Get a French Country look in no time!

How to transform a room into French Country the easy way!
Have you always wanted to change a dull, drab room, but you didn't know where to start? Let's change all of that now, and get to the room that you want to come home to!
1. Empty the room, and choose a neutral palette, you will be adding accents of color, so don't fret. A neutral palette gives an air of calm to the room. Pillows, paintings, throws, and Persian rugs can give color accents.

2. Paint your furniture, or pick up pieces that you can paint at a thrift shop. The French are known for their love of painted furniture. Choice colors would be white, grey or taupe. You can also use deep red or navy or duck egg blue (a greenish soft blue), if you prefer. Another way to add interest to your painted furniture is by adding moldings, painting the detail in a different color or light distressing for a more rustic look (shabby chic). For a more palatial French look you can use gilt on the trims. Remember that not every piece of furniture needs to be painted, just a few chosen pieces here and there.

3. Look for a couple of great vintage pieces of furniture such as an Armoire, Chifforobe ( or French sideboard to enhance your French Country look. These can completely transform a room, as well as add much needed storage, and who couldn't use a little extra storage?

4. Don't forget the lighting. Chandeliers look wonderful over a dining room table or in the living, and bedrooms. You can pick up chandeliers second hand at thrift shops. Clean them with soapy water to make them sparkly again. In living spaces turn off your overhead lights and use lamps with hanging crystals for mood lighting.

5. Use blue and beige French Toile design on pillows on a sofa, or bed. The soft toile pattern on a accent pillow brings a romantic and stylish twist to your interior. Other decorative designs or patterns for a French look include a crown, fleur de lis, and stripes. You can also use neutral linens with red or blue stripes or accents for bedding. Another idea is to replace your usual pair of armchairs or sofa with a daybed, they are great for an afternoon nap!

6. Wire or wicker baskets offer great French Country style storage, and you can use them unpainted or give them a light wash with white or grey paint. Vintage, or vintage style Farmhouse Wire Baskets to hold hand towels. Basket offers convenient storage for a variety home essentials, and everything just looks better in a basket.

7. Other accessories in the kitchen can easily add to a French look. Items such as a old breadboards, tea towels, enamel jugs and cake domes. Create vignettes. Group a few items on your sideboard or the corner of a counter for an interesting composition.

As I said at the beginning, the most important thing is to just get started. All of the ideas listed are very easy, and quite achievable in a small amount of time. You need only to motivate yourself to achieve your goals, and those goals are very pleasing, and happy ones to come home to. While there are many elements that contribute to the French Country style of decorating, the resulting look is always rustic, old-world, and welcoming. After all, the French Country look is one of old earthy, and chic style. I think that why I like it so much. Don't forget to let me know if you have tried any of these ideas in your home.

Are You Ready For Fall? Grab some ideas, and go!

I know What you're thinking. "There is plenty of summer left". Well, there is not, and soon you will be spending more, and more time inside, than out. Therefore it's time to take a look at what you will be seeing inside your home.

You don't want to come home to a place that will instantly make you unhappy, when there is so much more fun you can have with your living space. No matter where you live, it can always look nice if you try, and Fall is a good time to try. To the left you can see a leaf cup and saucer. I found those very inexpensive items at a little store, and thought they would look great on the kitchen table.

Little touches of fall silk leaves, pine cones, Indian corn, and pumpkins here and there don't yet speak of Halloween, but can help you to usher in the season. Adding spots of reds, oranges, greens, browns, and yellows will set the mood. It can also be the starting point to the rest of the holidays, up to, and through out Thanksgiving. It can serve as the basic, background decorations, and then all you would have to add is the ghost and ghouls, or turkeys and pilgrims to change the theme for the specific holiday. It really is as simple as that, and won't take up too much of your time, or energy, but it is going to make things much more enjoyable for you, and yours.

Trust me, your mood will improve tremendously when you enter your newly decorated home. Just picture yourself in a nice clean room with the little touches of Scarecrows, and berries, gourds, and candles. All you have to do is pick a day when you will clear that room, or rooms (depending on your motivation) of it's past clutter, clean it thoroughly, and place those memories of Fall in a few chosen spots. I would pick 2 or 3 per room to really liven it up. maybe a spot that you look at when you first walk in to the room.

You may pick a side table, and coffee table. If you are in the kitchen, it could be a corner, or center of an island, or the edge of a counter top, or the kitchen table. In my house, if you notice in the photos, I have done a little in every room, here and there, so it is visible at different places in the room. I have also placed wreaths, and decorated brooms, and garland on the walls. It is up to you on how far you want to take the decorating. You may wish to do a little in every room.

I always seem to take it to the limit, but it makes me happy when I get home. All to often we forget about our surroundings, and how they affect not only us, but those around us, and our outlook on life in general. I always choose to give myself the most positive habitat that is possible, and by that, I don't mean I spend a lot of money, but I do things to make the house a happy place. I want to make it somewhere I want to be. A place that re-energizes me. Isn't that, after all, what we want when we're home? So... Are you ready to be happy and positive in that place that you call home?

Note: All of the color photos are of my actual house, and the things I have come up with to create that "Old Fall Feeling". A feeling of warmth, and happiness that will spread into the other aspects of my life, and can only make it better. If you have your doubts, just try a few ideas, and see for yourself. Clear out the clutter, and make it better. After all, it couldn't hurt to try...
Be sure to let me know what it is that you have come up with. You and others can share your ideas in the comments below.
To see more photos from the House in Fall Click HERE