French Country Kitchen Style Essentials
French country kitchens are the centre of the home where family and friends gather and cooking rules! French country kitchen style is a rustic chic style which is loved around the world, and by following a few essential design and decor fundamentals, you can create a French country kitchen for yourself anywhere too.
If you can't get yourself to France to purchase French branded products or source antique market finds, then maybe sympathetically and locally sourced or online products (while keeping true to style), is the answer for you. After living part-time in France for 16 years, I've noticed how the French decorate and use their kitchens and how important a role this room plays in their everyday lives. Whether it's a huge kitchen in the lower part of a chateau or a smaller room in a village home, there are recurring colours, architectural features, classic furniture pieces and quintessential cooking and decor items.
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A corner of my French kitchen
My 12 french country kitchen style essentials
I've narrowed all my observations into a 12 point essentials list that will help you bring a sense of French country flair to your kitchen. I've included beautiful examples from Instagram, rather than share photos from my friends' private homes and châteaux.
1. A rustic table
Probably the most used table in any house is the kitchen table. At times they double up as a homework bench, 'round-table' for family chats, food preparation area, extra bench space or used as designed - the eating of meals! Whatever your kitchen table does, a rustic looking one that best fits your space is most in keeping with french kitchens.
For smaller kitchens, it can be an island in rustic wood, or painted in traditional colours with or without hooks for towels and pots, or shelves for cooking bowls.
2. A wooden cabinet
Continuing with classic furniture pieces in the kitchen is the wooden cabinet. Wood is the main material used in a French country kitchen, and is the predominant material of chairs, table, cupboards, shelves and display cabinets! Clear ancient or polished new wood is an elegant choice, but very popular is also the painted cabinet.
If you choose to update your furniture with paint, or purchase already painted furniture, then opt for neutral colours like white, beige, or grey. For a little more colour, French green or French blue are also good choices.
At our house we inherited a veneer cabinet in a rather ugly brown, but after painting it with Liberon Milk Paint - Stone, it now blends into the surrounding walls. Looking a lot more attractive, it now prettily holds a few pieces from my Spode Blue Italian china collection and antique white soup tureens.
3. French baskets
Wicker baskets are used to store fruit, bread, eggs, flowers or even folded linens. They are functional by offering extra storage space while being decorative and especially interesting if you can find an antique one.
Also found in most French kitchens is the iconic market shopping basket. Stacked against the cabinet ready to grab and take to the market or hanging on the wall or in the hallway, they can be used in between market visits to hold dried flowers, or large vegetables.
4. French pottery
Start making your French country kitchen unique by adding your personal touch with French pottery. Utensil crocks, soup tureens, cake stands, jars, jugs and canisters - the more the merrier!
Gather them according to colour and style or mix them up with varying texture and size and put them on display. On open shelves, beside the kitchen sink or oven, or in your cabinet - they deserve to be displayed and loved. Whether you prefer white ironstone, transfer wear or rustic earthenware, it all sings French country and will add charm to your kitchen.
5. A chandelier
No matter what age your home or style of room you're looking to refresh or completely change, I'm a firm believer that a chandelier is a must-have! Whether you decide to install an antique brass chandelier, newer glass or wooden one or funky black metal one, a chandelier adds an instant focal point. You may be surprised to see just how many French kitchens have a chandelier taking centre stage in the kitchen.
While my husband didn't entirely agree with me at first, he's come around to love the antique chandeliers we've added to our home in the guest bedrooms, and you guessed it - also the kitchen. Can a girl ever have too much sparkle and crystal in her life?
6. Patterned kitchen linens
Classic French linen is easily recognisable in its plain but striking stripes. Well known for its thickness due to the quality of the fibres, and its longevity, French linens are loved the world over. France's history of manufacturing kitchen linens is an ancient and proud one.
Adding good quality French linens in classic stripes to your kitchen will add instant charm and of course be very practical. Keep your tea-towels handy by hanging them on brass hooks or draping them over oven rails. Using tablecloths takes a little more effort in the laundry, but I adore the casual elegance linen tablecloths add to our meal times, and frankly life is too short, not to enjoy the simple pleasure of a well set table. Add good quality French branded cutlery and meal times will be extra special.
7. A chicken wire shelf
Chicken wire shelves and cabinets are found more in farmhouses than French manoirs or châteaux, but they are definitely still an essential when decorating a more rustic village home or farmhouse.
Chicken wire looks great when used for larger shelving cabinets but, as you'll find more often in France, smaller cabinets or boxes are more the norm when looking for chicken wire furniture. If you like the look of wire and open metal, but would prefer it used on a smaller scale, then you can simply add a chicken wire basket or two to your kitchen. Place on your bench-top and add eggs or fruit, or hang from a copper pot hanger.
8. Copper pans
Decorative and functional, a collection of copper pans is a must-have. Lasting a lifetime, they are a good investment and offer superior cooking qualities. I find them sturdy and love the way they glow in my kitchen and cook my food.
If you enjoy cooking, I suggest buying new pots like I have. However, I've also got a collection of old pots that I've collected over the years from flea markets and antique stores, that are decorative only. The bonus of flea market finds is that they'll be a fraction of the cost and will have a wonderful patina to them.
9. Decorative boards
Breadboards and cheeseboards are part of a functional kitchen and the bonus of these boards is they add texture to the room if you store them in a handy spot that doubles up as a display.
Best styled with a couple of different sized boards of various wood types and colour intensity, this mix and match approach adds a casual charm. We have a few boards resting against the kitchen splash-back and a couple hanging from the under-shelf brass rod. Easy to grab and quick to use, I love the deep earthy vibe they bring to my white kitchen.
10. Mismatched wooden chairs
Whether you have a table or an island, try to have different wooden chair styles. Opt for chairs with a rustic style yet an elegant shape or design and of course, comfort is paramount.
For safety, I recommend getting any repairs done to strengthen wobbly chair legs and getting an expert to repair any broken rattan if you purchase vintage or antique chairs.
11. Fresh flowers or herbs
Flowers or herbs in pots, jars or vases is a simple but beautiful way to decorate your kitchen. Having fresh herbs nearby is key to cooking delicious meals and you can never have too many flowers in your home. Cut flowers and greenery collected from your garden work well in an informal kitchen space, rather than formal arranged bouquets. A row of random small vases each with one flower will sit prettily on any window sill when pressed for space.
Herbs growing in terracotta pots or standing in earthenware crocks seems to bring the outside in with the muted hues of earth, stone and terracotta which then contrasts nicely with the bright green of herbs. This is an easy french country kitchen style essential that you can replicate in any kitchen.
12. Butler sink
Butler sinks or the similar Belfast sink are the deep ceramic sinks you so often see in country styled or farmhouse styled kitchens. They allow for deep pots to be washed easily and are a focal point of the kitchen. Originally designed to conserve water which was often scarce and had to be drawn from wells or rivers, they are now chosen more for their aesthetics than water conservation. The basic difference between the two designs is that Butler sinks are slightly wider and shallower than Belfast models.
If anything brings the biggest impact to a kitchen remodel, I feel it's a new deep sink. Non-porous good quality white ceramic is the traditional look, but deep metal sinks can look amazing too. I love the metal sink (below) in the kitchen of Le Mas des Poiriers the 18th century farmhouse in Provence, located on an island in the Rhone River.
So there you have my 12 French country kitchen style essentials. By adding just a few key pieces you can quickly change the look of your kitchen, and if you continue to make small changes, over time you'll achieve your dreamy French country kitchen.
If you can't wait to get started, but are not able to go to France straight away, I've included some links to products I love on Amazon (quality French brands and French inspired) that will help you create the look you want. If you do purchase anything I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can see my full shop collection here.
Happy decorating!
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