~~ Six Ways to Add French Soul to your Kitchen ~~

Many of us who love the ease and warmth of French Country style would like
to enhance that feeling in our kitchens -- the heart of our home.

So, here are six simple ways I add some warm and welcoming
French soul to my kitchen.

TEXTURE 

1. Mixing textured and smooth surfaces, vintage and modern, old brick and stone, wood and tile all contribute to a rich depth in the kitchen.

Marble countertops look beautiful but stain easily and require maintenance so you could consider white quartz or butcher block. I have a slab of marble on top of a wooden cabinet that satisfies my "marble envy" without having to re-do my countertops. 

FURNITURE 

2. Most authentic French Country kitchens do not have built-in cabinets. Rather they incorporate stand-alone furniture such as hutches, armoires, cupboards and open shelving.

This small cabinet gives my kitchen a curated-over-time feel and adds the warmth of natural wood as well as extra counter space. 

COLOR

3. Color plays an important role in the soul of a French kitchen. Soft, muted tones bring the feeling of country to the kitchen. If you have an island, you could consider painting it a different color than your cabinets for contrast and to enhance that feeling that it was collected over time.

My walls are painted a pale buttery yellow and my cabinets are a creamy white. It's interesting to note that yellow is considered by the color experts an uplifting color, offering hope and happiness and giving warmth even on a cold, cloudy day. White opens our minds to create and appears fresh and clean, both appropriate colors for a kitchen.

FARMHOUSE SINK 

4. Although the most critical things in your kitchen are probably your appliances, I think a farmhouse sink with a French-inspired faucet adds tons of French soul. A farmhouse sink is definitely on my wish list.

Note the beadboard backsplash that gives the kitchen a French farmhouse flavor. Old black and white Parisian postcards and a market basket rev up that French soul mood. 

ACCESSORIES

5. What French Country kitchen would be complete without accessories? Accessories are a fun and inexpensive way to add warmth and charm to a room that can feel too sterile. Whether it's copper pots and pans, fresh flowers, an ironstone collection on display, or a strutting rooster, accessories complete the story.  

Baskets for storage, rush seats on chairs, or fabrics (toile, lace, ticking) on window treatments
or skirted under your sink all add more texture and age.

Use old pitchers or crocks to hold a bouquet of cooking utensils and old wooden spoons. 

FARM TABLE

6. And finally, my number one way to add French soul to your kitchen is, ta dah, . . . a chippy old farm table! If you have room in your kitchen for an eat-in space, a worn table and chairs will make your friends and family feel like they've stepped into an old-world French farmhouse oozing with soul and character.

Because my kitchen is so small, I placed my farm table and chairs in my adjacent sunroom but it works just as well. Note the contrast of the distressed table with the elegant candelabra (purchased at the Vintage Whites Market in Denver!)

There are many more ways to add a little French soul and style to your kitchen 

such as artwork, white dishes, farm animals (my personal favorite), or lighting.

I hope this post may have given you a few ideas to try
that could add some French soul to your kitchen.

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