Five years ago, we traded our great big French country home for a Chicagoland fixer upper (half the square footage and property) to renovate ourselves. In Shop My Home: European Inspired, White French Country Decorating Resources, I’ll share shopping links for decor and furniture, and also provide my honest opinions about what has worked well.

Here’s our prior home:
And here’s our current home:
I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.
Shop My Home: European Inspired, White, French Country Decorating Resources
Property Overview
I still call it our fixer upper; however, it’s anything but that now! When we took possession, it was a sorry mishmash of neglect. Even so, we liked the flow of the cottage style home’s floorplan as well as the location. The lot is embraced by mature trees, and with the home sited on a hill, there is wonderful privacy despite being less than an acre.
Thank goodness we were full of optimism and vibrant health at the time of the DIY renovation. We tackled this place entirely ourselves (except for the addition of wood floors)!
The impetus for leaving our picture perfect French country house? We desired to downsize as emptynesters and were ready to trade excessive landscape and maintenance expenses for a simpler lifestyle.
Hello Lovely Fixer Upper
So swallowed up in weeds and overgrowth, you couldn’t even see our fixer upper from the street before we got to work! Our home sat vacant for a couple of years, and before then, it was subject to a flow of renters. As we renovated and adventured, I shared our steady progress right HERE.
Upgrading Fixtures & Finishes Was Key to the Design Progress
An ocean of new but cheap taupe carpeting was everywhere, and the yellowy painted walls felt wrong and outdated. There were holes in the lumpy textured walls along with a multitude of bad wall repairs.
We found SO many strange design choices (some of which I cannot mention on this G-rated site) including giant woofers and tweeters in the master bath ceiling!
In fact, all of the existing hardware and faucets (which were 20 years old) had been spray painted white. Now, I’m all for painting almost everything white, but JUST DON’T.

What is the style of the home?
Modern with lofty ceiling heights and openness, yet also traditional with design elements echoing the past. It feels like a contemporary California cottage in the woods with plenty of windows to enjoy the woodland creatures and trees. River rock accents the courtyard and attached garage, and the exterior was designed humbly and simply to fit its woodsy context (despite the neighborhood’s fancier homes!).
French Country Decorating Resources & European Country Cottage Design Features

My casual, rustic, unfussy, white, French inspired style dictated our direction for the interiors. We kept it simple, and where possible, used natural materials to stand the test of time. Main influences are Pamela Pierce and Brooke Giannetti.

There aren’t glossy, polished, shiny, fancy, newish finishes since I’m always after a timeless tranquil look that leans toward rustic yet refined European sensibilities.

Louis style French chairs, Belgian linen, and Swedish style painted furniture are a few of my favorite things, so you’ll see influence from those design elements.
Rustic White Farmhouse Accent Wall

An ugly wall in our bedroom became a design feature when we added reclaimed pine peel and stick wood which I still love! It took us one evening (about 3 hours) to do this entire wall…how bout that!?!

European Country Style in the Entry

A Favored Belgian Design Element: Belgian Linen
Oh, this is a fabric I have been nuts about forever! The longer we live with Belgian linen upholstery, curtains, and pillows, the more I’m sold.
It’s not just the color and nubby woven texture of the Belgian linen I admire but how wonderfully durable it is for living. No matter how we abuse the linen, it holds up to everything and continues to look fabulous.

Oh nubby linen, I can’t quit you!

Shopping the Look: European Inspired White French Country Decorating
My Home!
Rustic Alder Front Door With Speakeasy


Oil Rubbed Bronze Handleset on Front Door

Pure & Bright White Paint Color
To get an idea of how much more bright and light the paint we chose for the interiors is – notice the contrast of BENJAMIN MOORE White in the banner below with the warm greys near it.

If you don’t have access to Benjamin Moore “White” or run into a headache trying to convince a paint associate that WHITE is truly the name of this color, Behr Ultra Pure White is almost identical.

Rustic Alder Interior Doors

Lots of character and knots in these beautiful doors that transformed the spaces.

Egg Door Knobs Look Vintage & Solid


Barn Door in Lower Level
I don’t have decent images to share of the lower level since it’s a work in progress, but this door is a sweet addition since there was no door to the family room.

Natural White Oak Hardwoods
Over the years, I have been asked countless times about the stain on these hardwoods…there is none. They are left natural and sealed with a matte finish.

Living room pieces are from RH (Belgian Slope Arm style) and upholstered in Belgian Linen (Sand is the color).

FIND WHITE OAK HARDWOOD FLOORING OPTIONS RIGHT HERE!
Alternative to Wood in Secondary Bedrooms
I can also vouch for the ease and livability of this laminate option. This product was installed in two first floor guest bedrooms, one of which serves as my studio where paint is often dripped! It is a dream to wipe clean, feels great under bare feet, and was a quick easy installation.

FIND HERE..certainly budget friendly indeed.
Timeless and Tranquil White European Inspired Kitchen




Floor Lamp for the Kitchen?
Why not? I do love me a floor lamp.

Dishwasher With Panel

Cooktop & Ovens


Counter-depth Refrigerator

Fireclay Farm Sink

Quartz Kitchen Countertops



Backsplash Taken to Ceiling

Kitchen Faucet: Kohler Purist Bridge Style

European Inspired Venting

Beverage Cooler in Breakfast Bar

Daily Kitchen Essentials: Dishtowels

Custom Window Seat in Breakfast Nook


Dining Room With Vintage French Doors

Our Belgian slope arm dining chairs from RH mingle with Louis chairs upholstered in Belgian linen.

Louis Style Dining Chairs
These are very similar:

Rustic Lantern Pendant
I found the lantern pendant HERE, and it’s actually an exterior fixture which doesn’t even have glass in it.



Classic White Main Bath With Coastal Cottage Design
It’s a very simple classic white coastal style bathroom which I wanted to feel old and character-filled. I covered the wall with wood beadboard, added a white Carrara topped vanity, and tiled the floor with 1920s style hex in polished marble.




Brushed Nickel Coastal Vanity Sconce

Here’s the brushed nickel sconce is in our main bathroom, and I still love its coastal and classic good looks.
Simple, Brushed Nickel Bathroom Faucet

Hex Tile in Main Bath

Brushed Nickel Traditional Shower Fixtures

French Nordic Cottage Style in Master Suite





Reclaimed Pine Peel & Stick Stikwood in “Hamptons”


Campaign Style Side Table


Unfussy, Simple, Rustic Yet Refined European Country Inspired Style




Master Bath Design Elements




Martha Stewart Coastal Style Bathroom Sconce




Herringbone Marble Shower Floor

Furniture & Decor Outdoors
I have these chairs on the back patio in spring and summer.



French Country Decorating in the Courtyard
See this French courtyard story for resources and info about how we transformed this space!




FIND THESE METAL FRENCH STYLE STACKABLE CHAIRS right here.

Classic Traditional Style Bathroom
Read about this bathroom we created from scratch where there was none, all DIY style HERE, and find gorgeous console sinks HERE.

The mirror is from Anthropologie, but I didn’t see it online…this one would be gorgeous!

Resources for Our Arizona Fixer


Calacatta Gold Marble Hex Mosaic statement wall…certainly beautiful indeed.

Kitchen Cabinet Hardware


Top Knobs Aspen Collection Small Potato Knob…certainly a splurge worth making indeed.

Top Knobs Aspen Collection Pull…certainly handsome and classic indeed.
Framed Art Prints for French & Swedish Photography
Paint Colors in Arizona Fixer


My House!
I would love to hear from you and am happy to answer any questions about the decor!
I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
Shop for items you already intended to buy on Amazon RIGHT HERE (not just items in posts) or for home decor here keeps decor inspiration flowing on Hello Lovely!
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Your home is so beautiful and so inspiring! I live in a little California tract home in San Diego and I’m hoping to incorporate your style into our cookie cutter home. I love the pillow that you have pictured in your kitchen area (SCI). Do you have a resource on it ?
Author
Hi – thanks so much. The pillow is vintage RH – you may be able to stalk eBay for one! 🙂
I love your home, you have done a great job but can you tell me if your sofa is actually the Fairchild sofa & what do you think about it? Thanks
Author
Thank you, Betty. No, our sofa is from Restoration Hardware (RH). I will do a post on RH if I can, but I don’t have an affiliate relationship with them and am not sure about my right to post pics of their stock. Sorry about that! The Fairchild sofa is what Sarah Richardson put in her own home, and I just love it (the off the grid farmhouse).
What a beautiful home! I just love your style! Would you please share where you found your fireplace mantel? I’m looking for something similar. Thank You!
Author
Hi Emily – thank you so much, and thanks for reading! I bought our mantel from a contractor in town – his client ordered it then chose a different one. So I didn’t get a box or manufacturer name for it. This crushed limestone/concrete one is similar here: https://rstyle.me/+RtF9hItJyiIzHPPb4MJXtA and there are more options here: https://rstyle.me/+_ZEp-eM8ex5EDUSL0MkyWw. Hope this helps!
thanks for sharing this is really helpful for me ans my upcoming project hope you add more in future also
Author
Thanks for tuning in. 🙂
Love your “Weird But Nice” t-shirt in your video! 😂I need one of those! 🤩
Author
Let’s find you one and be twins! 🙂 Happy Tuesday, girlfriend.
I have been reading your posts and noticed you commented about how you like belgian linen curtains…… could you tell me what brand they are that you showed…….. or any other ideas of a good quality curtain(s) that don’t cost and arm & a leg ?
THANK YOU !!! Carolyn
Author
Hi Carolyn. I sure do. The curtains in our kitchen and my studio are from RH – they are well made, expensive, heavy, and lined. Not sure if you have an RH Outlet anywhere near you – you can find amazing discounts on them there, and don’t shy away from too wide or too long single panels which can easily be cut in half (I have done this many times). Charlotte Reiss of Vivi et Margot uses these in her authentic French farmhouse in France: https://rstyle.me/+AcNiqb2mpPqUsh7Pk9Cl0w Also, the washed unlined Belgian linen curtains I found for our Arizona bedroom (I sold them with the house when we sold it) were found at a Homegoods in Phoenix area.
Just Beautiful! Where did you find that adorable nightlight in the bathroom. (The lavender one). I just love it and it would be sweet in my master Bath! I think your home is the best in decor as well as looking comfortable and classy!
Author
Thanks, Shelly. I’ll dig around and see if they are still made – found it nearly 20 years ago, maybe at Macy’s and it’s just a simple silk shade. 🙂