French Country Kitchen

Your kitchen is one of the most important places in your home, and crafting your dream space isn't always an easy process. Whether you're looking to upgrade it with modern and sleek appliances (such as your refrigerator) or enhance its look with a completely new design, the first step is to pinpoint the style you want to replicate. And if you're a fan of rustic accents and traditional flair, our French country kitchen ideas will inspire your decorating approach.

To put it simply, French country kitchens are charming and chic. They can feature fancy oven hoods, classic furniture, vintage-inspired lighting and a combination of natural materials — wood, seagrass, leather and cotton included — to make a room feel homey yet elegant. And this doesn't mean you have to style your kitchen (whether it's small or large) like those in the 17th and 18th centuries. You can go for a soft and airy feel while staying true to today's design trends. Take a look below for inspiration.

Give your space an airy feel and welcome the relaxing sounds of nature by installing a window near the kitchen sink. This is a simple way to bring in light while staying true to the warm and classic feeling of a French country design.

French Country Kitchens: Your Guide To Achieving The Look

White subway tiles and wood accents make for a kitchen that's equal parts modern and rustic. Use tile for the walls and wood for your shelving to bring character to a sterile space.

If your home comes with an interior brick wall, don't let it ruin the design. It brings a vintage and unique look that can enrich any modern decor.

If you're unsure how to incorporate natural materials into the kitchen, using wood for the island and countertops is an easy and visually-appealing option.

Ways To Create A French Country Kitchen

Try copying this kitchen's aesthetic, with its wide dark-painted windows, a charming dining table set and a coffered ceiling that only complement's it's country-like appeal.

Save your cabinet space by hanging pots and pans above the kitchen island. This will add to the space's rustic charm — especially if they're copper cookware.

Add antique art to the walls — similar to this look by House of Jade Interiors. Think pastoral paintings, eye-catching mosaics and classic historical portraits.

Give Your Kitchen A French Country Look

While it's not necessary to bring an abundance of light to a kitchen with a window by the sink, hanging a retro pendant can easily help you achieve a French country feel.

Kelly Mittleman and architect Mark Finlay designed this quaint Connecticut country kitchen with a stylish shade of green that matches the wood tones and creamy whites featured throughout the room.

While many may choose to vault their ceiling in the family or great room, opt to do it in your kitchen instead.

French Country Design On The Horizon

Range hoods not only add light above your stove, but they also add to the kitchen's welcoming atmosphere for family and guests.

If you can't decide what kitchen island seating to choose, try round wood counter stools. They provide the perfect amount of contrast to white decor.

There is something unique and historic about a star and cross patterned floor. Play up your kitchen's French country appeal by balancing the look with an oversized kitchen island in a rich wood tone.

The Top 50+ Best French Country Kitchen Ideas

Rugs can create an intimate and cozy feel to any space — the kitchen included. The right one, especially an antique design, can add a rustic touch to modern decor.

A creamy white interior enhances any style you're trying to replicate. It's a simple way to make a design scheme feel light and airy.

, where she covers home and lifestyle content. Mariah has more than four years of editorial experience, having written for TLC, Apartment Therapy,

Ways To Add French Farmhouse Charm To Your Kitchen

. She received her master's degree in journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and published her first book, Heart and Soul: Poems of Thoughts and Emotions, in 2019. She's also the founder of RTF Community, a platform for creatives of color to connect, learn and showcase their work.

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What Is A French Country Kitchen

26 Modern Butler's Pantry Design Ideas 7 Best Blenders of 2023 12 Best Indoor Herb Gardens of 2023 7 Best Air Fryer Toaster Ovens of 2023If you'd like to create a cozy, rustic, and traditional kitchen, you probably already know you want to err toward country design. But is your style French country or English country?

The ambiguity and confusion is understandable, as these two design styles share many similarities. However, they are also incredibly distinguishable once you know the colors, textures, and fabrics that define each.

Enter Rhode Island-based designer Cyndie Seely, who has used both styles in her own stunning interior design projects. Read on for her tips on differentiating between a French country kitchen and an English country kitchen.

Rustic French Country Kitchen Ideas For A Boho Aesthetic

This style is marked with strong notes of elegance and polish, but still upholds its ode to countryside living. In a true French country kitchen, you'll easily spot characteristic mustard yellow and warm reds that reflect the surrounding countryside.

The French country kitchen has earthier tones, while English tones are purer, says Ceely. For example, a French kitchen may showcase a mossy green while an English kitchen has a hunter green.

With French fabrics, you'll see flowers lined up in a somewhat organized way, says Ceely. Toile fabrics are also very popular in French kitchens. They depict gardens, fountains, and other sanctuaries of elegance for the French.

French Country Kitchen Pendant Lighting Options (&what I'm Using For Our Build)

When it comes to furniture, French country kitchens typically exhibit pieces with scrolls and moldings, while English design exhibits more straight, rigid lines and weathered surfaces.

There are fussier architectural elements and motifs in French design than in English design, says Ceely. There are many more materials involved, whereas the English style is simpler.

French country decor is unique in that it employs a blend of common farm animals and elegant, quaint birds. You're also more likely to spot formal tapestries in a French country kitchen than in an English country kitchen.

How To Design A Beautiful Small French Country Kitchen

The tone of the English country home really reflects years of entertaining and enjoying life, says Seely. It's really warm and cozy. There might be scuff marks on the furniture, but it doesn't matter because it's part of the character.

English country style celebrates the children, animals, and friends that bring personality to the countryside life. In the South Carolina home above, designed by Ceely in the English country style, the tiles were customized to illustrate the owners with their dogs and horses.

Rather than organized florals or frilly toile fabrics, English country patterns tend to depict foliage that's less groomed, such as wildflowers and chintz florals.

Essentials Of A French Country Kitchen

English country style uses deep tones, but it may be, say, a truer red than that used in French style kitchen, says Ceely. Natural browns are also characteristic of English country design.

While French country décor usually involves farm animals and small birds, English wall décor typically includes hunting scenes with dogs and horses. It also showcases botanical prints and nature prints.

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