Wrought iron hinges add elegance to rustic furniture in French Country design.
Fabric swatches, color palettes, furniture design selection, wall treatments -- coming up with a cohesive interior design can be overwhelming for fledgling designers. Selecting one specific decorative style of the many that have developed over the centuries narrows the focus as each have distinctive style lines, design patterns and color palettes that tend to work well with one another. Does this Spark an idea?
Mid-Century Modern
To get a quick picture of the Mid-Century Modern design style, imagine or find an image of the retro, molded-plastic egg chairs of the 1960s. Words like sleek, curved, ergonomic, even space-age come to mind as descriptors -- words which also sum up the basics of the Mid-Century Modern decorative style. However, Mid-Century Modern encompasses more than the 1960s and early 1970s; most design experts include the modern designs of post-WWII 1940s and 1950s while others expand the design style to incorporate the sleek Art Deco designs of the early 1930s. Whatever decade your furniture and accessory selections come from, just ensure they have curving, organic lines, shiny plastic or lacquer surfaces and a high color contrast, which pairs bright, light colors with dark, almost black hues.
French Country
The country style typically includes rough-hewn wood, gingham and vintage crocks, but French Country has a touch more elegance and refinement. Plank board curios or cabinets are finished with ornate hinges and are typically painted in light colors, such as pale blue or butter yellow, rather than stained a natural wood tone. Furnishings in a French Country design tend toward more formal lines in style, such as Louis XIV chairs, however these chairs in their original condition are not typically French Country. Give the formal furniture of traditional French design the appropriate country look by painting out the woodwork with light paint colors and recover the cushions in classic toile fabric.
Eclectic
Place oriental silkscreen prints suspended over a contemporary sofa that is next to a rustic wood table enhanced with sleek, modern accessories; at first glance, the eclectic decor style might seem too advanced for all but the most seasoned designers. The secret to creating the eclectic style, without resorting to getting a degree in design, is to find a simple, common theme other than the specific time period or culture. A narrow, refined color palette, such as browns, burgundies and golds, creates continuity in a design scheme that might otherwise seem a chaotic jumble of decor styles. Opposites do attract in design, so pair intricate patterns near solid, unadorned objects to keep the room from looking busy.
Tags: French Country, Mid-Century Modern, color palettes, Country design, decorative style, design style, French Country design
