I don’t live in a luxurious manse, and they may not even be on your radar. So what’s the point of peeking inside the windows of French inspired fantasy properties like these beauties below? Beyond sheer folly, sometimes a sensible or cost friendly idea can be applied to our own décor schemes. French Country Mansions: Realistic Ideas We Can Apply Now explores magnificent manses which may also inspire less lofty designs.
French Country Mansions: 27 Realistic Ideas We Can Apply Now
1. Tranquil Color Palette: Blue-Greys + Limestone
2. Flowering Trees That Pop Against a Neutral Ground
3. Pale Painted Rustic Shutters
Opulent luxury homes as well as small cozy cottages can be enhanced with the charm of a shuttered exterior.
Need a few more sensible ideas for architectural interest? See these.
4. White Walls + White Trim for a Clean Modern French Look
There are those who believe white paint is white paint, and then there is you and me (we know better!).
We know the mood changes considerably in a space painted antique white versus bright gallery white.
While the luxurious entry is graced with plaster walls (and no paint at all!), we can still be visually inspired by the effect of clean bright white for walls and trim.
5. The Power of a Timeless Wallpaper Pattern
This post contains affiliate links which I hope you will use since they won’t cost you a penny extra yet may earn this blog a small commission.
Need ideas for beautiful wallpaper options? See these!
6. Warm Gold Toned Sconces
Find a few breathtaking examples of French inspired sconces HERE.
7. Black & White Exterior Colors
8. French Country Lantern Pendants (Inside & Out!)
Need ideas for beautiful lantern pendant lights? See options HERE.
9. The Power of Black Window Trim
Custom black steel windows and doors come with a hefty price tag, but all sorts of homeowners and DIYers are painting their plain old aluminum windows black for contrast.
10. Pale Ceiling Beams vs. Dark Brown
Sometimes it makes sense to lighten up the ceiling depending on the overall design as you balance the rustic with the elegant in French country fashion.
11. French Inspired Mantel Ideas
Is it sensible to splurge on a French fireplace mantel and surround? The answer will surely vary, but the fireplace design can certainly pack a huge punch when you’re going for a French look. And you certainly need not live in a manse to have a sophisticated hearth!
12. Fireplaces Can Set a Mood Whether They Are Working Ones or Not
13. Anchor a Seating Area Open to Kitchen With a Rug
14. Modern French Style Lends Itself to Unadorned or Lightly Dressed Windows
Drapes are incredible decor elements which soften a space and bring texture, color, and pattern to a design. But a more modern look is often associated with an airier vibe.
Simple tone on tone panels here still impart a modern feel.
15. Add Drama & Romance With a Chandelier
Find more lovely French inspired chandeliers RIGHT HERE.
16. Rustic Metal Lanterns With Pristine White
See lovely examples of French Country counter stools RIGHT HERE.
17. Subway Tile for a Classic Kitchen Designs
18. Romantic Ambient Lighting in Kitchen
Kitchens always demand extra attention when it comes to lighting, but we often forget about the power of more subtle sources of soft light to help these spaces feel like the true living rooms they are. When the lighting is right in a room, you just want to linger longer!
19. Cozier Pantries
You’re going to rake me over the coals for this one. Is a butler pantry even considered “sensible?” I don’t have one, and it’s a luxury home design feature indeed. So let’s call this a sensible idea if you happen to be building or renovating a home which will include a butler pantry. How about incorporating a cozy little seat for yourself for moments you might peruse a recipe or compose your grocery list?
FINE. Idea #19 is alllllll fantasyland. Hahahahahaha.
Need ideas for a rustic, French country wall clock? See these. Find ideas for an antique French pastry table HERE.
20. Louis Style Accent Chairs
These chairs are everywhere, and you can probably score one no matter your budget since plenty of folks sell them for a song at tag sales, and I have even seen them curbside.
See THIS POST for lovely chair options!
21. Velvety Grey Accents & Subtraction Potential
If you’re gazing at this very formal and custom bedroom with its enormous crystal chandelier and thinking, “I could maybe afford the lamp or a bedroom closet door knob,” then I hear you. I
‘m noticing the pleasing symmetry and the calm color palette and how I could subtract half of what is in here and like it even more. (That’s what I mean by ‘subtraction potential’ which totally sounds like an oxymoron.)
22. Tray on Tub
Can you spy the sensible idea hiding amid all the opulent grandeur? Across the freestanding tub is a wood tray for grooming products. I have always wanted to add one to my own clawfoot tub, and now I’m inspired to make one or find an option to buy.
For lovely options for a romantic bathtub see possibilities HERE.
Care to learn a little more about this manse? Let’s peek inside!
See a little more of the French country style in this home:
More Design Details From More Houston Homes
23. Elegant Architectural Details on Island
What a difference inexpensive molding and trim pieces add to a big rectangular bulky island! The corbels here blend so seamlessly, and there’s such a softness with the interesting trim.
24. Understated Retro Pendant Lighting
You don’t always have to add a showoffy chandelier or imported antique French lanterns to a French country kitchen. In fact, you can freshen the traditional look with more modern accents and unexpected nods.
25. Light Grey Trim is Beautiful With White Walls
It is less surprising now to see folks paint their trim colors beyond white, and in this empty great room, it’s easy to see how lovely the result can be even before any decor is introduced.
26. Open Shelving to Break Up a Long Run of Cabinets
No matter what the budget is for a kitchen design, here’s a detail to note when you want to add more movement and interest to a long run of cupboards.
27. Warm Golden Wood With Cool Grey
In case you care to note the exterior of the home in which this kitchen lives…
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Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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So many wonderful ideas to take away! I often look at photos of homes (large and small) to glean an idea here, another there, and then find ways to incorporate them into my own French-inspired home.
Sometimes it’s the littlest idea from a vignette, a small lamp somewhere, or the texture of the fabric on a bench that makes its way into my home, giving it a little more Frenchy-ness overall.
I always love seeing the French posts you have because to me they are all lovely indeed! 🙂
Author
And I’m so happy always to meet you here in the comments because I feel so joined and uplifted. I think the trick to admire joyfully without being overwhelmed with a need to acquire or becoming envious, is knowing that all of this passes away so clinging is silly. You look at beautiful vignettes and explore the emotion you feel and go from there. I love feathering a nest and moving things around, improving spaces and fiddling with design. But it’s not the most serious or sacred thing happening in my life, right? I think the French understand intuition and its trustworthiness – when you’re listening to your own, it is the best guide for achieving a pleasing result- far superior to any ideas posted here. See how you inspire me?
So manny lovely and inspirational images. Funny how doors can be so inspirational all in themselves. I have a passion for them too, having dedicated a whole Pinterest board to doorways. Staircases have the same appeal to me. Both are areas in a home that make a huge statement.
Author
I’m always surprised by the power of doors and staircases as well. What a difference not just aesthetically, but in other more subtle ways when we upgraded ours since they add so much soulfulness and natural warmth to our home. I love it when those essential design ingredients function artfully. Thanks for reading!