31 Days of French-Inspired Style Day 3: French Provincial

There are many versions of French design style. One of the most popular styles is French Country. Within this style are several nuances and one of them is called French Provincial.

French Provincial, also sometimes referred to as French Provençal (pronounced proh-vuh n-sahl), originates from the southern regions of France. The weather is warmer in this area and the colors in these interiors tend to reflect that.

When I think of this style, I think of ochre yellows, rich blues and reds, and lavenders.

Notice the warm colors, the large checked fabric mixed with the toile, and the curvature of the furniture and the window in this room.

Here’s an example of a French Provincial-style kitchen. Classic yellow and blue with curved carvings on the cabinets.

I love the pale, sage green used in this room with splashes of yellow, red, and lots of creamy white.

Here is one of my Provincial-style dining chairs. I bought this set from Craigslist and you can see how I painted them, here.

I painted this French Provincial-style armoire with Annie Sloan chalk paint. I used 1 part Country Grey, 2 parts Paris Grey, and a generous dollop of Pure White (just to lighten the color a little). Then I painted the highlighted parts with Old White and then used a little antiquing wax to age them.

French Provincial-style furniture is typically quite curvy (legs, tops, drawers, etc.) and often carved. You can easily find furniture in the French Provincial style at garage sales and on Craigslist and these pieces make wonderful projects for painting.

See you tomorrow for Day 4: Paris Chic