Our love for the rustic French farmhouse look in our homes never seems to fade. Elegant, rustic, laid-back and romantic, it’s an oxymoron of styles all working in beautiful harmony.
Before we look at how to create the French farmhouse style in the dining room, first, let’s understand how this look evolved! This style is said to have been originated by Louis XIV as he lavishly renovated the palace of Versailles in the 1600s. Over the years it has been downscaled and adapted to suit chic Parisienne apartments as well as a more country style in quaint country homes in Provence. A mix of classic style and rustic furniture, chic French farmhouse interiors is now as popular here in the UK as it is with our Gaelic neighbours.
How to create a French country dining room
We all have that image of a large rustic dining table next to a French door opening onto a lavender-scented garden with sheer nets blowing in a gentle warm breeze and whilst that may be difficult to replicate in many urban homes, you can bring a touch of French farmhouse to your dining room no matter where you live.
For fear of stating the obvious, the dining table is the most important item in the dining room. To get the French country style look you should match classic accents with homely rustic furniture. The Colette refectory reclaimed wood dining table is a perfect centerpiece for your room and brimming with French charm. The natural rough finish allows the knots, grains and splits of the reclaimed wood to shine through, which is just what your dining space requires. With a gorgeous rustic dining table in the room, next you need to complement it with some suitable dining chairs. For this, we think upholstered dining chairs covered in light linen, such as the Natural Sand Button Back dining chair, will sit prettily next to the rustic wood. The feature button back brings some classical style, whilst the modern shape keeps it on-trend.
The Derby collection is just made for the French Country dining room. This reclaimed wood furniture collection is skillfully crafted using salved wood with many pieces featuring decorative finishes, it includes a wooden sideboard for dining room storage. Another great choice is the Worcester white farmhouse table. This statement farmhouse dining table with white painted monastery style legs has all the charm you need for this look.
If you are seeking a more polished take on French farmhouse design, we suggest steering away from pale and rough wooden furniture and instead choose a farmhouse dining table with a soft smooth finish.
The Ringwood mango wood dining table with its rich homely colour is great for adding instant warmth in a dining space. Keep walls natural by using stone, bare brick or even smooth plaster and let the honeyed hue of the wood bring a glow to the room.
When it comes to décor and the finishing touches there are many wonderful ways you can cement the look, including decorative chandeliers or wall lights to add a lovely contrast to the rustic wood. Keep colours mainly neutral, but you can consider a printed wallpaper on a feature wall to add some interest – a pale blue or green print is ideal for a French feel. Also on the walls add a wall mirror or gold decorative frames and, of course, make the most of any original features you have in the room whether it is wood panelling, a fireplace, skirting boards or cornicing.