Living Room Decorating Ideas With French Provencial Accents

Fireplace Mantel

• Use the living room’s fireplace mantel to showcase distressed-looking accessories. Line the mantel with white wooden frames and clocks. Give the items a shabby chic look by painting the pieces with just a few coats of white paint. Draw further attention to the mantel by hanging a gilded mirror over the fireplace. Line the hearth with copper materials, like pots, buckets, kettles, screens and a fireplace tool set. If you don't have a fireplace, you can install a faux mantel with carved detailing to showcase items.

Wine and Cheese

• France’s Provence region features a host of gourmet foods, including numerous wine and cheese makers. Highlight the region in your living room by placing a bottle of French wine on the room’s coffee table, side table or hutch. Display a marble cheese cutting board and wine glasses alongside the bottle. In addition to fitting the room’s theme, the pieces also ensure you will be ready to entertain at a moment’s notice. Add an oversized book dedicated to French wine to the coffee table.

Floral Patterns

• Bring the flower-covered hills of Provence indoors by adding floral patterns to your living room. Use blue toile or muted yellow floral patterned rugs and throw pillows around the room. Hang still life paintings or decorative plates featuring flowers on the wall. Fill tabletop vases with colorful fresh flowers. For a more rustic look, place dried flowers in wall vase sconces.

Lighting

• Bring light to the room by hanging a white metal mini chandelier from the ceiling. For an added touch, drape the chandelier with crystal or glass beads. Install additional light sources in the room by mounting antique chrome or silver sconces to the wall, each outfitted with faux candles. Scatter candles around the room using white wrought iron candleholders.

Furniture

• Add worn wooden furniture to the living room, such as small bookshelves, side tables and work desks with chairs. Provide a dash of color to the room by using sparse amounts of paint on these pieces, including shades like sea foam green, Prussian blue and terracotta red. In lieu of a coffee table, use a brass and leather hope chest filled with extra throw blankets. Complete the room’s provincial look by using a combination of floral patterned or lightly colored fainting couches, love seats and upholstered arm chairs.