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The American version of a French country kitchen usually looks like this: Light gray cabinetry, ceiling-mounted copper pots, luxurious La Cornue series, and Regency-style lanterns. But if you step into an actual house in the Loire Valley, for example, you can't help but find typical rustic-chic details. Instead, you will discover a more comfortable, yet essentially practical space. Here are 12 things we noticed (almost all of them) as we looked at our favorite French country kitchens from overseas. they have something in common.
Creative open storage solutions
It is not uncommon for the playroom to be located next to the kitchen. That way, you can keep an eye on your little ones while you prepare dinner. But photographer and artist Aurélie Lecuyer has come up with a setup that everyone will love. The children's fun zone is located on the mezzanine level above the kitchen and is accessed via a stuccoed staircase that doubles as storage. This also means LeCuyer doesn't have to drag out the springboard every time he reaches the highest pot.
knotty forest
Smooth white oak is popular in American kitchens, but this space owned by winemakers Camille and Guillaume Boillot in France's Burgundy region is clad in a less obvious wood: fir. Panels that extend all the way to the ceiling give off a warm, buttery glow alongside the cream-colored resin flooring.
unique lighting
When you work in the design industry, like Romain and Roana Faget, who run custom cabinetry and furniture studio Bromkor, it can be difficult to follow a consistent lighting plan. This couple simply has too many ideas. As a result, the pendant lamps that line the galley kitchen are a combination of everything from IKEA to unique finds at stores in the town of Angoulême.
Dining table that can be used as an island extension
When you step into an authentic French country kitchen, you'll find everyone gathered around when guests arrive. here. So many homeowners give up space in their kitchen for friends to eat. That kitchen often features an antique dining table or, in the case of this Basque stone farmhouse, a foliage addition attached to a stucco island.
painted furniture
French country kitchens tend to be moody, with low ceilings and small windows. To boost his mood, he just uses a can (or two) of Happy Paint Colors. The owners of this charming house in the Périgord region gathered greens, yellows and pinks and took their paintbrushes to the dining chairs and curved fixtures.
plate slash mug rack
When Veronique Powell returned to this 18th-century factory in Charente after living on the Greek island of Hydra for several years, she brought a few ideas with her, including a newfound love of blue and white. all. She now shows off her refreshing tableware collection with an open rack lined with hooks for coffee mugs.
counter top decoration
Just because you're used to seeing a table lamp on your nightstand doesn't mean it can't sit on the countertop next to your coffee machine. This arrangement may seem unusual, but it will make the kitchen feel 10 times more homely. You also won't have to pay a contractor to tear up your ceiling and install canned light bulbs.
minimalist cooktop
When interior designer Ludivine Degas and her husband Stéphane chose to leave city life for a 1970s house in Arcachon Bay, they did so without visual clutter. I did. The streamlined island features a pit cooking system that wipes down every crevice.
verdant green hits
French country kitchens are characterized by muted tones of cream, white, and wood, but one common outlier is emerald green. I suspect this has something to do with the reflection of the green hills peeking through the window.
floor cooling
In Sharon and Paul Mlodzinski's Provence home, terracotta hexagonal tiles flow from room to room, adding color to the home and a place to cool off with bare feet during the hottest months of the year. providing.
DIY from the garden
Georgia, the owner of a Rochefort-based gift boutique, has a kitchen table lined with old and new tableware, but not all of it is for serving foie gras and oysters. Soup Treen was transformed into a candlestick of sorts using a sturdy tapered holder and eucalyptus twigs.
