THE French are renowned for their style and elegance — and that's what the French provincial look is all about.
Images of panelled walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, flagstone flooring, wallpaper and French doors spring to mind — and they're all costly structural additions. But you can get the look quite cheaply.
Think neutral when it comes to choosing paint colours — creams and very pale beige walls offset by white trims.
Paint your furniture in soft colours like duck egg blues and dove greys or whites.
A couple of key antique pieces of furniture are a worthwhile investment and don't necessarily need to cost a bomb. Look for a sideboard, Louis-style chair or wardrobe with dainty turned legs.
Decorative mouldings are a relatively inexpensive way to jazz up any piece of furniture or cupboard. They're available from the timber section of most major hardware stores. Just glue them in place and paint the entire piece.
Chandeliers are gorgeous and unmistakably French. Make sure you have new ones wired up professionally. If you buy something beautiful from a flea market don't trust the safety of the wiring. Just hang it above the dining table for decoration and use the room's regular lights for illumination.
Mix old and new together by displaying flea market finds and antiques with new pieces.
Cheap accessories such as timber breadboards, striped tea towels, enamel jugs, old silver and bone-handled cutlery teamed with a striped or white tablecloth complete the look.
