Living room interior in Provence style - luxury inspired by lavender fields

The first associations that arise when connoisseurs of French geography hear the word “Provence” are olive groves, the port of Marseille and, of course, lavender fields. The mixture of aromas of the sea, vineyards and pine forests of the southern Alps gives this south-eastern province its special reputation.

A romantic, sunny mood is also inherent in the decor of houses built in the coastal region. The interior of a living room in the Provence style in particular is a reflection of the simple life of a predominantly rural province. Although there is sophistication and sophistication in it, characteristic of the entire French nature.

What is Provence

A light, unobtrusive interior, fragrant with lavender, sun and sea, can often be seen in country cottages intended for relaxation from the drab work days. However, the features of the style will allow you to recreate an aura with a festive mood in a city apartment, the companions of which are delicious wine and expensive cheese. These aromas accompany not only kitchen interiors: the Provence living room will also be gentle, romantic, and elegant.

Often the Provencal living room is combined with a kitchen, but this is not a prerequisite. Rather, it will have access to a terrace with stunning views of the mountains, the sea, fields and groves.

For all its sophistication, Provence is a rustic French style. But don’t let the simple furnishings confuse you: the interior has both classic features and a noble palette in muted colors. True, pastel colors are chosen precisely because in the province of the same name, in principle, there cannot be bright decoration - it will all fade in the sun, because here warm rays shine into the houses almost all year round. Although both the sea air and the salty wind literally erode all the rich colors.

There is peace here. Perhaps because the aromas of lavender stabilize the functioning of the nervous system. Although the surrounding natural colors contribute to peace. Provence is an exceptional interior for relaxation, in which you can easily recuperate, disconnect from routine and receive a positive charge of energy given by nature itself. It is a natural environment that is always warm and sunny.

It is always noticeable here that people live in the house - the furniture is a little shabby, surrounded by personal belongings and objects dear to the heart, necessary for comfort.

Style Features

The French variety of country music has captivated residents of different countries thanks to its naturalness, romance and unobtrusive sophistication of a simple setting. The atmosphere is achieved with simple techniques.

Living room in Provence style is:

• finishing in light colors to create a bright, literally sparkling interior;
• small floral pattern that creates comfort and a romantic mood;
• natural materials and favorable climate;
• porcelain decor;
• handicrafts – embroidery, lace, napkins;
• natural textiles – light and not fluffy;
• wicker baskets, chests, wicker furniture;
• simple shelves, cabinets, benches.

There will be no cutting-edge ideas and new products, technologically transformable furniture, or highly functional designs. A living room in country style (and Provence still remains a rustic design direction) is not only a cheerful interior of the room, but also favorable for living.

Color palette of walls, ceilings, floors

This style is characterized by light wall colors. This style does not accept dark colors. Most often the walls are white. When decorating, plaster is often used. The building materials are all natural.

Traditionally, wallpaper is not suitable for wall decoration. But there are also exceptions. Only wallpaper with flowers and plants is suitable for the living room; as a rule, wallpaper accents one wall. If the wallpaper and textiles are similar in style or color scheme, then it will be very good.

• The ceiling is usually presented in the form of aged natural logs.
• You can use MDF for wood.
• It is better to avoid PVC altogether.
• Such ceilings do not suit this style.
• The wooden ceiling is also painted with water-based paint in light shades.
• Most often, the ceiling is painted with ordinary white plaster.

Natural boards are also best suited for flooring. It is also allowed to use parquet for finishing. If financial resources are limited, laminate is allowed.

Modern laminate is so well made that it cannot even be distinguished from wood. You can lay a large beige carpet on the floor. The color of the carpet should match the curtains and upholstery in the living room. In Provence style living rooms, linoleum, carpet, and parquet are prohibited.

Provencal style colors and flowers in the living room

Provence in the interior of the living room can create the feeling that you are in a village on the seashore, surrounded by lavender fields and olive trees. For this purpose, an unobtrusive combination of color palette and delicate patterns is used. Implementing such interior solutions with your own hands will not be difficult, since finishing in this style does not require large investments and luxurious materials.

The color scheme is formed on the basis of pastel shades - here any coatings fade under direct sunlight, flooding the room from morning to evening. This is why walls and furniture look so gentle.

Among the current solutions:

• White . But here it is not as sparkling as in the Scandinavian style. In Provence, wooden surfaces will be whitish, so the wood texture will show through the paint. And there may even be cracks on the walls. In modern homes this is achieved using the craquelure technique.
• Cream, sand, light beige . A great color for a background. This palette pacifies, makes the interior calm, balanced, and elegant.
• Pastel yellow . It is close in tone to the creamy range, but has a sunny, energetic character. With such a background, the atmosphere is dynamic and bright. Here, everything certainly seems flooded with sunlight - so much so that you want to close your eyes and even close the curtains. Although in such a living room there are no thick curtains.

• Barely noticeable blue or green . Bleached pastel colors of sky and greenery are suitable for backgrounds, ornaments, and accents.
• Light lavender . A characteristic color for decoration in the Provence style, which in a living room setting can be present in both light notes and the intense shade of a real flower.
• Terracotta . Natural color of clay and brick. It can also be present in its pure form - in floor coverings and wall masonry. But it will be the color of dried clay - slightly whitish and, of course, faded.
• Turquoise . These are often used as color accents in the romantic Provence style. But they are unlikely to be saturated. As a rule, this is the shade of patterns, embroidery, utensils, and a small amount of textiles in the living room.

Gray notes can be used to create a play of light and shadow to emphasize or imitate enhanced natural light in any weather.

French country is a really light visually, bright and spacious interior. Basically, Provence ideas come down to choosing a white, cream or beige base, on which floral patterns are harmoniously superimposed. And they can be made in lilac, blue, green, gold, bronze, terracotta palette.

Decoration Materials

To decorate the living room, exclusively natural materials are used. Although recently this rule has been increasingly violated due to the high cost and massiveness of such decoration elements. But artificially created materials should also give the impression of a natural finish.

Floor decoration

Wood is ideal for flooring. It could be:

• bleached or untreated board;
• parquet and parquet boards;
• terracotta tiles.

More modern ways of creating a cozy floor are laying light textured wood-like laminate flooring or porcelain stoneware.

A small rug will add extra comfort to the living room. Most often, plain fluffy options are chosen, but a light floral pattern won’t hurt.

Wall decoration

To design vertical partitions use:

• matte paint;
• ordinary or decorative plaster;
• wallpaper;
• light-colored decorative bricks or cubes additionally painted with white paint, through which the natural color of the finish will appear;
• solid board or laminate.

The last two options mainly help create an accent wall.

Wallpaper in the Provence style for the living room is selected from the paper segment and is distinguished by a delicate background and small patterns of flowers, light bouquets, and medallions.

Paint and plaster may not be applied very carefully: small abrasions, brush marks, and unpainted areas will give the room a charming charm. But it is important to grasp the limit beyond which such negligence will look like a flaw and hint at the owners’ lack of taste or money for normal repairs.

Ceiling decoration

With the ceiling it's even easier. The best friends of the premises owners will be:

• coloring;
• whitewash.

Satin stretch fabric that has the effect of antique plaster is allowed.

For a high room, wooden beams will be a nice variety of calm white colors. Moreover, their color must match the color of the window frames or furniture.

A simple flat ceiling is decorated with a beautiful chandelier

Interior decoration of the living room in Provencal style

Having determined the color palette of the design, it is important to select materials that will best realize the idea and character of the interior.

1. The simplest and most discreet surfaces are the ceiling and floor . The top of the living room is simply painted or whitewashed. The ceiling in the Provencal style is decorated with elegant fillets - ceiling plinths. Wooden beams in a light wood shade can be used here, but this is not a prerequisite.
2. The living room floor is most often covered with wood - boards or, of course, laminate . These are also bleached, light surfaces. But the climate of the French province itself is quite warm, and therefore ceramic tiles are often used in local homes. In Russian climatic conditions, its use is of little use for a living room, since the tile remains quite cool even in summer. But in winter, few people will like this property of the tile, so it is recommended to lay it only with heating. Although many will prefer wood coverings, which by their very appearance make the room warmer.
3. The design of a living room in the Provence style involves finishing the walls with simple materials that will not force you to hire highly qualified workers and will not require unnecessary costs . Repairs are most often carried out using wallpaper in the Provence style - in this case, light coverings with a small floral pattern are chosen for the living room. You can also choose a strip to match this finish in order to combine patterns. This technique allows you to achieve harmony and make the interior even more elegant.

Decorating a living room in the Provence style does not exclude the use of exquisite classic items, but without unnecessary pomp and pretentiousness. These can be simple wooden products with moldings, carvings, and unobtrusive openwork details. Along with them, wooden panels - bleached and cracked in places - are appropriate for finishing.

The light, delicate and romantic interior of the living room in the Provence style involves both simple and sophisticated decoration and furnishings. Other details are also designed to emphasize its grace - a classic, but not bulky chandelier, a table lamp with a textile lampshade, fresh bouquets of lilacs or even lavender.

Interior finishing: what materials to choose

Deliberate simplicity, French charm - this is how you can characterize the Provence style. Many owners of houses, cottages and country apartments have difficulty choosing finishing materials. Everything is brilliantly simple and everything simple is brilliant! Use wood, glass, natural stone, leather, textiles in the living room.

The main finishing material is wood in all variations; plastic and chrome are practically never found

See alsoFrench style in the interior

Walls

An ideal option for a living room in Provencal style is decorative plaster. The construction market offers a wide range of compositions of various textures and shades. So choosing the right plaster will not be difficult. In addition, the material has high performance characteristics, is used as insulation, hides wall imperfections, does not absorb odors, can be further painted and does not require special care.

If you are not satisfied with the plaster on the walls, use paintable wallpaper

Wallpaper is used less frequently for surface finishing. Many designers believe that paper wall coverings are an outdated option. But in practice this is far from the case. Combinations of different wallpapers are appropriate: plain and patterned. The main thing is not to make a mistake with the shade. Give preference to paper coverings in natural colors: white, milky, beige.

Floral wallpaper will come in handy in a recreation area

Well, remember about the paint. A distinctive feature of the Provence style is surfaces faded from the scorching Mediterranean sun. Choose a color composition of bleached and faded shades for the living room. Shades of lavender, yellow, sand and terracotta will look non-trivial and fresh when decorating the interior.

See alsoDecor in Provence style

Floor

No linoleum, parquet or carpet for the living room. A good solution is to buy a wide wooden floorboard. But such coverage will require considerable financial costs. More budget options will come to the rescue, for example, wood-look laminate.

The plank floor can only be lightly coated with matte varnish

Ceramic flooring - an option for a thick wallet

It is appropriate to use artificially aged ceramic tiles or solid stone. Pay attention to the color of the flooring. Material in dark brown, graphite and black colors will visually narrow the room. Stick to light and warm shades.

See alsoInterior design of a living room with a fireplace

Ceiling

The choice of coverage directly depends on the size of the living room. For a large room, choose a wooden ceiling. French style involves the use of materials that have darkened and faded with time. But if there are none, a wooden ceiling with skillfully decorated ceilings will do. If desired, the surface can be painted with white or beige paint. Play with contrast, cover the ceiling with a light coloring agent, and leave the beams dark.

You can leave a flat ceiling simply white or add decorative wooden beams

It will be chic if the wood on the ceiling supports a single design style, displayed in furniture legs, tabletops or decorative elements

Plaster is suitable for finishing the ceiling of a small living room. But it should not be perfectly even and smooth. Use a matte relief composition that imitates the textures of natural materials. The fashionable “art concrete” decor is widely used to style the ceiling. Give preference to warm and light shades. The correct choice of ceiling color will visually enlarge the room.

See alsoDesign of a living room with a bay window

Living room in Provence style in an apartment

People rarely decide to create an elegant interior in an apartment, fearing that there will not be enough space, the necessary atmosphere or light. But this design direction is suitable even for a small living room; the design will make it quite bright, spacious, and sunny.

To do this, you will need to work a little, because you will still have to correct some of the shortcomings of multi-story buildings, while private construction is initially adjusted to the wishes of the owners.

• Provence style in the interior of an apartment begins with the choice of palette - the living room should be flooded with light. The white, light yellow, and cream shades described above are suitable for this.
• For floors, choose a laminate made of whitish, possibly gray wood.
• Floral wallpaper is suitable for wall decoration . It is advisable to choose non-contrasting materials so that the pattern does not take on the main role in the composition. It will be a soft leitmotif in the decor, creating a positive romantic mood. This decoration is suitable for any room - both the living room and the bedroom in the Provence style can be comfortable and harmonious. It should be noted that interior doors should let in as much light as possible.
• You should choose furniture that is not bulky - wooden, but without massive parts . To make it visually take up even less space, it is worth painting the wood in the main color of the interior.

Most often they choose white or cream. Furniture decor would be appropriate - a little unobtrusive carving typical of this style, painting, moldings. A living room in a Khrushchev building cannot be too crowded. Open shelves, cabinets and racks are suitable here, on which you can put small things in wicker baskets. This will help hide the accumulation of small items from view and keep the room tidy. Even by the sofa, you can put something like a stool with a shelf under the main surface, where you can put a basket for remote controls, phone chargers, glasses, etc.

• There will be no unnecessary decor here, as in a spacious house . The chandelier and other accessories should be chosen to be laconic. For example, a lamp can be elegant, but not overly lush. Three lampshades on metal openwork “branches” imitating forging are enough.

To make the Provence style as authentic as possible, it is better to exclude details that could spoil the atmosphere. Just a few touches, and the living room will turn out to be as sunny as if your house is on the Mediterranean coast.

Characteristic decorative elements and accessories

Wooden walls, ceilings and floors are a natural background, which opens up wide possibilities for decorating a living room in a wooden house. The combination of natural textured wood with stone, metal, porcelain, glass, cotton and linen fabrics looks completely natural. If natural wood is used to decorate the walls and ceiling at the same time, then the Provence style living room turns out to be especially cozy. A characteristic detail of many wooden houses is the presence of wooden beams in the ceiling. Their presence in itself favorably emphasizes the features of the rustic style. This ceiling decor can be further highlighted in two ways: by painting the ceiling white or the beams themselves in a darker color. This technique works for rooms with both high and low ceilings.

If the living room in a wooden house has access to the terrace, then it is important that wide glazed doors be installed. When Provence is chosen as a design style, modern sliding systems will look like alien objects. In this case, a wooden classic in a natural color is suitable.

A rather effective technique for visually expanding the space in the living rooms of wooden houses is bleaching the wood. For old houses, this is the fastest, relatively inexpensive way to return the walls and ceiling to their original appearance. At the same time, the wood looks updated and completely realistic. If the combination of natural shades of wood with stone and iron elements is more typical for the chalet style, then its white color is the ideal background for Provence. The main thing is to place the accents correctly. For classic Provence, it is completely natural to have a large number of original accessories that emphasize the style. It can be:

• fresh flowers in hanging flowerpots;
• paintings in old frames on the walls;
• family photos;
• porcelain dishes and figurines arranged in cabinets and on shelves;
• original dolls, macrame, knitted items;
• small bouquets of dried flowers and herbs in vases with a vintage design.

Provence professes rustic efficiency, in which every household item has a place in the household. For this reason, a large number of small accessories have become a distinctive feature of Provence. However, everything is good in moderation. When selecting accessories for a living room in a wooden house, you should be guided by the principle of reasonable sufficiency and avoid clutter. Despite the fact that Provence does not imply luxury and special frills, it is an excellent style for experimentation. The natural texture of wood allows you to complement any living area within the style and achieve the desired result.

Decorating the living room in the house

In a private house, decorating a living room in the Provence style is much easier than in an apartment, especially if you plan the interior at the construction stage. Then you can combine the hall with the kitchen and/or dining room. In addition, you can arrange wide doorways with two doors, bright transitions between rooms, and large windows.

This will help to realize Provence in a country house exactly as it can be, especially if you follow a few simple rules.

• The rooms should have many windows . They are decorated with light curtains with a floral pattern. Such curtains in the same colors as the wallpaper look harmonious. Of course, if you cannot sleep with translucent curtains, you can use roller blinds, roller blinds, and Roman models in private homes. When assembled, they are practically invisible, so they do not participate in the composition and do not spoil it.
• There should be a lot of textiles in such an interior . Your own handicraft or custom-made linen, cotton napkins, tablecloths, and curtains will come in handy. By the way, even in the kitchen, instead of facades, curtains are often used. It is customary to sew special covers even on upholstered furniture with suitable upholstery. All textile elements can be decorated with a rough rope for fastening - curtains, covers, bedspreads.

• At the dacha or just in a country house, it is desirable that doors lead from the Provence style living room to the terrace . Whether there will be a luxurious view from here will depend on how it will turn out - the plots are still different, and it is not always possible to acquire a special one. But it is important that wide glazed doors lead to the terrace itself - not modern sliding systems covering the entire wall, but classic wooden ones, painted white. By the way, the glass in such canvases can also be covered with a translucent flowered curtain.
• The Provence living room is not very harmonious for wooden houses - they are more associated with a particularly warm Alpine chalet than with French seaside country, but if you already have a desire to build just such a cottage, you should paint the interior walls in a bleached background color.
• You can often see that the furniture in the kitchen and dining room combined with the living room is quite rough . In fact, this is typical for country music, but not for its French direction, where national sophistication is still preserved. Therefore, white wooden furniture, elegant and thin, or wicker would be more acceptable.

The photo shows an elegant interior of a dining room in Provence style.

Textile

A cozy style is simply impossible to imagine without an abundance of home textiles.

Translucent curtains in the Provence style for the living room, photos of which amaze with their elegant simplicity, allow sunlight and fresh air to easily pass through.

Soft folds emphasize the charm of the design, while the monotony or lightness of the fabric patterns bring calm and comfort.

Sofas and armchairs are decorated with pillows of all kinds and knitted blankets. The tables boast napkins and tablecloths.

Choosing furniture

It's no secret that the interior is formed not only by decoration, but also by furniture. In the living room, this is at least a sofa, cabinet storage, perhaps a couple more armchairs, a coffee table, and nightstands. Depending on the area of ​​the living room, both the equipment and the size of the furniture group depend, and its design, color, shape and decor depend on the style.

Furniture for a living room in the Provence style usually repeats the background color - if the walls are white (even with a pattern), then the set will be the same, but the sofa can be brighter, but only due to a more colorful and small ornament. Classics are applicable in such an interior - elegant, but not solemn, objects. These are curved legs, aged painted wood carvings, and sometimes paintings. The subjects of such paintings are obvious - landscapes characteristic of the province. These are the same olive groves, lavender fields, and the sea.

The wall in the living room in the Provence style can also be “country” - with ventilated facades, covered with wooden slats, located parallel or crosswise. Such products are in harmony with wicker furniture, typical for terraces and relaxing interiors.

But built-in solutions are also appropriate here - dressing rooms the full height of the room, closed with sliding doors, which are made using the same technique using slats. Classic portals, moldings, and baseboards are used in the decor of such paintings.

As a rule, the wall in the Provence living room merges with the walls, although its facades somehow stand out from the texture of the finish. At the same time, glass facades are also appropriate, behind which not only porcelain tableware is “hidden,” but also bottles of wine, olive oil, and a mortar for spices. Even the living room can store similar things, especially if the kitchen is located next door.

If the work area is completely separated from the guest area, beautiful bottles, vases, figurines, vases, dried bouquets, elegant glasses, collector's editions, and baskets with handicrafts would be more suitable for a sideboard. If you doubt that you will choose a similar decor, it is better to choose opaque facades.

Furniture selection

Furniture in the Provencal style plays not only a functional, but also a decorative role. It is appropriate to use vintage furniture for the living room. But the price can be extremely high in brick-and-mortar stores and on online trading platforms. Visit a flea market. Retro-style furniture will definitely be found there and will cost a pretty penny.

Furniture must maintain the reputation of the room in which more than one generation of household members grew up

Furniture type	Characteristics
Chairs	Made of natural wood, with rounded backs and carved legs, forged elements are acceptable.
Sofa	Light shades, decorated with a blanket or sofa cushions of a single color or with a floral pattern.
Dresser	Massive, but without sharp corners, with scuffs and a touch of antiquity.
Armchairs	Can be from the same set with a sofa. The use of wicker chairs with medium-height armrests is encouraged.
Coffee or dining table	Made of wood, has a rounded tabletop, legs can be forged with a slight bend.

Furniture upholstery with ornaments in the spirit of Russian Gzhel painting is perfect for the French style.

There can be a lot of sofa pillows, even a lot. They perfectly complement the interior and create comfort and coziness.

The interior of the living room in Provence style is soft and delicate. Therefore, it is highly undesirable to use furniture that is outlined with a rectangular profile in geometric shapes. Avoid sharp corners. It is better to pay attention to objects of round or oval shapes.

See alsoCreating a modern living room interior

Fireplace in a Provencal style living room

A frequent guest in a Provence style interior is the hearth. If in the kitchen it can imitate a real stove or be designed in the form of a classic portal with ceramic cladding, then in a living room with a fireplace it can be a discreet niche not so much for fire as for decoration. Among the antique models are stoves with tiled cladding - an elegant decoration of a rustic French interior.

If you can’t decorate the interior with a fireplace, its imitation will help create additional comfort. And this is not an electrical device, but a small recess in the wall with a design in the form of a portal without pretentiousness or excessive elegance. It is customary to place a lot of candles here, which will ultimately create the right atmosphere and delight you with live fire and warmth.

Kitchen decoration

Use a white leitmotif to decorate a kitchen in Provence style. To prevent the room from looking like a hospital ward, add bright accents. French style is unthinkable without an archaic element. Achieving this effect is not difficult. Place a floor ceramic vase with artificial lavender in the far corner, and hang a painted plate on the wall opposite.

Kitchen in Provence style with white furniture

A kitchen set from floor to ceiling, decorated in light shades, will not look heavy and massive. Color solutions can be completely different: all shades of beige, pistachio, variations of blue and light brown. Choose facades with panels and inserts made of durable glass. Elements made of metal and iron will fit into the interior: handles for cabinets and doors.

A distinctive feature of the Provence style is the display of kitchen utensils

Open shelves are an invariable attribute in the Provencal style. Decorate them with containers for bulk drinks, decorated using decoupage technique, and place a tea set on the surface. Well, don’t forget about textiles. Place a tablecloth and napkins on the dining table, decorate the windows with curtains, tulle or light curtains.

It is quite appropriate to combine artsy elements with simple accessories.

Many apartment owners wonder how appropriate it is to combine household appliances with a vintage kitchen set. Such a tandem has a place to be, because the French style is a kind of cocktail of deliberate old-fashionedness and technological progress.

See alsoDesign of a small living room - secrets of designers

Living room decor in Provence style

Provence will appeal to those who love simple but sophisticated interiors without pretentiousness or frills. The style is ideal because you can express your good taste, subtle sense of beauty, and show your creativity in handicrafts. Here, a lot can be done with your own hands - curtains in the Provence style for the hall can be embroidered or sewn from a suitable fabric. Tablecloths, covers for sofas or armchairs, and curtains for cabinets instead of facades would be appropriate from the same fabric. By the way, only natural materials are used in this interior, so as covers for upholstered furniture they will not reduce the level of comfort.

The photo shows a Provence style living room with unobtrusive decor.

In addition to textiles, a Provence living room can have quite a lot of decor:

• retro cages with or without birds;
• paintings with characteristic landscapes;
• live bouquets in a lavender palette or in the same color as the curtains;
• plants in tubs;
• groups of preferably old photographs - on one wall or on the fireplace, on a high chest of drawers;
• forged chandeliers;
• floor lamps with fabric lampshades;
• porcelain and crystal dishes in the sideboard;
• chests and wicker baskets.

Finding suitable decorations for the interior is not so difficult - just take antique or stylized items. But the main thing is not to overdo it. It’s better to abandon unnecessary details if you doubt their organic nature.

In general, Provence is a style that will allow you to relax even in a city apartment, like in a country house or on the seashore. A living room with such a design is always a sunny mood, given not only by the color palette, but also by southern French aromas.

Adviсe

1. Furniture can be not only light in color. When painting furniture, colors found in nature in the Provence region of France are used. This contrast of colors will give the living room the mood of eternal summer.
2. Metal objects should always be complemented by wooden ones
3. Massive furniture will not look good in a small living room.
4. Provence cannot do without pillows and curtains. These details add comfort and simplicity.
5. If the sofa upholstery is bright, then the pillows should be plain. And vice versa.
6. Curtains, pillows, tablecloths with flowers are ideal for a Provence style living room. In addition to flowers, checks or stripes are used.
7. Curtains are made from natural fabrics. Curtains are usually light.
8. Flowers are used as decoration in living rooms. Not only beautiful bouquets of fresh flowers are popular, but also topiaries.

When decorating living rooms, Provence combines functionality with romanticism. It has become very popular to decorate living rooms in Provence style. This style is suitable for country houses. But this style also looks good in small apartments. Provence is a universal style that will suit any living room.