Provence style bathroom
We all want warmth and comfort of home. We dream after everyday worries and cares, to find ourselves on an island of comfort, where you can fully relax, recover physically and mentally. A bathroom in Provence style is just such an ideal place for relaxation.
Natural materials, eye-pleasing colors and an abundance of handmade accessories create a unique atmosphere, help to set a positive mood.
Let’s dwell on the main features of French country style in more detail.
Provence style bathroom design
Provence, named in honor of one of the most picturesque areas of France, needs spacious rooms with good natural light. That’s why this direction is more often found in country houses, where a large area is characterized not only by living rooms, but also bathrooms.
Finishing of the bathroom. What materials to choose
For a classic interior of the bathroom in the Provence style is used:
- natural wood
- marble
- tile
- wallpaper
- plaster or water disperse paint
The walls in the area of the washbasin and bathtub or shower cabin are tiled. In a more expensive version of these areas are decorated with marble.
Tiles in Provence style can be white or pastel colors, type «boar», square or hexagonal. If the interior is kept in one color, for contrast apron is made of majolica, less often used panels with plant pattern.
Attention: matte tile in this case is preferable to glossy.
Areas of the walls that are not directly in contact with water, wallpapered, plastered or painted. All materials should have increased moisture resistance, which is necessarily indicated in the labeling.
It is recommended to paint the walls in light colors:
- creamy
- light gray
- sandy
- mint
- lavender
- olive
Wallpaper is chosen with plant ornaments or in vertical stripes. Sometimes the walls up to half of the walls are covered with wooden slats of white color.
Floor tiles in the bathroom can be made of terracotta or porcelain stoneware. An alternative to these materials are wooden planks, which are artificially aged.
Examples of the interior of the bathroom in the style of Provence further on the photo:
Provence and country style bathroom in a wooden house is a special topic. If the walls are covered with «wagon» or, even better, lined with timber, no finishing material for them will not be required.
But … the color of natural wood for French country is not typical. It is better to first brushed wood, thereby «adding» its age, and then treated with white-colored lessiruyuschimi compositions (see photo).
Tip: if the bathroom is located in the attic, the wooden floor beams should be left open. This will give the interior a special charm.
Furniture for the bathroom in Provence style
Objects of furnishings are preferable massive, good, as if served more than one generation of the family. Of course, today it is rare to find a real antique or at least vintage furniture, but artificially age it for French country style will not be difficult.
Cupboards usually have glazing or open shelves, which visually makes them lighter and airier.
Very beautiful bollards in the bathroom in the Provence style. Their facade is decorated with fillets or carvings, patinated and craquelized, creating the so-called «effect of the work of time». The tabletop is made of marble. The image is completed by exquisite bronze or brass fittings.
Sanitary ware
- Sink in the bathroom in the Provence style can be: built-in, with a pedestal («tulip») or overhead. Suspended models are very rare. Material: ceramic, marble or its artificial analogs.
Overhead models in the form of a round bowl most of all resemble earthenware hand basins of the XVIII century, when the French provincial style was born. Complementing such a sink with a jug, where you can store, for example, aromatic bath bombs, we will get a great and stylish set.
- The bathtub — ideally cast iron or steel, should have a traditional shape. It is usually placed on legs in the form of lion’s feet, but a simple support on the floor is also possible.
In spacious rooms, it is recommended to install the bathroom in the center, separated by a textile drapery made of natural linen or cotton. It is desirable that it is in color and pattern harmonized with the window curtains for the bathroom.
- Taps and showers in the retro style «under bronze» — the last touch in decorating Provence bathrooms.
A Provence-style bathroom with a shower cabin is not a contradiction, but a desire to combine tradition and modern comfort level. To make the device less noticeable, it is desirable to use not hydroboxes, but open models with fully transparent walls.
Tip: starting the renovation of the bathroom, you can beforehand allocate a niche for the shower, thus hiding it from prying eyes as much as possible. This option will look the most harmonious (see photo) :
Accessories for the bathroom in Provence style
It is good if you manage to buy at a flea market or find in the «pantry» of the older generation, rare bottles, boxes for storing cosmetics, soap dishes and other small things that are indispensable when it comes to French country style.
If such sources are unavailable, you can buy quite worthy analogues in specialized stores.
Accessories in Provence style should be a lot. We should not forget about handmade soaps and other natural care products, which will also serve as a decoration of the bathroom.
Wicker baskets for linen and bath accessories, wrought iron stands or shelves for towels, woven mats — all this is necessary to create a complete image.
Mirrors in the bathroom should be chosen large, preferably full-length, in wooden frames with rich carved decoration. However, gilding should be avoided. If it is present on the baguette, it is better to apply the aging effect and remove the unnecessary shine of metal.
Tip: a mirror for the bathroom, decorated with painting will be a spectacular touch in the overall ensemble.
On the photo — elements of Provencal decor:
Lighting
For country in general and French in particular, characterized by soft, diffused lighting, as much as possible reminiscent of natural lighting. It is desirable, in the center of the room to hang a chandelier of classic style, which will be «supported» by several local lamps.
Fluorescent and halogen lamps, no matter how familiar and convenient they are, in Provence try not to use. Or at least make them as inconspicuous as possible.
It is much more correct to buy a pair of sconces in the bathroom and place on both sides of the mirror in the area of the sink, as in the photos below:
Small bathroom in Provence style
French country, as mentioned above, looks good in rooms with a large area. But what to do those who love this direction and want to recreate it in a small apartment?
The way out here — in stylization. Say, decorating the room in gentle, light colors we have already made a step towards the dream, and, adding literally two or three relevant accessories: a mirror in an antique frame, a box of willow for dirty laundry or wrought iron lamps, create a quite recognizable, bright image.
In the photo — the design of a small bathroom:
Provence — a style proven by centuries and does not lose relevance today. Simultaneously refined and cozy, able to transform, but not losing its inherent features, it will be a great choice for any bathroom. And will make it unique.