Provence is a style that has come to us from the sunny and cozy French province and is named after the eponymous region. Unlike classic country, Provence is distinguished by its elegance, and from the usual rural style – by its elegance.
Features of the Provence style
The style began to emerge in the 17th century, in contrast to urban classicism. It diluted the daily hustle and bustle and brought harmony and tranquility into it. More and more affluent city dwellers preferred a comfortable cottage in the province. Lightness, light, open space, and sophistication are all the main characteristics of Provence that have been preserved to this day.
A living room in the Provence style is the perfect heart of a home. It’s a pleasant place to spend evenings and invite guests. Functionality and practicality harmoniously combine with creative romanticism. Now it is one of the most popular and strong alternatives to cold high-tech and laconic minimalism.
The Provence region is famous for its fairy-tale landscapes, fragrant herbs, azure sea, and bright sun. It is these qualities that have influenced the formation of the main interior trends.
Characteristic features of the Provence style:
– Light, pastel finish;
– Natural materials and natural textures;
– Lots of wood;
– Ceiling beams;
– Live flowers and plant ornaments;
– Lots of light textiles and decor;
– Airy ruffles and lace;
– Porcelain and ceramic trinkets.
Provence is best suited for a country house. Here, both the atmosphere and the opportunity to fully plan renovation and decoration from scratch, not adapting to the developer’s layout, are suitable. But in an apartment, you can also arrange your own sunny corner and recreate the authentic spirit of the French province there. For small apartments, there is a plus: Provence better than most other styles visually expands the space, making it light and airy.
Color solutions
Provence does not tolerate overly bright colors. These are subdued, restrained, but very light shades. White and beige, milky, olive, lavender, sky blue, and turquoise are actively used. Among warm colors, light mustard, ochre, terracotta, and pastel yellow are popular. Sea shades and even accessories, such as shells or fishing gear, are also used. Sunny flowering meadows and azure sea do not exclude, but harmoniously complement each other.
White Living Room in Provence Style
White color and its variations are always the best choice for small living rooms, where there is a lack of daylight. For the Provence style, white color is native. Against the background of light walls, floor, and ceiling, furniture looks especially expressive. The texture of the wood stands out even better, and even the most delicate and pale shades become brighter and more expressive.
The real king of the white living room in the Provence style is bleached aged wood. It is suitable for finishing the floor and furniture. And to prevent the elements from merging into a solid mass, you can choose wood of different varieties and textures and dilute everything with original fittings and textiles.
Living Room in Provence Style in Pastel Tones
Pastel is another element of Provence. When choosing such a palette for a living room, keep in mind that all the decor should be soft, airy, light. Provence always uses complex multi-component and diluted shades. Even white is rather the color of ivory or vanilla cream. Cool gray-blue, romantic ash-pink, or warm powder tones fit perfectly into the style.
Blue and Lavender Living Room in Provence Style
Sea azure and fragrant lavender are some of the defining characteristics of Provence. Lavender textiles with a rough texture look beautiful. And in a country house, you can even boldly paint the window frame and shutters in an unusual color. Blue is gentle, blurred, not too saturated. It brings a feeling of pleasant coolness into the room. Muted turquoise looks good, and pale blue walls are one of the most common solutions.
Green Living Room in Provence Style
Green shades are used mainly in textiles or for creating accents. It’s not saturated grassy or acidic salad, but rather delicate olive. An interior based on natural materials and textures cannot do without one of the most natural colors. Green in Provence is a forest thicket, fragrant pine, and grapevine. It is used most actively in plant ornaments on walls, paintings, curtains, upholstery, and pillows.
Living Room in Provence Style in Bright Tones
Although Provence does not tolerate overly saturated and screaming colors, there is still a place for bright colors. Usually, these are warm shades: mustard, terracotta, sunflower yellow, brick red. But such colors cannot be the main ones. They are used only to add some coziness, interesting color, and warmth to the living room. These can be small accessories, pillows, floral painting.
Finishes and Materials
The primary material is wood in any of its forms. Natural stone, raw light brick, and ceramics are used less frequently. Glass, chrome, and plastic are practically non-existent.
A Provence style interior can resemble a classic. Precious woods, round furniture, and symmetrical arrangements are used. These are two to three colors with brown or terracotta as the base. Traditional Provence, on the other hand, is lighter and brighter. It allows for wicker furniture and accessories, decorative baskets and cozy pillows, floral arrangements in graceful vases, and houseplants in ceramic pots.
Floor
Provence gravitates towards natural textures. The floor finishing is traditionally wooden. Whitened wood or untreated rough board looks great. Parquet flooring will also work. If the budget is limited, laminate should be considered. Modern wood imitations almost do not lag behind it in appearance and quality, but they are much more affordable. For the relaxation area, a cozy rug in a cream or coffee shade would be suitable.
Walls
The walls are most often covered with paint. These are light and warm shades of white, cream, and beige, delicate pastel tones. Decorative plaster with a delicate texture is used. Wallpaper is used less often. Usually, these are wallpapers with floral or plant patterns. They are suitable for creating an accent wall. It’s good if their pattern correlates with the textiles.
The light background is diluted with ceramic decorations, photographs, paintings, and mirrors in delicate or, conversely, rough frames.
Ceiling
The ceiling in Provence is classic, white plastered. If the layout and height allow, rough wooden beams are installed. If the room is small, the ceiling should be a natural continuation of the walls. Then it looks higher, and against its neutral background, an impressive chandelier looks even more interesting.
Lounge Furniture
Provence furniture is both functional and very decorative. It is not only about vintage and unconventional shapes, but also the absence of unnecessary details. Distressed or old sets, painted in light tones, are in use. Cabinets and nightstands are certainly neat, but they look like they have served more than one generation.
Antiques are in high regard here. But new furniture can also be given a worn look. Wooden facades are decorated with painting and decoupage. This can even be done by yourself.
An interesting feature is a fireplace, which will become the ideal center of a cozy living room in the Provence style. It can be placed against the wall or between windows, and a sofa and armchairs can be arranged next to it. Soft furniture – rounded, elegant, with decorative armrests. Such a relaxation area is a dream come true.
Lighting
An abundance of light is one of the main features of Provence. Large windows let in the sun’s rays. Artificial lighting is chosen to be as comfortable and natural as possible. It should be diffused and unobtrusive.
Multi-level spotlights are rarely used in such a living room, so you need to think through the lighting for each area. However, in Provence, you can bravely hang whimsical decorative chandeliers, install tall floor lamps (torchieres), and wall sconces with fabric lampshades.
A bold solution is a wrought iron or bronze chandelier. It inevitably becomes the main element of the room. There are also simpler options: from aluminum and brass. A stylish move is a combination of metal with ceramics. Wrought iron candlesticks are also a beautiful accessory. The main elements of wrought iron in the Provence style are leaves, grapevines and clusters, flowers.
Decor and Textiles
Textiles are the main accessory of Provence. These are beautiful and decorative curtains with ruffles, tulle, an abundance of pillows, while nothing superfluous is used. Each detail has its own role and significance. Provence is lightness and airiness. It does not tolerate excess and clutter.
Upholstery of soft furniture is combined with decorative pillows and curtains. In addition to floral patterns, checkered and striped patterns are often used.
Special attention is paid to decorative fittings. Wooden elements with carving and whimsical wrought iron details are welcomed. These are cabinet handles, soft furniture legs, and other elements.
Small Living Room in Provence Style
It is advisable to design a small living room in the Provence style in light tones, without striking contrasts. White walls harmonize with cream furniture. The feeling of lightness and airiness is enhanced by delicate shades of blue. A cool color scheme is also a great option for sunlit rooms. Mirrors in elegant decorative frames can help to expand the space. In a small living room, there should be as few excesses as possible. All decor is functional.
One of the practical solutions for a small square footage is to combine adjacent spaces. For example, a small living room in the Provence style can be combined with the kitchen, another room for which this style is perfectly suited. A large dining table is surrounded by elegant chairs with cushions. If desired, it can be replaced with a coffee table and armchairs. A vintage buffet will be appropriate, behind its glass doors is displayed a home collection of porcelain. The most difficult thing is to choose household appliances. But you can always get out of the situation by using decorative panels, niches and built-in equipment.
Living Room Design in Provence Style – Photos
We offer you a large selection of fresh photo ideas for decorating a living room interior in Provence style for mood and inspiration! Enjoy viewing!
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