A French Country Christmas Living Room

In my last post I'd decided not to have a tree this Christmas. Wait! What?
(If you missed that post, you can read it by clicking this link.)

A French Country Christmas Dining Room

Instead, I thought I'd decorate my living and dining rooms with vintage pieces,
while giving these rooms a little French Country flair.

So, let's start in the foyer. 

Welcome to my French Country Christmas!

This old nativity scene is actually Italian so it has that European feel.
I love the blue and red together.
The angel wreath always hung in my mother's kitchen window when I was growing up

and my sister hand painted the three sheep.

Come on in to the living room.

The mantel is always the focal point in holiday decor.
I love to use lots of candles and a few bottlebrush trees.

Cozy up to the fireplace.
An ironstone pitcher holds a stash of white candles on the console table behind the couch. 

A few baubles on a vintage wire tree and a candle bring sparkle to the living room . . .

and a French market basket, filled with holiday goodies, adds a bit of French soul.

An urn laden with holly, pine cones and antlers is a simple natural touch,
an important element in French Country design. 

Of course, I think everyone should decorate with whatever makes them happy.
But I've decided I'm content with how our house looks this year (without a tree).

So enjoyed hearing all your comments and I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

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French Country: A Touch of Bleu in the Foyer

I still love my neutral palette of creams and whites, but when I discovered 

a chippy blue window frame in the alley, I decided to incorporate it into my foyer design.

Here's a "before" picture without the touch of blue.

What a difference that little bit of blue makes!

The window frame leaning against the wall 

makes a pretty backdrop for my straw-covered bottles.

And the bleu really pops!

In a sea of neutrals, blue draws the eye and amps up a space.

 This color makes me think of a beautiful blue sky or a soothing indigo ocean.

I scrounged around until I found the perfect old blue book -- 

"David Copperfield" by Charles Dickens to add to the grouping.

I think the rusty orange berries and the spicy orange candle are a nice contrast to the blue
(and they're Denver Bronco colors!).

Blue and orange are opposite each other on the color wheel,
making them striking complementary colors.

What does the color blue mean to you?
For me, blue inspires calmness and a sense of serenity.

It symbolizes freedom. optimism and new beginnings -- a perfect color
to incorporate into my foyer as we look forward to a new year of possibilities.

This blue-framed house blessing is a special greeting in the foyer.
I just love it.

In case you can't read it, it says:

Peace abide beneath thy rooftree
Cheer along its rafters ring,
Joy and mirth and laughter gather
Neath thy firelights flickering.
Hope illumine all the shadows
with a radiance divine,
And the arms of love forever
Shelter thee and thine.

I hear designers are proclaiming blue is having a moment now.
I guess that means the style gurus think it's the current must-have color.

I know it's always been one of my favorite colors even though I don't have a lot of it in my home.
But I do think a touch of bleu is just right.

Happy November everyone and let's remember
to honor our veterans on Veterans' Day, November 11th. ! 

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French Country Cottage

French Country: A Touch of Fall

I'm not one to rush into autumn decorating
when I'm still enjoying my summer home and garden.

However, it seems as the weather gets a little cooler and a lot rainier 

(they call it monsoon season here), I can feel fall tapping me on the shoulder.

With splashes of late-blooming flowers making an appearance in the garden, 

I was tempted to bring some seasonal blooms into the house.

This metal tote, with the original blue paint, exudes a farmhouse mood with
clear glass mason jars and a sprig of fresh carrot top straight from the garden.
I'd been using this tote under the kitchen sink to hold cleaning products 

until I saw the same tote (without the blue paint!) for $54 in an antique mall!
Now, it takes center stage on the dog food bin. 

Ah, sunflowers.
I discovered these two amazing sunflower pillows at a yard sale last weekend for $3.50 each. 

The owner said she'd paid about $40 each at Pier One. 

Ron always tells me we have enough pillows but even he said we should snag these! 

In the guest room, I gave this little hamper a punch of autumn color  

with an orange throw and some colorful poppies.

My proud little rooster has made his way to the sunroom to join the hens and show off a bit.

The old farm auction sign came from Ron's family's farm. Such a special piece of personal history.

Outdoors, things are changing with the seasons too.
When Ron went camping in southern Colorado, he was greeted by this little flock of wild turkeys.
I recently read that a group of domesticated turkeys is called a gang.
Wonder what their gang name is! The Turks perhaps?

On a recent bike ride in Waterton Canyon, south of Denver, 

we encountered another kind of wild animal
(no, not me!)

I think these big horn sheep may have come down into the canyon 

as the temps cooled off at higher elevations.

We saw one big ram in the herd of mostly ewes and lambs. 

Not wanting to upset him and his dangerous curved horns, 

we decided not to ask him to pose for a picture! Here's his little family.

Back home, a big bunch of bittersweet in a basket greets us in the foyer.

 Looking more like fall every day.

***

P.S. Like everyone else in the United States, we watched the recent eclipse.
The darkening sky was eerie and so were these crescent shapes on our sidewalk.
Just had to share these pixs.

Aren't they amazing? Like a sidewalk of clouds.

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A French Country Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here at the foot of the Rockies!

I had such fun decorating the house this year for Christmas and didn't spend a fortune.

I like using the things that have been passed down over the years
and those things I already have but can be used in a new way.

Like this vintage candelabra.
It usually sits in the front living room window facing the street
but this year I decided to add a little Christmas spirit to the kitchen.
It really makes the kitchen feel festive.

In the farmhouse sunroom, silver bells bejeweled with red satin ribbons 

line the windowsills and the top of the seed bin. 

A family tradition, Ron's mother gave him a new bell every Christmas and he now has about 40!

A metal Christmas tree adorned with Shiny Brite bulbs sits atop the farm table. 

When I was unpacking the bulbs, one fell onto the tiled floor and shattered. Mwaaa!

The foyer halltree has a cheery look with Santa hats . . .

. . .  and a French market basket filled with stuffed toys.

Draping a couple of thick scarves on the halltree hooks adds texture and warmth to the entry. 

I love this scarf from the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. 

The Stanley was made famous in the movie "The Shining."

In the living room, we decided to put our little tree in the front window.
It's simply decorated with white twinkly lights and silver bulbs that I've had for years.

An old toy horse on wheels is hitched under the tree with more bears.

The mantel always takes on a new look each year. 

This year I placed my red-berried wreath on the mantel instead of on the front door. 

Surrounded by vintage books and holiday decorations,
it looks warm and cozy with a battery candle nestled inside it.

The dining room mantel is spiffed up with stockings and red accents. 

A simple centerpiece lies on the dining table with a linen runner and an old ironstone tureen.
I couldn't resist adding a few deer sheds. 

So, from our house to yours, a very Merry Christmas . . .

and a Happy New Year!

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The Foyer -- First Impression of Your Home

Whether you call it a vestibule, an entryway, the front hallway or the foyer,
this little space inside your front door sets the tone for you entire home.
Since this is a blog about French Country, let's call it the foyer.
I even love the French pronunciation "foy-yay."
Seems the French can make anything sound romantic!

It's interesting to note the word "foyer" originally meant "the place where the fire is kept."
The term described an area in French theaters, comparable to the green room
in English theaters, where actors relaxed off stage.
Because they were often visited by friends during and after performances,
such areas evolved into large and beautifully decorated spaces.

The foyer provides the first impression of your home.You can create a welcoming impression
by presenting a warm feeling that reflects the style of your house.
Here is the foyer of my 1907 home.
Warm wood tones, touches of metal, and pops of red and yellow are echoed throughout my house.

I update my foyer seasonally and keep it pretty simple.
For winter, I added some vintage snowshoes, colorful scarves and a basket of lavender.
When spring arrives, I will probably switch out the lavender for some white blossom branches
and exchange the scarves for some straw hats on the antique hall tree.

A mirror positioned across from a window reflects more light into the space.

Add a bit of French Country with a French market basket,

some rusty metalwork,

or an interesting piece of art that will draw visitors inside.

A pretty light, whether a table lamp or a fancy chandy, provides a warm glow to this space.
My light is a vintage glass and copper fixture that I love but I think it is too high to appreciate.
Since it can't be extended in length, I'll probably replace it with a small chandelier
and move this light to the guest room.

If you have room, it's nice to add a chair, stool or bench to your foyer
where people can sit down to put on their shoes. I don't have enough space so we sit on the stairs.
By the way, we removed several layers of paint and carpeting from these stairs
to reveal the warm wood underneath.

At the landing is an original stained-glass window casts an old-world glow to the foyer.

It may seem insignificant but a thoughtful foyer is essential
to creating a warm and welcoming home. 

Remember what your high school counselor said:
"You only get one chance to make a first impression!" She was right.

P.S.  Only 29 days til Spring!!


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