Provence style cabinets in the interior

So you want the house to be gentle, warm and cozy. This can be achieved with the help of appropriate styles in the interior, for example, by decorating a room a la Provence. He will bring a touch of rustic good-naturedness and homeliness to housing, which is sometimes so lacking in modern city apartments.

This fashion trend originated in 18th century France as a design element for country houses and estates.

Such dwellings had their own characteristics. These include wall decoration with simple paper wallpaper with floral and plant motifs that would symbolize closeness to nature. There are other options: restrained monochromatic wallpaper of harmonious colors, natural motifs, which look especially impressive if they are in harmony with the landscape outside the window. Also, the walls began to be finished with expensive textiles and wood panels.

Since the construction of houses in those years was extremely simple, load-bearing wooden beams under the ceiling often remained hidden in the premises. It happened that they were not even painted. Modern designers use this technique on purpose, sometimes artificially attaching such beams. The combination of rough wood grain and delicate floral motifs creates a touching and stylish contrast.

Natural materials are inherent in this interior. Furniture in this style must certainly be very elegant. Forged interior elements that always look unusual will do. Beds are most often made in this way, but dressing tables, cabinets and other items are also found.

Also, carved wooden cabinets, bedside tables and dressers, especially deliberately "shabby" or stylized antique ones, are perfectly combined with this style. They are very atmospheric and textured, which is why they are so good for this style.

The color scheme of the Provence direction is gentle and close to nature. Pastel colors are often used here: delicate shades of blue, lilac, pink, beige, olive, mint, lavender, etc. They can be diluted with white or gray, or combined with each other. The texture of natural wood, especially bleached wood, is welcome.

Accessories are very important for this style. First of all, in such an interior there are a lot of textiles, ruffles, frills. These can be bedspreads, tablecloths, lace napkins, upholstery and lampshade fabric. Since the most common Provence pattern is considered to be a small floral ornament, you need to make sure that the design of the textiles is combined with the walls, and that the variety of colors does not ripple in the eyes.

There are always a lot of various decorative details in such rooms. You can experiment with wooden and wrought-iron photo frames on the nightstands and walls.

Such rooms should have a lot of light and space.Often, to achieve this, several small mirrors are used, located in different corners of the room.

Curtains on the windows should be light and weightless, otherwise the abundance of fabric and decorative knick-knacks will make the room look like a chest.

A Provence style wardrobe must necessarily combine two elements: reliability and beauty. It must be made of quality materials and last for several generations. It should be comfortable to use and roomy.

The aesthetic aspect is also important - after all, the French always attach great importance to details in design. Even the largest multi-door wardrobe in this style looks light and weightless thanks to its light colors and sleek design.

Provence style wardrobes are most often made of wood. They can have hinged or sliding doors and vary in size.

These cabinets can be one-, two- and three-door. Usually in one of the sections there is a bar to hang clothes on the hangers, and in another section or several compartments there are shelves for smaller wardrobe items. The wardrobe can be equipped with drawers at the bottom, which allow it to combine the functions of a chest of drawers.

The brighter the accent in the room is this piece of furniture, the larger the room should be. It must be remembered that simpler models are much easier to fit into the interior than large and luxurious ones.

Quite often, swing doors have various inserts, for example, mirrors or glass. At the same time, glass can be transparent, playing the role of a showcase (which is not so often found in wardrobes), or with a matte finish.

In addition, various "windows" are carved into the doors.

The larger and more massive such a cabinet, the lower and more stable its legs become. In one- and two-door wardrobes, they can have ornate shapes, resembling, for example, animal paws.

Modern manufacturers propose to slightly modernize this style to make it more acceptable for modern small-sized dwellings. To this end, they came up with sliding-door wardrobes that can be installed in special niches in the walls, saving space, but not getting out of the general stylistic design of the room. It is also permissible for them to be located by themselves.

This is a truly functional piece of furniture. The internal structure of the cabinet allows you to easily place all clothes, linen and accessories, as well as additional bedding sets and accessories for sleeping.

Also occurs wardrobe model on the whole wall. It is made as neutral as possible so as not to attract undue attention to itself. There are also hidden models, when the complete illusion of a simple wall is created. Such options are extremely spacious.

Cupboard or bookcase in the Provence style looks especially organic. Showcase doors allow you to beautifully arrange objects inside so that they are visible to guests of the house, as well as to the owners, since then any thing will be easy to find. These cabinets are usually found in the kitchen, dining room or living room.

They can also be placed in the bathroom. for storing cosmetics, bath accessories and towels.

At the same time, it will look especially stylish if the legs of the cabinet are in harmony with the legs of the bathroom, or the elements of carving and painting of the cabinet with the decoration of the walls.

Over time, wooden pieces of furniture in too humid rooms dry out from the constant changes in climatic conditions, or they become moldy and rot if the room is not dried.

Wine cabinet is not a frequent visitor to modern houses, however, it can also turn out to be a beautiful and functional element of the decor, especially if the owners of the house have an exquisite taste in wines and have a large collection.

It is convenient to store bottles in it, thanks to the special shape of the shelves. The cabinet can be open or have doors. If this item is chosen as an alternative to the cellar and will be located in living areas, for example, in the living room or dining room, it is better to purchase closed versions, since the wine suffers from direct sunlight.

Since among the distinctive features of the Provence style is the use of natural materials, cabinets of any type are made of solid wood. It can be of different species: pine, oak, walnut, elm, etc. The natural texture of the wood is not masked, but rather accentuated. Sometimes it is emphasized by bleaching or aging. The cabinets have a matte finish to give the impression of maximum naturalness.

As for the fittings, it is also preferable to choose natural materials: wood or metal. Keep the metal parts aged as well so that the metallic sheen shines through scratches and scuffs.

The most common Provence style motifs are leaves, flowers, or small landscape sketches in the style of old postcards. You can apply inscriptions in the style of old France, the main thing is to avoid clumsy and overloaded details.

For example, if the cabinet already has a rich cornice decor, carvings along the edges of the doors and massive accented legs, you should refuse additional decorations. Designs and appliqués will look best on simple, medium-sized cabinets with one or two doors.

Among the leading manufacturers we can mention such companies as Pragmatica, La maison, Zanini. They supply furniture of the highest quality, kept in the best traditions of France.

If the closet looks too simple, you can add some extra embellishments. First of all, the model can be aged. In addition, sometimes, to refresh the look of a wooden piece of furniture, it is enough to paint it in a brighter, unexpected color.

It is true that the Provence style takes on subtle and pastel textures. However, one striking object can add zest to the interior.

Another stylish addition to the wardrobe can be a decoupage-style applique. It is not difficult to do this, it is enough to purchase a special glue for decoupage and varnish to fix the result. The base of the drawing can be a doily with an image, a magazine clipping in a suitable style, or special paper that can be purchased at art stores. With this technique, it is possible to cover the entire surface, or to make point applications.

The drawing you like must be fixed on the surface with several layers of transparent glue and varnished. Some companies produce special lines of paper with vintage and antique drawings, it is not difficult to find them.

You can add a metallic sheen with special paints or cover with gilding. The choice is limited only by imagination.

Wardrobes in this style will be appropriate in all areas of the house. They can be placed in the living room, bedroom or hallway, decorated in a suitable way.

• A large wardrobe for outerwear in the hallway looks gentle and restrained. White wood visually expands the space, making the hallway even more spacious. The refreshing blend of whiteness and lavender looks stylish and cozy.
• A dark wood wine cabinet looks simple and at the same time expensive - as befits a truly Provencal decor item.
• A spacious three-door wardrobe with legs is a characteristic element in the Provence style. The simple board is complemented by plant branch appliqués that match the doors in the same spirit. The wardrobe, delicate and not burdened with unnecessary elements, looks airy, despite its size.

To learn how to age furniture with your own hands, see this video.