Updated French Country Living Room Decor Ideas
In this post: Looking for an updated approach to French Country living room decor? Find inspiring ideas in this casually elegant Country French living room.⇒
What exactly is modern French Country style?
To be honest, I’m not entirely sure I didn’t make it up.
I just looked at my style and thought it’s a bit more modern than classic French Country and hence gave it the moniker. Then I googled ‘modern French Country’ and the images that came up looked like they fit my look. Validation!
So, in reality, I can’t say for sure if modern French Country is a recognized style. But I do know what I think it is.
Here are the elements that I’ve combined to create my definition of a modern French Country living room.
Let’s start with what it’s not.
Probably the single most defining feature that separates an updated twist on French Country from the original universally recognized look is color, or the lack of it.
French Country decor used to connote small layered patterns in dusty primaries like barn red, mustard yellow and faded blue. Woods were dark, textiles were busy and roosters were present everywhere.
To achieve a more modern effect the first thing to do is to strip away the pattern and color. I use lots of white and neutral linen while retaining a relaxed rustic appeal with laundered drapey fabrics and weathered patina woods.
On top of that foundation of light and bright, there are several items that help anchor a room with a decidedly current French style.
Antique French Chairs
I tend to enjoy the comfort of new overstuffed sofas, but I love to punctuate my seating areas with authentic antique French chairs. The chairs above are recently purchased and I love the deconstructed look of the burlap upholstery which lends an air of both timeworn and trendy at the same time.
In a traditional French Country room those chairs might be upholstered with velvet or needlepoint.
The deconstructed linen and loose visible stitching help make them look more au courant.
Antique Secretaire Writing Desk
I am a huge fan of writing desks and I have several scattered about my house. The one in our living room below, actually belonged to my grandmother and my dad used to do his homework at this desk. Many years later he’s the one who painted it white to accommodate my mom’s taste for French provençale decor.
In style it’s more English than French but it sits well with the other elements around it.
Petite Stool
Another piece I’ve added to the room is the petite stool that serves as a seat at the desk. I moved the simpler one that was here previously to an upstairs bath and found this new inexpensive one with pretty detailed legs to provide another nod to French style. The pale linen seat and whitewashed wood again contribute to the updated feel.
Small vintage decorative items placed on the desk signal an Old World heritage and several of these pieces I bought in antique markets abroad.
Trumeau Mirror
I’ve probably mentioned this many times, but the French trumeau mirror in our living room is one of the oldest pieces I own and one of my favorites. If you had nothing else in the room but a new white linen sofa and this gilded mirror, you’d still have achieved quintessential modern French Country style.
So while color and pattern are mostly removed, authentic French pieces set against a mostly white backdrop define the look. The more chippy patina the better!
Gilded Clock
Like the mirror, an antique gilded clock can also bestow the look I’m after on a space.
Where traditional French Country celebrates pastoral elements, this more prevailing version has simplified furniture pieces, yet more elegant accent decor.
Instead of heavy baroque draperies in a rick dark tapestry, you’ll find washed linen panels hanging from ornate gilded rods. It’s softer and airier and comprises a hint of glam, as well.
Tufted Bench
There are certain furniture details that are distinctly French, such as sinewy curved legs and tufted upholstery. The bench, below, that I use as a coffee table embodies that genre perfectly. Again the white linen fabric, painted wood and nail head trim deliver an of-the-moment twist, but the French pedigree is unmistakable.
Aubusson Rug
The one place I allowed the pattern to stay is in the aubusson rug. I do think the room would look younger and more updated with a white tonal rug, but I chose to stay authentic here instead.
What the rug does offer is an underpinning of pink, which in itself is a color that reads very present-day. Ranging from blush to millennial pink, the dusty rose tone injects a freshness to rooms decorated in European style.
Ornate Accents
Some other decorative options that can straddle the new/old French style mix, yielding modern French Country style include:
- Ornate picture frames
- Crystal and brass sconces
- Distressed gilt wood candlesticks and lamps
- Glass cloches
- Cherubs and architectural fragments
- Stone and concrete urns
If it’s time to look at your French Country decor and infuse it with a modernized approach, I hope these ideas will help define your new spaces. Or perhaps you’re looking to add notes of French style to transitional rooms that are already current. In either case a touch of modern French Country decor might be just the thing to keep your rooms from getting stale.
And if there’s no such thing as modern French Country style and I made it up, maybe we should try Neo French Country?
French Country Living Room Shopping Guide
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I bought a huge Trumeau mirror off of Facebook Marketplace and had it appraised at $500. I thought it would be worth much more, but the appraiser said it was from the 1950’s. The problem I have with it is the color. The frame is burnished (?) in gold and I prefer the Trumeau mirrors that are white/gray/silvery. The dilemma is, do I paint it so it works with my aesthetic, or leave it be and sell it? I have already tried to sell it once on Craigslist and there was no interest. Would painting it be sacrilegious? I am pretty good with chalk paints. I’d appreciate any input you might have. Your mirror is really pretty.
Thank you! I’m not an expert on antiques but I’ll give you my opinion. I think if your mirror was appraised at $500 and is dated from the 1950’s, it’s greater value is how much you like it. For that reason, if you’re good with chalk paints and you prefer it white/grey, I’d paint it.
If it was an antique from the 18th century worth thousands of dollars, that would be different. (And even in that case, I’d sell it rather than keep something that doesn’t work with your aesthetic.) Not everyone will agree with me, but I see no reason to keep something you don’t love, just because you think you should. Paint it and enjoy it… 🙂
Thank you so much for your input! I really appreciate it. It’s a big decision so it’s nice to have a second opinion. I do think I’ll end up painting it. Thanks again!
Your living room is gorgeous, Lory. You always inspire me to shake it up a little!
I love reading and seeing your posts Lori! I have wondered what difference modern French Country is when I’ve seen it so enjoyed your take on it. I’ve evolved from years ago, log cabin rustic ( still love) to country cottage, French country cottage but have always been traditional as in Williamsburg traditional, colors, furniture etc. love your style!
Thanks for the tips – I love your style even if you did make it up! 😉 Plus your colors are fabulous – and that bench! ?
Hi Lory,
I think the one word I would use to describe your style is elegant and it flows through your home from one room to the other. Whether something is English or French in Design is immaterial in your setting. That bench – it looks like velvet and the rug, well, there are really no words.
One thing I will say is that I think the European mindset is vastly different and they are not likely to change out furnishings the way we do. They are comfortable with keeping things as they are and I would bet many a rooster still graces the country kitchens in the French countryside. Considering European history, what exactly is modern? I’m thinking perhaps the last two centuries?
That’s a very good point, Margo… 🙂 And thank you for the kind words about my style!
I think terms like French Country and modern are only there to try to help people understand what you’re talking about but I suspect the French never thought much of our definition of French Country. It’s one of the reasons I prefer the term French-inspired to French Country, since obviously it’s only our interpretation of what we perceive as their style.