Small kitchens in Provence style: design and unusual examples

If you have a Provence style kitchen, it means that it is always warm. Very cozy, natural, not the most difficult to create, it is always appropriate in the arrangement of the kitchen. It is noteworthy that even small-sized rooms can look convincing and very expressive in the Provencal style. But the design will have to work.

Provence is one of the directions of country, a rustic style that expresses the whole aesthetics of suburban life, this time of the French province. Its peculiarity is that the natural principle dominates here. Floral motifs, natural colors and simple shapes are eloquent in such an interior.

If you are planning to equip a Provence style kitchen, pay attention to its 7 main features.

• Lots of light. The room should be light, because this is the nature of nature, the grace of the shining sun and clear sky. Artificial light, of course, is also present in the kitchen, but delicately.

• Colors of nature. Provencal cuisine has a place for milky, sandy, natural brown (different shades of earth), green, blue and other natural tones. The base is usually chosen beige, cream or sand, in consonance with them are turquoise, green, blue and, of course, lavender.

• Natural wall decoration. Most often it is plaster, ordinary white paint or wooden panels (they can be painted, or you can not change the natural shades). Wallpaper is less common, but if it is an adapted style, it is possible.

• Wooden floor. If you follow the aesthetics of Provence correctly, then do not allow laminate, carpet, linoleum and even parquet on the floor.Simple wooden boards that can be painted in reconciling white are always in tune with the style.

• Furniture from natural materials. And the rule of naturalness, the quality of materials also applies to furniture. Furniture made of chipboard and MDF is not found in true Provence, but adapted versions allow such models if they are stylistically impeccable. What even adaptation will definitely not tolerate is glass and chrome furniture. Therefore, if you have a table and chairs on metal legs, they can become conflicting elements in Provencal cuisine.

• Important decor. A small Provence style kitchen cannot be deliberately minimalistic. If there was not enough room in it for cute knick-knacks, floral prints, wooden trays, or decoupage containers for bulk products (for example), the style will not be sustained.

• It is always a room with its own face. You can take a photo example you like and repeat it, exactly picking up furniture and decorative design. But a truly Provencal cuisine will turn out if there is room for individuality and exclusivity in the space. It's one thing to buy an imitation tablecloth, it's quite another to whiten your grandmother's tablecloth, slightly update the embroidery on it and put it on the table. Your "I" must necessarily be in such a kitchen.

It is difficult to say what is more important in a renovated kitchen - furniture or decoration. If one of the two points falls down, the design will not be successful. Even perfectly finished walls, the right floor and ceiling will not be able to disguise a literally conspicuous set that does not fit into the style of Provence.

The Provencal headset is characterized by:

• wooden facades, in most cases painted in pastel colors;
• the presence of such decor as carving, curly crowns, open shelves, and not "blank" cabinets;
• the surface of the facades can be decorated with patina, abrasions, craquelure, elements of painting;
• general feeling of the spirit of antiquity, ancient times, which in the haze of years seem especially romantic and wonderful.

Since the kitchen is small, it is dangerous to be enchanted by the beauty of the headset and forget about practicality. Outwardly, it may be small, but its modest compact size should be combined with practicality.

Ideally, a headset should accommodate all built-in appliances. If she is in sight, it is not easy to maintain the style. I am glad that ovens and ovens and hoods can be found in vintage style today. The kettle on the stove should also be in the spirit of the times, no strict geometry and shiny metal.

Take your time with the corner sink, if it is possible to use a linear headset, do everything for the benefit of this option. When the kitchen is uncomfortable, all its external charm fades. But if, for example, you already had a corner sink and everything was fine, you don't have to worry.

A new refrigerator is rarely bought for an updated kitchen. But if you have such an opportunity, take a closer look at vintage models. They refer to the 50-70s of the last century, which will be organic for Provence. If there is no opportunity to buy a new one, you can transform the old one.

If you want to follow the style without constant compromises, you will have to either completely remove the hanging cabinets, or replace some of them with open shelves. Any rustic styles collide with this - kitchen utensils, numerous jars and small culinary assistants should be at hand with the hostess.

They cook themselves in the village, food to order or frequent trips to cafes / restaurants are excluded there. Therefore, the hostess, who is forced to cook often and a lot, will find it inconvenient to constantly slam the cabinet doors. Whether it's the case of the shelves: everything is near, everything is in front of your eyes, and the filling of the shelves itself is the decor of the room.

In a really small kitchen, it sometimes makes sense to replace a full-fledged set with a dining sideboard. It will be complementary to the style and uncommon. You may have to buy a cabinet for a sink, but you can only get by with the base on which the masking curtains are hung. And the shelves for dishes can also be made open.

If you're staying at the buffet, opt for the countertop option. Still, the kitchen needs a work surface, in such a small space it will be enough. The upper part of the sideboard usually has a display case with glass and / or tulle, transparent curtains. There, put what you want to show - beautiful dishes, various kitchen decor dear to your heart.

There may be a small shelf above the countertop where it is convenient to store loose products, tea, herbs, and so on. Well, at the bottom, behind the doors, everything else should fit. If it seems to you that this "rest" cannot fit into the sideboard, if there is free space, put a modest wooden shelf in the kitchen. It can be with baskets for storing household items, vegetables and much more. It can remain open if everything is always neatly and strictly in its place.

The most recognizable colors of Provence - olive and pistachio, azure and sand... These "couples" always attract attention, but gently, without dominance.

If you like more modest solutions, you can swing at white kitchen. It is always beautiful, but the option, of course, is easily soiled.

Good colors for decorating a kitchen space would be sky blue, cornflower blue, brown.

It looks interesting and white kitchen with a large presence of woody motives. This will relieve you of the feeling of sterility (if you take only white), bring it closer to the natural basis. If the kitchen is small, use muted colors.

The window must be equipped with a curtain. Heavy curtains in a small kitchen are inappropriate, but floral curtains or light linen curtains are quite in the spirit of the created image. You can't think of any more suitable decor than simple flowers in ceramic pots on the windowsill for the window area.

Here are some tips for styling.

• Cover the table with a beautiful country tablecloth: knitted or embroidered, it is not so important, it is good if it is a tablecloth with history. It is great if the dining table is decorated with fresh flowers in a vase all year round, especially if it is a modest bunch of lavender.

• Beautiful and time-worn wooden trays, twisted candlesticks, elegant fruit bowls, tea towels with flowers, roosters, butterflies and birds are appropriate in Provencal cuisine.

• A wooden bench can be placed next to the dining table - it will be more authentic than a corner. And for convenience, decorate it with pillows that are comfortable to sit on.

• Walls can be decorated with paintings of dried flowers - simple compositions of dried flowers under glass.

The style is formed gradually, overgrown with new details and important details. Despite the fact that Provence is associated with summer, it can be adapted to New Year's decor, and to the luxury of autumn, and to the spring revival.

An overview of a small Provence style kitchen in the video below.