The French direction in interior style is now very popular. This allows you to create warmth and coziness at home in order to comfortably relax from the hustle and bustle of the big city.
Installing a fireplace in the Provence style in a room is a convenient opportunity to warm up by the living flame of the hearth, which harmoniously combines with calm and warm tones of decoration, elegant furniture and decor.
Stylistic features
This style of interior design is associated in memory with clean and neat French cities and villages in pastoral areas, which are lined with small, neat houses. Farmers live here, forced to earn their living through hard work, so the house is a place of rest, where comfort and peace should reign.
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The style is based on extreme simplicity in design. There are no luxury apartments, modernism, or original decor. The interior radiates tranquility, filled with bright rays of sunshine. The decoration and design of the rooms are characterized by the following features:
- pastel colors;
- light coloring of elegant furniture items;
- unobtrusive ornament;
- abundance of embroidery, openwork curtains;
- colorful dishes and accessories;
- a must-have fireplace in Provence style.
At the time to which this direction refers, the fireplace insert remained the most common heating device. Therefore, fireplaces in Provence when decorating an interior are a natural technique that harmoniously fits into any design solutions.
The use of wallpaper is not provided. The walls are plastered and then painted. It is appropriate to upholster one of the walls with wide wooden beams, also painted. The paint can be artificially aged to give a special decorative effect to the finish. Mostly light shades are used in decoration, but you can diversify the design somewhat by finishing the room in lavender or soft lemon color.
What kind of fireplace can I install?
When choosing a fireplace for a Provence living room, it is important that the hearth is decorated in colors that are in harmony with the decoration of the room. In this case, the firebox should not merge with the walls, but stand out slightly from the surrounding background. This effect can be achieved by the following methods:
- artificial aging of the portal to create the impression of antiquity;
- uneven edges of the frame;
- slight abrasion of the paint layer, as if affected by the burden of the past years.
Aging of decor is not a particular problem. To do this, the following techniques can be used:
- crackle – a special type of varnish is applied over the paint, which after drying forms cracks through which the paint layer is visible;
- dry brush – when painting, use a tool with hard bristles to give an unusual look to protruding decorative items;
- sanding – the first layer of paint in dark colors is applied to the surface of the hearth portal, and the top is painted with light colors; when the composition dries, the structures are treated with sandpaper in selected places so that the bottom layer is slightly visible;
- special metal processing – special solutions initiate oxidation processes that give metal parts a vintage effect.
The design of a fireplace in a living room in the Provence style is characterized by the use of stucco when decorating the portal. Gypsum was actively used at the time of the birth of this trend. At the same time, you should not use overly pretentious, voluminous stucco molding, since luxury and scope are more appropriate for the classics.
Surfaces painted white can be easily aged, so that a fireplace in a Provence-style interior looks like an antique heating device. No less impressive is the design in lavender, rich blue, lemon or mint colors, associated with fertile valleys, flowering lawns and the azure sea.
How to decorate the hearth?
Fireplace stoves that correspond to the Provence stylistic direction, like classic fireplace inserts, should be finished with natural compounds. It is appropriate to use the following finishing materials:
- different types of natural stone;
- wood;
- frames made of forged metal elements.
You can combine several types of materials in a variety of ways, with painting wood, using aging techniques, and patinaing metal. The use of these techniques will provide a vintage effect that corresponds to the general principles of finishing in this direction.
When decorating a fireplace insert, you cannot do without forged grates. In addition to the protective function of retaining sparks from the hearth, these elements provide an interesting decorative effect. Forging can be used for both a real, working wood-burning firebox and an electric imitation.
The use of an imitation hearth is quite relevant for this style, since the appearance of these devices does not differ from a regular hearth, with obvious modernity and ease of use. But the wardrobe, popular in modern interiors, is inappropriate here. Only wooden shelves painted in light colors are allowed. These items can be sanded and glazed.
Fireplace insert
In a modern apartment, it is not always possible to install a traditional fireplace insert, since this requires the installation of chimney ducts. A reasonable solution is to use an artificial hearth. You can buy a ready-made model, already decorated in a given style. The apartment owner will only have to decide on the color.
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The capabilities of modern models make it possible to reliably imitate wood-burning fireboxes, recreating the sound in the form of a crackling sound from burning wood. Pots with indoor plants can be placed above the fireplace. A watch with a vintage dial looks beautiful. It is comfortable to relax by the fireplace in wicker rattan chairs, covered with decorative blankets and embroidered pillows. You can place a coffee table nearby for comfortable tea drinking.
A spectacular touch in the design of the room is a pendant chandelier made of forged metal, with shades imitating candle candelabra. Metal parts can also be used for other decorative items – door handles, supports for flower pots, and other elements.
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