Color me a believer in unfussy lightened up traditional style that defies trends. It’s more about timelessness than purely traditional…an evolving look that isn’t perfectly polished or flat. There are a handful of serene modern French design elements that feel like home to me. They work for our lifestyle and for me, don’t grow boring. You’ll find plenty of resources and ideas to shop the look. I’m also sharing some personal reflections right where I am.
I independently selected products in this post—if you buy from one of my links, I may earn a commission.
Hello Lovely’s Serene Modern French Kitchen Things
Peek at a few things happening at home on the prairie this summer:
Fireclay Farmhouse Kitchen Sink
I know I’m a broken record. They aren’t for everyone, but since I have lived with them for many years, I love ’em! Know thyself though.
Because of the nature and weight of this item, it’s a design element you won’t be throwing into the mix at a later date on a whim!
While more homeowners are warming up to fireclay farm sinks and country kitchens are the most popular design style, you can’t call them trendy.
Sinks such as these have a long history. And if I had complaints over the years, I assure you I would share them. I field questions about living with a white sink, chipping, dripping over side, and as I said, nope. I’m sure you could mar the finish if you really banged a dark metal something on it or went to town with a sharp blade. But our sinks have stayed relatively flawless.
For me, this sink style offers a timeless look…something soulful you introduce not unlike antiques. There’s a sense of age and tradition.
If you have a remodeling or new kitchen design in the works, here’s a post that could help.
Calacatta Gold Marble Backsplash
Calacatta gold has a warm feel that may not always convey in photos. A mix of cool and less cool tones on a field of white feels very coastal to me.
For this kitchen renovation at the Georgian, I took a cue from our last reno. Even though the backsplash is going to make a huge statement, it still pays to choose the countertop material first.
You cannot always predict the finished look from a small sample of marble or quartz so I encourage others to be patient.
Once you have a countertop material you love, you can then begin to bring samples of tile to find the best look. Grey marble veining is not grey veining! There are all sorts of different greys varying in temperature and undertone.
Our kitchen and adjacent rooms were in such disarray during this renovation that I wasn’t able to lay out all of the subway sized tile to determine a pattern. However, we did separate them into piles (bright white, dark veining, creamy, etc.) to get a varied look.
One surprise was how yellow they looked immediately on the wall. This wasn’t a lighting issue; rather, they absorbed the mastic which maybe had yellow pigment. As the stone dried (over a week!), the color lightened. What a scary wait though!
We learned from this installation that when working with a natural porous stone, you should be thoughtful about products touching them. Some installers soak the tiles in water first as a way to prevent unwanted absorption. For us, it was time that healed the issue.
Terracotta & Ironstone Accents
Is she really bringing in more white accessories in the white kitchen?
Oui. This serene modern French kitchen owner has a comfort level with mixing whites and various textured whites. Low contrast and mostly pale everything is my jammie jam.
The terracotta urn I placed on our former vintage wonky steel cartsteel cart works in our current kitchen also. Anything I try in this big pot seems to look great.
You just can’t go wrong with white ironstone or French ironstone.
They are functional and also beautiful with their varying shades of white, crazing from age, and little imperfect chips since they have been around so long.
My glazed terracotta urn is designed by Rachel Ashwell and may be retired. Similar options including vintage examples HERE:
If you’re in the market for a smaller urn, there’s always the chance you’ll find an authentic example from France (18th century):
Tour Our Former Modern French Kitchen
My Favorite White Stoneware
I use Crate and Barrel’s small white ruffle bowl for just about everything! Should you own a smallish kitchen with limited storage, you may agree that multipurpose pieces are a must.
This bowl is perfect for everyday (right now mine holds napkins), entertaining, and as an accent.
Teeny French Kitchen Design Inspiration
Think your own kitchen lacks potential? Are you a renter? What if you still long for a romantic customized space?
Hope your summer is being gentle with you. I am loving the lushness of the landscape, the gentle rains, and seeing newborn turkey chicks discover Eden in our backyard. (Within days of hatching, they feed and explore outside their nest, and I am awed.)
While persistent health problems keep each day interesting and uncertain, I’m muddling through. Days when I am almost entirely untethered from devices are my favorite since I crave the really real. Why are stillness, silence, and slow moments without media terrifying to some? Intense dopamine hits rewire the brain, and I’m not eager for science fiction to lose its fiction. In fact, growing in faith seems more important than ever. There are too many days I lose hope for humanity. Faith is empowering and centering. If we indeed only protect what we love, I hope we fall out of love with distracting nonsense which desecreates the sacred. I hope younger generations who are discovering birdwatching, analog living, gardening, and granny hobbies fall in love with the earth and the real (more than “the real enough”).
Peace to you right where you are.
-michele
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