Who hasn’t dreamed of spending a week or two in the relaxed atmosphere of a French village by the Mediterranean Sea, forgetting about the city hustle and bustle and duties? You can bring the tranquility of Provence into your own home by choosing this style for your kitchen. Light, naively simple and sunny, it will give you a sense of comfort and peace every day. Provincial design involves creativity, the use of vintage and handmade items, which altogether create a unique individuality of the interior. This kind of kitchen will appeal to people who love nature, cute country antiques and the spring tenderness of a southern morning.
Main Features of Provence
The Provence style fully reflects the measured life of French peasants living in the southeastern region of the country between the Alps and the Côte d’Azur. This interior extensively uses available materials – wood, stone, clay, linen, and chintz fabrics. Contemplating the natural beauty of mountains, sea, and lavender fields, people of that area tried to replicate it at home, so Provence looks very festive.
An abundance of flowers, floral motifs on textiles, furniture, dishes, in decor, lace and macramé create a romantic, airy atmosphere.
Color Palette for a Provence Style Kitchen
Provence’s palette is pastel. For a long time, residents of the province used lime whitewash instead of paint, adding natural pigments to it, so all colors in such a kitchen are diluted with white.
The most vivid tones, perhaps, are delicate purple, lilac, and sky-blue. However, even saturated shades in this case look slightly faded, bleached under the rays of the Mediterranean sun.
Materials and Finishes
There’s no hint of modern construction and renovation inventions based on high technologies and petroleum products in the Provence interior. Everything is as natural, simple, yet durable and practical as possible.
While nobody forbids using acrylic paint instead of lime or replacing a cotton tablecloth with synthetics, the main thing is that it should not be glaring and the kitchen design should remain slightly old-fashioned. Especially avoid glossy, metallized coverings, plastic, and excessive strictness of decoration.
Provencal Style Kitchen Furniture
Provencal style furniture blends rural simplicity and French refinement. It often has a somewhat outdated, vintage look. A case in point could be your grandmother’s buffet where candies and jars of preserves were once stored among the crockery.
By the way, such family relics can be given a second life – all it takes is to slightly refurbish them, give them a fresh coat of paint, and decorate beautifully (hand-painted stenciling, decoupage or carved inserts will do). In the same way, a boring old set, a cupboard, table, chairs can be easily turned into a unique designer ensemble.
Provencal Style Kitchen Decor
French design allows total freedom in choosing decorations.
Painted plates, vases, jars, and pitchers; cutting boards with drawings; wooden cooking utensils; hand mills for spices and coffee; woven baskets, bread boxes and stands; antique clocks; paintings with rural motifs; satin stitch embroidery; lace napkins; pots with greenery; live flowers; dried lavender bouquets; lacy decorative cages and flower pots; candle holders and candles; ceramic statuettes of birds and pets – this is just a shortlist of decor that will give a Provencal style kitchen its unique charm and doll-like elegance.
Kitchen Lighting
Provence is a southern region where houses enjoy bright sunlight most of the time. When setting up a kitchen in northern latitudes, you’ll have to compensate for the lack of natural light with artificial one. Warm white or yellowish modern LED bulbs, which closely resemble natural light and feel the most comfortable, are perfect for this.
Spotlights are best placed around the perimeter of the ceiling, they can also be built into the set, illuminating shelves and countertops.
You should attach a hanging chandelier above the dining area – one large or several small ones, and if the table is against the wall – then 1-2 wall lamps.
You’ll want to install a ceiling-mounted light fixture in the center of the room, especially if the room height is low. The best choice for a Provencal style kitchen is forged models, “candle holders”, classic diffusers in the shape of trapezoids, bells, garden lanterns. Often, the lamps are also decorated with flowers – either painted or molded.
Provencal Style Kitchen – Photos
To show how beautiful a Provencal style kitchen interior can look, we have collected for you the best examples of design solutions. We hope that you will like these photos and they will become the first step towards your dream renovation.
Design of a Small Kitchen in Provencal Style
Provencal Style Kitchen-Living Room Design
Corner Kitchen in Provencal Style
Provencal Style Kitchen Wallpaper
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