French Country Bedroom Furniture
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Authentic french country bedroom furniture is made from natural woods and often painted with a quality coat of liquid-based milk paint. The decor is recognized as being rustic and inviting because of its use of natural materials. The beauty, textures, and simplicity of the outdoors is brought into the room to create a restful, lovely refuge that caters to the senses. The colors are taken from nature's palette yellows and golds, greens and blues, reds and oranges. Accents are most often a fine, solid black or a muted gray. Provencal prints incorporate primary colors with softer shades or the colors are woven into delightful plaids. Another popular color scheme utilizes toile fabrics for drapes and cushions or even as the room's wallpaper or border. Toile contrasts a single color against a pale background. The contrast color may be black, blue, green, or red. The background is commonly white or ivory, but may be a soft yellow. The contrasting color depicts popular motifs such as 18th century courting scenes or country scenes. The wood of the french country bedroom furniture looks lovely with either Provencal prints or toile motifs.
Architectural features add to the authentic decor. For a kitchen, this may mean utilizing clay or brick elements as surrounds for built-in stoves and ranges. The look is enhanced with shiny copper pots hung from black iron racks. Bunches of fresh herbs can be tied with colorful ribbons and dangled from the rack or grown in clay pots strategically placed on a window sill. Copper pots, iron racks, and fresh herbs add a warm welcome to a kitchen, but are most certainly out of place in a bedroom. The decor added to wooden french country bedroom furniture may incorporate themes of sunflowers and natural lavender instead. These will add authenticity to bedroom's style. Other natural materials can also be added to the look. For example, real flowers can be placed in ceramic or metal pitchers on a milk-painted wooden nightstand. The familiar fleur-de-lys is another well-recognized French element, but is usually found in more sophisticated and formal decor. Milk paint has its origins in the far distant past, but recipes have improved over time to create a durable covering. Though manufacturers' recipes may be proprietary secrets, milk paint actually is made from milk, lime, natural earth pigments, and other substances.
A wooden armoire is an important piece of french country bedroom furniture that adds a substantial focal point. The curved panels add grace and elegance even to this casual style. An armoire with several shelves and drawers can be used to store clothes, extra linens, handmade quilts, and even family keepsakes. Or the armoire can be modified so that it becomes an entertainment unit, holding a television, a DVD/VCR component, and perhaps even a stereo and speakers. With the doors shut, the modern technological equipment is hidden from view and the occupants can relax in the casual Old World charm of their private retreat. Another important touch involves the floor. Though carpeting is a popular choice for bedrooms, the french country decor incorporates natural flooring, such as stone or wood. Cotton or wool rugs in the same color palette as the bed coverings and drapery add a warm, rustic touch. The wooden lines of the french country bedroom furniture are softened by the woven textiles.
The craftsmanship of authentic pieces made from quality woods, such as aged pine, are often expensive. Expert craftsmen create furniture pieces that are worthy of the expense because they can become heirlooms for future generation. Talented craftsmanship has been prized for centuries, for custom french country bedroom furniture as well as other styles. In the Old Testament, the author of 2 Kings records how King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city of Jerusalem. The king defeated the Israelites, "And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths a thousand, all that were strong and apt for war, even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon" (2 Kings 24:16). The king valued the craftsmen from Jerusalem. Today's craftsmen deserve the same respect for their talents. Design specialists are sometimes available to help consumers find exactly the right piece of furniture for a specific space in the home.
For those who can't afford heirloom french country bedroom furniture, however, less expensive pieces are available that will add beauty and warmth to any room. Shoppers can do research and shop around to find bargains so that they can purchase the best quality possible within their budgets. Before making a purchase, whether at a traditional store or from an online company, potential customers should make sure they understand the store's policies on shipping costs, delivery times, and returns. Stores may have a policy that prevents customers from returning custom-made pieces, so shoppers need to be sure that custom orders are properly designed. Custom made pieces can often take several weeks to create so shoppers need to be aware that the desired furniture might not available for several weeks. Decorating a room with french country bedroom furniture and french-inspired details can be a lot of fun. The homeowner may decide to incorporate the natural materials of authentic french decor throughout the rest of the home. Tips have already been given for the kitchen, but the same warm color palette can be incorporated into the family room, too. Just don't be surprised if the finished look is so warm and welcoming that guests will never want to go home!
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