How to Create a French Country Bedroom

I’ve written about French country style many times on this website: from great French country gardens, to the best French country paint colors. You name it ~ I love all things French country! So here, we’re extending our interest to the bedroom: I’ve curated a gorgeous collection of bedrooms that would be right at home in a high-end Parisian apartment, or in a relaxed Provence cottage. Which is one of the reasons I love French style so much: it can be very sophisticated, or very rustic ~ or really anywhere in between. So let’s learn how to create a gorgeous French country bedroom…

Soft, simple, & lovely: this is a quintessential sophisticated French bedroom. Photo: Edward George.

French Country Style…in the Bedroom

This bedroom is the ultimate in terms of true French country style. Photo: Veranda.

When designing your French country bedroom, you may want to incorporate one or all of these French country signatures: 1) The use of wood & other natural materials; 2) Softly-patterned fabrics in more muted colors; & 3) Some element of distressed, vintage, or antique furnishings & accessories.
For the color palette: think lots of muted tones, all manner of blues, soft greens, light pinks, lavender, even yellow, nearly all pastels, & certainly creams & whites ~ which are often the unifying feature of a French country bedroom. For specific recommendations on French country paint colors (all of which could work in the bedroom), read this article.
As for fabrics: toile is a French country favorite (where pastoral scenes are used repeatedly in soft tones) & can be used on a bedspread, curtains, or even pillows. Floral patterns are also extremely popular in the French country style, which opens you up to a huge world of fabrics. To “masculinize” the French style, look for a floral pattern in darker colors ~ such as earthy browns or dark greys.
For window coverings: soft drapes & curtains are the way to go. I’ve never seen blinds in a French country bedroom! In my room, I’ve got soft white curtains that frame my garden view…but you can pick anything that matches your bedding & overall look.
No French country bedroom is complete without flowers: either fake or real. A rustic French bedroom might display them in a simple metal tin; or in my home, I have blue hydrangeas displayed in a glass Mason jar.
There’s one thing that will make your bedroom stand out more than anything else: & that’s to display a beautiful French-styled chandelier.
End tables, instead of being square, will be round & softer-looking in the French style. A round, natural wood table is the perfect piece for a French bedroom ~ but you can also use antiques or distressed furniture as well.
What’s the view from your bedroom window? If you look out towards a garden, trellis or patio: extend your French country style outside as well. Think about the view you want to have from your bedroom. You might use pea gravel, a beautiful tiered fountain (I have one right outside my bedroom), trees or boxwood planted in rows, & flowers like roses, hydrangeas, delphiniums, & wisteria for a truly romantic feel outside of your bedroom.

How to Create a French Country Bedroom, How to Keep Foxgloves from Falling Over, Girl Who Gardens

The view from my bedroom is an extension of the French country style inside: with foxgloves, delphiniums, & dappled willows all helping to create a beautiful pastel palette.

French Country Chandelier

French Country Cottage

Drapes

Shop for French Country Pieces on Amazon

Photos of French Country Bedrooms

The toile bedding, romantic four-poster bed, & distressed dresser all help to create a beautiful French-styled bedroom. Photo: Savvy in the Suburbs.

Toile wallpaper & monochromatic coloring help blend Traditional style with French country. Photo: Thomas Guy Interiors.

Tall yellow forsythia adds a wonderful “Joie de Vivre” to this gorgeous French bedroom. Photo: A Joyful Cottage.

A chandelier adds instant glamour to this lovely boudoir. Photo: Edward George.

Photos of French Country Bedrooms, Girl Who Gardens

Warm yellows make a French country color ~ that looks great with natural wood beams. Photo: French Blue Cottage.

Soft pink is the main color here, with French doors leading out to a lovely garden. Photo: Kathy Kuo Home.

Joanna Gaines French Country Bedroom, Girl Who Gardens

Remember when Chip & Joanna Gaines created a stone wall in a client’s bedroom? This is that room, & it’s reminiscent of a true Provencal cottage. Photo: HGTV.