Have you ever wanted to have the casual elegance of French country design in the comforts of your own home yet are worried that it will cost an arm and a leg? Do you have that moment where you’ve been captivated by the beauty of how the Southern French ornament their homes but don’t have enough money to do a total renovation?

As an interior designer, I always work within the means of my clients – and I can proudly say that you do not have to be rich to achieve your dream look. Well worry not, because I have ways on how to achieve the French country look even on a shoestring budget!

PHOTO: Courtesy of Overstock — **PHOTO:** Courtesy of Overstock

Wood

Every house definitely has some wood on it – whether it’s doors, furniture or flooring. Use them to your advantage – the people from Provençe love to include wood in their designs. You may even paint them too!

For wood furniture (tables, organizers, et al), paint them in a different tone or shade as your wall—that means go lighter and brighter or go deeper and darker. For the doors, paint in warm, pastel colors to give it more character!

Paint

Use soft colors for your walls like lavender, pale purple, and soft blue. This will give your room a sense of calmness. If you want to give a striking impression, you can also use warm sunny colors – warm yellows and golds.

Plants

The French love the outdoors. They want to be with nature and appreciate its beauty. Invite the French vibe in your home by adding some ornamental plants to add a sense of calmness in your interior. You can place them atop your study table for small ones, and near the fireplace for bigger plants.

Looking for another alternative for plants? Fresh produce will do! Common vegetables can be a good addition to those ornamental plants. Just put your decorative vegetables in a nice basket or in a wooden bowl.

Furniture

Most Provençe-themed homes include classic country furniture such as ladderback chairs, hutches, trestle tables among others (check out my newsletter for more information about this - see link at the bottom of this post). Buying furniture is an investment. You may buy brand new furniture if you have the extra cash but if you are on the budget side, you can still use your existing wooden or dining chairs and paint them in your color palette or paint them white.

Use wood carvings or trimmings for accent.

Add a sense of class to your existing furniture by adding trimmings, mouldings, and decorative markings to your furniture. Insignias such as fleur-de-lys, scrolls, shells can be included as design in your wooden cabinets and other furniture. Mouldings and decorative markings can be put in your wooden racks, kitchen doors, and even in your chairs. You can purchase these trimmings in your nearest home depot and paint them accordingly.

Patterns

Another inexpensive way to achieve the French country look is with the use of patterns. You can buy pillow sheets, table runners, tablecloths, and even rugs that contain floral patterns, accents, botanical prints or toile (a single colored pattern with a pastoral scene usually in white background).

Decorate with a painting on a wall!

Finally, every French country-inspired home contains at least one painting. This does not mean buying expensive paintings by the way. Look for local painters with country style themes like fruits, florals, or botanical prints.

There you have it! Simple tips to achieve your dream French country look on your home even on a shoestring amount. Happy decorating!