Have you ever leafed through a magazine and noticed you really like the way a room looks? You scan the text and see words like French Country, Tuscan or Lodge/Hunt Country being used. If you’re like me you think fine, now I know what it’s called but how do I achieve that look? What makes it French? What makes Tuscan?
The answer begins with color. There are specific color palettes and patterns associated with various looks, and to set the stage for the style to work correctly, color choices should be drawn from them. You then use furniture, lighting and accessories to complete the look. The best way to show this is through pictures.
FRENCH
This is an example of French Country.
Here is an example of French Manor or Chateau.
Notice the color palette used in the two photographs above. Whites, very pale ochers, yellowish creams and putty grays form the base. Interest is then added by stenciling walls, woodwork or furniture.
This is not to say vibrant color is not used in French design, I chose to show one example of French Country, but it is far from the only one. A fabulous resource for all paint colors French is Annie Sloan. I have found this website to be a valuable resource for my personal use.
TUSCAN
One glance and you can tell this room is Tuscan.
Notice the gorgeous beams in this Tuscan-style kitchen.
This Tuscan style living room has it all. From the lime washed plaster walls to the weathered beams to the warm tones of the rustic decor, it's spot-on.
When you see Tuscan you know it; but why?
For starters, it’s the rich earth-toned color of the plasters, the gorgeous timbers and those terra-cotta tiles on the floor. A wonderful resource for achieving the painted plaster look of Italian Rustic or Tuscan (and French ochers, as well) is The Earth Pigments Company. From how-tos to lime washes to natural finishes, this site has what you’ll need for your own little piece of Tuscany.
HUNT/LODGE
The hunt/lodge style exudes warmth and comfort.
Warm wood tones are a must when decorating in the lodge style.
Soft leathers and deep, rich earth tones are a primary part of the Hunt/Lodge palette.
To achieve the look of the Hunt/Lodge style, richly saturated colors and the look of soft broken-in leather are key. Woods are honeyed or deeply stained and wall colors are painted in warm tones. In my opinion, no one does this look better than Ralph Lauren Home. To see the selection of can’t-go-wrong colors for this style please go to Ralph Lauren Home and browse the Thoroughbred color collection under “Lifestyle Colors”.
While you’re on the Ralph Lauren site you may want to check Finishes (Candlelight is wonderful) or Techniques where you’ll find products to make painted walls look like denim, leather, natural linen and more!
Do people ever paint their interior beams a deep, deep green, versus brown?
I’ve never seen a deep green on the timber frame structure but I can see it in my mind’s eye and I think it could definitely work. The key would be in the color chosen for the walls.