French Country Colors

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French Country Colors

The palette of French country colors includes the full color spectrum - from vibrant and strong, to pale and neutral, including the whites that Madame de Pompadour and Marie-Antoinette so loved.

But the French, true to their individualistic style, will interpret color in their own subtle way. Paler colors will be milky but still have depth - strong colors will be vibrant but not shouting.

Traditionally Country French colors were dominated by each region's local color pigments with each area using local ingredients to make the pigments.

Some traditional color recipes included:

Milk washes
Lime washes
and a Green- or Gray-toned distemper

Weather and natural light also play an important roll in influencing decorative color choices. Light will be paler in the cooler, northern areas opposed to the warm, southern Mediterranean part of the country.

In the sunny south tones are stronger and more definite, reflecting the surrounding landscape's sharp contrasts. Think of bright sunshine, clear blue skies, yellow sunflowers, lavender, olives and grapes, not forgetting the turquoise Mediterranean sea.

Although French Country colors echoing the south are strong, they will always be in harmony, having depth and character and evoking warmth and interest. To name a few think of

Warm terracotta reds
Musty violets
Soft butter and creamy saffron yellows
Mediterranean blues and turquoises

The soft, cool colors found more north of the country seem to have a subtle undertone of gray. In the cooler northern regions of France the landscape is vastly different from the sunny south. In the north winters are cold and summers are mild.

Colors used are pale and limpid echoing the northern skies and its play of light on the the terrain. However, these colors will be anything but boring. Having depth and character they are designed to alter in different lights and to compliment and enhance other elements in the room. To name a few think of

Soft sage greens
Pale but warm blues
Creamy pinks
Misty grays

Gray is a much favored French Country color all on its own. However, we are not talking about brutal mortar colored gray here, but a subtle and soft gray, with a blue or pink base. Soft antique yellow gray is also common. Antique painted furniture will most often be in subtle shades of gray.

Gray teamed with creamy white is a very sophisticated look.

On a visit to Versailles in 1771, Crown Prince Gustav III of Sweden saw how the French used gray and loved it so much that he took the idea back to Sweden, hence the delicate gray painted furniture of the Swedish Gustavian style.

Tips for Country French Colors

The French use white as a color and not as a neutral to decorate. Whites are never cold, bright and acrylic looking but warm antique or creamy whites, which have a warmth and depth to them.
Whether using warm or cool colors - harmony is the key, so be careful that colors are not in competition with, or shout at each other.