Friday, March 25, 2011

French Kitchen Design Ideas

Rooster-themed decor adds a rustic touch to a French kitchen.


French kitchen design, which is also known as French country kitchen design, is a style meant to evoke the rural charm of provincial France. It is a warm decorating style that emphasizes utility and employs a rustic touch. Choose French kitchen design elements that suit your own kitchen.


Wood


Wherever possible, use wood instead of plastic or metal. Wooden tables and chairs and wooden countertops offer a warm, lived-in look to your kitchen that is evocative of the rustic charm of the French kitchen style. Choose woods with a warm tone to give your kitchen a golden glow.


Curtains


Natural light is an important component of the French kitchen. The windows may be left bare or you may choose simple, light curtains or window dressings. Hang white muslin curtains held back with cords or add a simple valance made of gauze or other light material. The key is to allow as much light into the room as possible.


Glass Jars








Look for glass jars at rummage sales or garage sales and use them in your kitchen storage. For example, use a set of small glass jars in a wooden rack to store herbs and spices or use larger glass jars to store staples like flour and sugar. You may also leave empty glass jars on the window sill to catch the light.


Colors


Paint the walls of a French kitchen plain white, cream or a pale golden yellow. Paint the walls flat or use a sponge to add texture to the finish. Choose white paint with slight yellow tones rather than blue tones to create a warmer effect in the room.


Garlic


A braid of garlic adds a pastoral touch to a French-inspired kitchen.


French cuisine uses garlic and regardless of your cooking style, a garlic braid is an attractive addition to a French kitchen. A braid of garlic stores several heads of garlic and allows it to dry slowly until it's ready to use. Hang up a garlic braid on the side of a cabinet or on a wall.


Roosters


Incorporate rooster-themed decorations to your French kitchen. A small metal rooster sculpture on the counter or a larger one on the floor adds more visual variety to the profile of your kitchen, while rooster tiles or rooster paintings add color to your walls.

Tags: French kitchen, your kitchen, glass jars, braid garlic, French kitchen, French kitchen design