Dreamy French country kitchen ideas from the archive
In her book on French country living, the Australian writer Sara Silm, who now lives in the Pyrenees, remarks that “I am always amazed that the kitchens of French houses are so small, given the country’s love of food and cooking, but in reality this speaks to the simplicity of using fresh ingredients that are bought or harvested as they are needed; there’s really no need for vast kitchens with big American-style fridges and unlimited storage.” There is indeed something about the concept of a French country kitchen that conjures up visions of a simpler life, one more in harmony with the seasons, where there is only a fine line between outdoors and indoors. The aesthetic is a far cry from the rigorously fitted kitchens that have become the norm in modern interiors, plentifully supplied with antique furniture and copper pans, without which, it seems, no cuisine campagne would be complete. Scroll down for our favourite design ideas for French country kitchens.
Paul Massey1/12Adrian Holmes and his family spent five years bringing this derelict medieval château in south-west France back to life. With the exterior covered in a depressing grey render that concealed the stonework, rotting floors, holes in the roof, a single rat-infested bathroom and no functional plumbing or electricity, it didn't have a huge amount to recommend it at first, but it couldn't be more different now.
The kitchen has an exposed beamed ceiling, which had previously been plastered, and has traditional lime render on the walls in a fresh yellow colour. The farmhouse table came from a local antique shop, and the collection of tableware in the dresser was sourced from local flea markets.
Dean Hearne2/12French illustrator and designer Marin Montagut is something of a darling of the design world, known for his whimsical designs and equally whimsical shop in Paris’s 6th arrondissement. The place where Marin dreams up many of his creations is a quaint 19th-century cottage in the Normandy countryside that is both weekend home and studio. The kitchen is a colourful, happy space, with a blue dresser found at a flea market, a farmhouse table that came with the house, and bright red painted chairs.
Paul Massey3/12A Provençal stone farmhouse with its origins in the 17th century and a glamorous past has been renovated by its owner, the furniture designer Victoria Stainow, to create an inviting home and the perfect showcase for the chic pieces she sells through her company.
Designed by the architects to look as if they had always been there, the units were built by local craftspeople and finished with dark granite worktops and a splashback in old Italian tiles from Riccardo Barthel. Rugs from Sanaiy Carpets soften the terracotta floor, which runs throughout the house with a different tile design in each room – ‘a brilliant idea from the architects’, says Victoria.
Greg Funnell4/12The kitchen in food writer Mimi Thorisson's former house in the Médoc is everything we want from a French country kitchen, with its buttery walls, red and white checkerboard tiles, and copper pots hanging on the walls.
Daniel Schäfer5/12For interior designer Benji Lewis, happening across this somewhat rundown French house in a favourite village of his provided the opportunity to restore it and retain all its period charm. Thanks to his light touch, and the use of reclaimed materials including the cupboard curtaining made from old Hungarian grain sacks, the kitchen feels as settled as if it had always been used for cooking and dining.
The floor is tiled in reclaimed 18th century tomettes, but the wall tiles are modern and from Topps Tiles in the UK, chosen for their colours which are typical of the region. The door next to the sink leads into the back garden.
Paul Massey6/12Over the past 20 years, British Vogue’s well-travelled former fashion director Lucinda Chambers has filled her house near Toulouse with an eclectic mix of colourful flea-market finds. In the kitchen, vintage chairs are teamed with a table and bench that belonged to the previous owners. A rug from a pound shop in London adds a colourful touch, as does the chandelier from Josh Graham and bright woven carafes from local vide-greniers.
Paul Massey7/12The kitchen in Susan Deliss' former house in Burgundy is small but perfectly formed. The space is painted a warm orange, with the obligatory copper pans arranged on a freestanding shelf, and ceramics adorning the walls. The units were made by Planet Earth Kitchens in Essex and shipped out to France.
Boz Gagovski8/12Antiques are key to a successful country kitchen, and antiques dealer James Jackson and his husband Andrew Bottrill's house in the Périgord demonstrates why. In the kitchen, the 17th-century-style walnut refectory table, which dates from the mid 20th century, is paired with a harlequin set of English 18th- and 19th-century chairs.
Richard Powers9/12As you approach this pretty house of buttery Provençal stone encircled by lavender fields, it is easy to see why its English owners fell for it. For them, the pièce de résistance is the kitchen, which comprises two adjoining rooms - one is where the bulk of the cooking takes place, while the larger area houses the dining table and opens up onto the garden. Katie Fontana of Plain English oversaw the project and nothing was left to chance. 'We built every cupboard knowing what would be going in it,' explains the owner.
Tessa Traeger10/12The late Robert Kime's enchanting family house in Provence, La Gonette, was filled with a clever blend of antiques that perfectly fitted their surroundings. The kitchen was no different, with fitted elements sitting easily alongside an antique dresser and island.
Luke White11/12When Shauna Varvel bought her dream house in Provence, she flew out from New York every six weeks or so to supervise the renovation, and stayed at the Hotel La Mirande in Avignon on her visits. While there, she fell in love with its quintessentially French basement kitchen. “I was thrilled to find the son of the man who had built it, François Reynier, and commissioned him to build our own, working with US kitchen designer Debbie Blumencranz. It is truly the best room of the house,” she says. Read an extract from her book, Provence Style, here.
Paul Massey12/12Scottish-born Amelie, Duchesse de Magenta, is at the helm of the Château de Sully in Burgundy, one of the largest chateaux in the region. The kitchen is filled with the obligatory copper pans, and painted in a warm yellow shade.
