It's time to embrace your inner Francophile.
There’s a certain je ne sais quoi when it comes to homes decorated in the French country style. They can feel so effortless and curated, which often gives the impression that this aesthetic is hard to achieve and purely aspirational if you’re not already living in the south of France. However, once you break down French country decorating, it is actually a very simple aesthetic with some well-established design rules to follow.
French country style is not at all avant-garde or untouchable—it’s a warm, inviting look characterized by neutral tones, natural fibers and materials, vintage touches, a healthy serving of pattern play, and organic shapes. Because it has a rustic edge, it tends to feel more lived-in than other overly elegant spaces, but it brings some class to your interior thanks to its focus on botanical themes and aged, ornate accents. It’s also very personalizable, giving you room to infuse your favorite colors and materials into the casually elevated space.
If you’re intrigued, we recommend you keep scrolling to find 30 designer examples of French country decorating. Maybe it’ll inspire your next redesign (or getaway!).
Additional copy by Hadley Mendelsohn, Lauren Smith McDonough, and Kate McGregor.
French country design regularly makes use of botanical patterns, but it’s important to still maintain that casual, airy feeling. Take this bathroom by the design team French & French as a great example. The floral stripes make an impact but leave plenty of negative space for the eye to rest.
You won’t find any fire engine red or Kelly green in French country design. Instead, the style makes good use of elevated neutrals. In this Suzanne Kasler–designed dining room, a monochromatic peach color palette creates a cohesive and formal space to gather.
Adding character through architectural details is a quick way to incorporate French country charm. And while we can’t all live in a château, wainscotting can give you the feeling that your newly built home has a bit more history. Just take this Amber Lewis–designed bathroom as inspiration.
To add charm to this New England coastal home, designer Amber Lewis chose to mix new pieces with vintage. Here, a custom banquette livens up this beautiful, antique dining table.
Designer Wendy Labrum chose this navy sink basin to add depth to the custom “muddy taupe” paint color. The hues, both timeless and warm, will remain modern as the hardware begins to patina beautifully.
Lean into the more elevated rustic elements of French country design by choosing dainty, hand-painted tile for your kitchen backsplash. Designer Ashley Montgomery chose this terra-cotta tile by Tabarka Studio for this charming kitchen, displaying vintage accessories in front of the wall to further enhance this European aesthetic.
You don’t want your home to be too colorful if you’re yearning for the French country aesthetic, but pops of color here and there give your interior more character. In this bright kitchen, designer Fran Keenan kept the color scheme mostly neutral, emphasizing those gorgeous wooden beams on the ceiling, but she added green and dark blue accents to give the room more depth.
A farmhouse sink, even if it’s new, has an aged quality to its design, making it the perfect addition to your French country kitchen. In this airy kitchen by Meta Coleman, the designer worked the white sink into the blue island, choosing brass hardware to add even more warmth to the room.
Related Story: If You Have a Farmhouse Sink, You Need to Read This
Taking the beauty of nature and infusing it in your French country home is one way to expertly capture the aesthetic. From organic materials to botanical themes to highlighting the view outside your window, like in this living room by Allison Willson, you can give your home that lived-in, elevated feel.
While warm hues are typically used in French country decor, if you do decide to use cooler tones, like this muted green, then layer on the warm accents. In this scullery by designer Lindsey Black, she used warm wood tones to bring in more of a French country style.
Rather than opt for patterned wallpaper or a solid wash of paint, designer Erin Martin went a third route: a large mural. Accentuating the arched ceiling, the symmetrical painting brings attention to the room's curves and soft natural light.
Powder rooms often lack the furniture required for a true design moment, but that doesn't mean French country decor stops at the doorway. In this powder room by Mallory Kaye, an antique table gets new life as a vanity, and a stone sink adds rustic flair.
Without the gleaming metal pot rail, this kitchen by designers Carey Maloney and Hermes Mallea might look sparse and bare. Not only do the copper pots add warmth and character, but the rail also offers extra storage for the collection to grow over time.
Unlike modernism's sleek straight lines, French country decor embraces curves and soft edges. In this Ariel Okin– designed New York apartment, a scalloped console table and whimsical lamps soften the room's architecture.
Rather than a stark white, designer Meta Coleman painted this pantry a buttery yellow to complement the warm-toned hardwood floors. Combined with the other two primary colors, this simple palette yields a space that is anything but.
In the dining room of this Cape Cod estate, designer Kathryn M. Ireland chose a sea-grass rug to cover the floor and reupholstered the owners' Gustavian chairs to keep a traditional touch. And then there's that fun Cubist moment in the corner.
Interior French doors are a bucket list item as far as chateau-inspired decor goes. In this grand living room by Romanek Design Studio, the pared-back design set against the backdrop of a classic, ornate architectural canvas represents a modern take on classic French country decorating.
Channel Marie Antoinette with cheerful pastels, layered prints, curvy lines, and fun details, like a fringed awning. Here, John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon of Madcap Cottage painted a jaunty mint green and white diamond pattern to disguise the damaged parquet floors. "That was more than seven years ago, and the paint has held up—proof that painted floors are practical and full of pizzazz," they say, adding, "dining chairs move around so much easier on a wood surface than on carpet."
In the dining room of this Manhattan duplex, designed by Garrow Kedigian, is a circa-1900 mahogany table that's surrounded by antique chairs that were purchased at a Paris flea market and re-covered in a Schumacher velvet.
Another common characteristic in French Country design is furniture with slim profiles. Read: Ditch your bulkier items. Looking for a way to put a more modern spin on it? Designer Corey Damen Jenkins mixes colorful abstract art and modern photography with more classic elements, like the antique desk and accessories while the lucite chair provides some contemporary flair.
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