also other household items.

Roughly plastered walls of houses of Provencal villages have a special charm and serve as an excellent backdrop for authentic decorative elements. Provincial simplicity and the absence of pompous luster made the French variety of country widespread not only in country houses, but also in urban apartments of modern cities.

Features of registration of the room in Provence style

The interior based on the French country is recognizable thanks to the peculiar distinctive features:

1. Wooden or forged furniture is devoid of abundance of parts. Vintage appearance of the headset can be emphasized with your own hands, additionally processing the surface;
2. Pastel colors and the dominance of light shades visually make the room more spacious. Large and uncluttered premises are also the “calling card” of a rustic style;
3. Visible brick or masonry bear a special aura, dipping the owners and guests of the property into the light and relaxed atmosphere of the picturesque village on the Cote d'Azur;
4. When decorating a home, emphasis should be placed on antique items: china, landscape paintings, vintage furniture. Linen furniture covers, home-woven carpets, light floral-patterned curtains and other textiles are also key elements of the authentic French current.

Provence decor

Most of the decorative elements for Provencal brownie interior can be made by hand. Master classes by experienced needlewomen allow you to learn how to make unusual decorations step by step, which will organically fit into the decoration of a small kitchenette and a spacious living room.

Textiles play a special role in the Provence style. Light translucent curtains of batiste, satin and cotton, openwork napkins, decorative pillows, decorated with embroidery, fabric accessories for the kitchen help to recreate the authentic style of ordinary people in the sunny French countryside.

Products made of porcelain and earthenware, painted in the spirit of classic Provencal patterns, also serve as an excellent way to diversify and decorate a simple laconic design. Stop your choice on elegant figurines, sets with floral ornaments and ceramic flowerpots. In addition to the abundance of roses will be appropriate and the image of cute cockerels, who are considered the patrons of the French province.

Window decoration in country style

Windows and their appearance play a special role in the rooms, the decoration of which is created in the style of Provence. The room, stylized in the spirit of French country, needs an abundance of light, so you should opt for light tulle and translucent curtains. Unobtrusive floral patterns should decorate the curtains. Particularly advantageous will be the option of the interior in which the print of textiles is repeated with a pattern on the wallpaper.

You can decorate your own curtains with elegant laces and ribbons. Lace frill can be decorated bottom of the curtains.

The flowers placed in authentic pots from ceramics will help to diversify the decoration of the room. Not only familiar houseplants will remind of closeness to nature. Emerald basil bushes, delicate lavender or fragrant rosemary, which are so popular in Provence, will look gracefully on the kitchen windowsills.

Textile in french

The abundance of textile products - one of the features of Provencal themes in the interior. Many colorful accessories can be made independently, having made a decorative element both from scratch and by decorating ready-made objects.

For the kitchen sets of tacks and towels are indispensable. You can decorate these household items with ribbons, lace and embroidery. The latter finds its rightful place on any woven product:

• decorative pillows;
• napkins;
• tablecloths;
• bedspreads.

The main subject of images for embroiderers - flowers, fruits and household items. When choosing a pattern for embroidery, pay attention to the drawings depicting roses, sprigs of lavender, bouquets of spring flowers and cute wreaths of inflorescences. You can decorate your own pillow, clothes for a soft tilde doll with an elegant pattern.

In addition to the usual embroidery satin stitch or cross, the ribbon stitching technique is becoming increasingly popular. This type of creativity allows you to create spectacular three-dimensional paintings that can decorate the walls.

Quilting is another way to decorate a room. Blankets and bedspreads, pot holders, murals, and even carpets — in this technique, you can make a real masterpiece of needlework that will serve as the center of the composition of the entire room.

Decorative details in the spirit of Provence

The leading role in the Provencal interior is played by objects with history and "soul." Family values ​​are especially important for the French. This feature is also displayed in a unique country style: you can safely use touching photographs of households framed in wooden frames.

Figurines and other porcelain products are also an integral part of the olive decor. When choosing dishes it is worth paying attention not only to the ornament, but also to the state of the glaze. Many manufacturers of modern services specifically produce collections with peculiar cracks that mimic the venerable age of household items.

Provence welcomes an abundance of natural materials. Original caskets and tableware made of wood, simple and concise shelves, forged candlesticks and chandeliers, a monolithic fireplace will give shelter a light veil of rustic atmosphere.

Wall decoration in Provencal style

The design of the room in the style of French country begins at the stage of repair. The surface of the walls - the main background for other decor, so the finishing of the room should be carefully worked out.

To recreate the interior of a house from a distant picturesque village, you should not hide the brickwork under numerous layers of finishing materials. Stone and brick organically fit into the Provencal design and complement its exquisite simplicity.

If you plan to paste over walls with wall-paper, stop the choice on natural variants of this furnish. Paper wallpaper in pastel colors with floral patterns will decorate the authentic interior and will not look intrusive and catchy. Fabric wallpaper based on jute also gently complement the interior in the style of Provence. But it is better to refuse fabric variations on the basis of silk: such decoration will give the room an extra gloss and inappropriate pomp.

Furniture decor

Provencal country style furniture is simple and devoid of bulky items. Forged wooden furniture can be forged parts that organically complement the noble natural material.

But the main feature of furniture in the spirit of Provence is its age. The old or imitation of long years of operation remains the main requirement for the headset.

How to get old furniture

It is possible to artificially age wooden furniture with the help of paints, stain and brushing technique. The latter method consists in removing soft wood fibers with special metal brushes. After this treatment, the surface is covered with colorful wormholes. Such furniture can be additionally coated with paint or varnish.

Brushing is only suitable for products made from oak, ash and larch.

For aging furniture with paint you will need:

• at least two shades of water-based paint;
• wood scraping tools;
• sandpaper and brushes;
• varnish

Wood processing takes place in several stages.

1. Disassemble the product and unscrew all accessories;
2. Remove old varnish and paint;
3. On a clean, dry surface, apply a tint of paint that will not be dominant;
4. After the first layer dries out, paint the tree with a basic shade;
5. After the second coat has dried on, coat the furniture with sandpaper, carefully sanding the places that should look vintage;
6. After that, remove dust and paint residues and cover the surface with a layer of varnish.

Upholstered furniture is also suitable for artificial aging. It is enough to simply alter it, choosing unevenly colored leather for the upholstery and any other materials that mimic the long life of the headset.

Painting and painting furniture

Acrylic paints are suitable for painting and painting furniture. In order to breathe new life into an old piece of interior, you do not have to have the talent of an artist, because you can apply an elegant floral pattern in Provencal style with a stencil.

1. If necessary, handle wood chips with large chips. You may skip this preparation step to preserve the vintage look;
2. Sand the entire surface of the headset with fine emery paper. This is necessary to create a rough layer that fully absorbs the primer;
3. Degree the surface of the furniture and apply a layer of acrylic primer;
4. After it dries with a roller, apply acrylic paint, the shade of which will serve as the main background of the product. For an interesting texture, apply paint with a narrow brush, making strokes from different angles;
5. After drying the base color, apply the desired pattern to the furniture and cover the product with two layers of yacht varnish.

Decoupage in Provencal style

Decoupage remains one of the most popular techniques for decorating interior items among fans of vintage motifs. It can be used to decorate a miniature wooden box in Provence style, as well as large furniture, which will become a harmonious component of the interior in the spirit of country medieval France.

For artificial aging of furniture, there are several techniques of decoupage technology.

1. Coating furniture with a special varnish craquelure imitates the refined effect of a patina on the surface;
2. A variety of decoupage powder allows you to create soft shadows. This technique will help those who plan to perpetuate various images or even photos on a wooden surface;
3. Special pastes and gels, tools and stencils make it possible to play with textures, giving the squares a special relief and patterned texture;
4. Gilding using acrylic or aerosol paint allows you to give the subject a light refinement that does not deprive the interior of simplicity and unobtrusiveness.

Decoupage technique on large surfaces using plastic film

Transferring elements of decoupage napkins to large surfaces often causes difficulties even among experienced craftsmen. A large piece of paper may not aesthetically frown, which significantly reduces the decorativeness of the product.

But to overcome these difficulties, there is a little trick that makes it easy to move a napkin with a film. Even a stationery file or a large package will do for this purpose:

1. After all the preparatory work, cut a piece of polyethylene corresponding to the size of the portable element;
2. Peel off the top layer of the napkin and place it face down on the polyethylene;
3. Moisten the cloth with water, if necessary, straighten it with a brush.
4. Taking a piece of polyethylene by the corners, place a damp napkin on the surface to be decorated.
5. Smooth the paper gently through the film.

Thanks to polyethylene, the cloth is easily handled without the risk of deformation, and the film itself is easily behind the paper. After transferring an element to this technique, you can apply glue for decoupage and follow the usual stages of decoration.

Master class: do-it-yourself chest decoupage

Polished or oil-painted furniture is not suitable for decoupage dresser in Provence style. Such an item of interior will require additional processing. Old coat of paint or varnish must be removed with a grinding machine and coated with primer.

1. Remove the fittings, brush the chest with sandpaper and cover it with white or pastel acrylic paint in two layers with a brush or roller;
2. Cut out the necessary elements with special napkins until the paint dries. Peel off the topmost layer of the napkin;
3. After the acrylic layer dries, place the image on the surface of the dresser and apply decoupage glue on the drawing, working with a brush from the center to the edge of the element;
4. The borders of the pasted image can be further processed with a special powder to create a smoother transition;
5. After the glue dries, cover the chest with two layers of varnish;
6. Install the hardware.

Making frame mirrors or paintings

The wooden frame in Provence style for the picture will become an integral part of the interior, attracting the eye no less than the work of art itself. The original frame can be added and family photos, and a mirror for the hallway.

To make a non-trivial decor item, you will need:

• the frame itself, completely free from paint and varnish;
• acrylic paints of several colors, among which base white or gray will be present;
• paraffin candle;
• varnish;
• brushes, gloves for protecting hands and a hairdryer to speed up the drying of paint layers.

After preparing the necessary materials you can get to work.

1. Apply base paint to the entire surface of the frame.
2. After drying the base coat of paint, rub the areas that should look vintage with paraffin. Wax will help to easily separate unnecessary layers of paint without damaging the base.
3. Apply a few more coats of other shades, each time waiting for complete drying.
4. Coarse sandpaper remove excess layers of paint, then remove dust from the frame and cover with two layers of varnish.

Such a frame for a picture will organically fit into the interior, because in the process of its creation you can use only shades suitable for the existing design.

New life kitchen utensils

Old dishes can play with new colors and perfectly fit into the interior. Even items from different sets can be combined into one Provençal collection, using common elements of decoupage decor: flowers, fruits, letters of one font.

Decoupage ware is carried out on the same principles as the decoupage of furniture. But when decorating ceramic and glass products, it is worth paying more attention to degreasing the surface. This is necessary to ensure that the paper decor is held tightly and does not give in to deformation.
You can decorate the dishes with the help of paper wallpaper residues.

Instead of napkins, use flowers and wallpaper patterns, carefully painting the borders of the paper and the product itself with acrylic paint. Decorated in a similar manner, the service will ideally fit into the interior of the kitchen, because it will completely echo the pattern of the walls.

A simple and fresh interior, complemented by Provence decor, remains one of the most popular types of decoration for touching and romantic natures. The charm of the flow lies in the details, the most spectacular of which you can create with your own hands.