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Tuscan Country and French Country StylesWhat has captured the imaginations more than the allure of the Tuscan and French Country Styles? These are very romantic styles, unstructured, telling of a life that is lived in harmony with one’s surroundings. The love of good food, good wine and good friendships…the simple life, la dolce vita! How do modern people, living modern lives, get this look of relaxed and casual elegance in their homes? There are some very simple principles which I am happy to share. J The styles of Tuscany and French Country have one thing in common, they are both styles based on the more formal trappings of the nobility. These “high styles” were translated and re-created by the country folk (or provincials) who were less skilled than the artisans of the court and who had fewer and simpler resources….so often you will find classical elements that are not as refined or made of simpler materials or painted roughly…all these things have a charm of their own because the evidence of the hand is there. The difference between Tuscany and the south of France lies in the quality of light and the local colors found in each place. The south of France is influenced by its proximity to the sea and the brilliant reflected light found there. It is the home of the perfume industry and flowers bloom abundantly, especially lavender. The hills of Tuscany have a softer light and the colors are influenced by the warm clay colors found in the local soil. Right away you can see there is a distinction in the two styles. What they do have in common however is a certain unrefined style…draperies may be simple panels, without pleats, perhaps bar tacked at points along a wall. The modern interpretation would be draperies hung from decorative knobs. In French Country in particular, tab-top draperies are common. These are best with cottons, linens and other lighter drapery weight fabrics. The Tuscan look is more apt to include tapestries, and is a bit earthier and a bit more subdued. Warm sienna, red ochre, yellow ochre, olive green, these are the colors which define a Tuscan experience and are those drawn from the very earth itself. French Country is a bit more vibrant, typical of French Country is the periwinkle blue/yellow combination…think about VanGogh’s sunflower paintings and you will have it in a nutshell. Smaller scale patterns are important in the French look and it is not uncommon to have up to 6 to 7 patterns in one room. The secret to combining patterns is not just the color but also to pay attention to scale. You don’t want the scale of any one pattern to repeat itself…wide open patterns, close tightly knit patterns, stripes, paisleys, checks, dots, florals….geometrics, linear, organic. French Country is a microcosm of the land it comes from…a riot of sensory experiences, yet none overwhelm because they are combined in the way they occur in nature. (that’s the secret right there!) Oops, I just gave it away…these are natural looks, when we try too hard, we fall flat on our faces. The Tuscan and French Country styles are unpretentious, not one bit matchy-matchy, and simple. It should look as if it had always been there. These secrets are held in the details. Although details are often minute, they carry a big punch and can make or break a design plan. Here’s the recipe: Wrought iron and natural wood |
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