24 French Country Kitchen Ideas for a Delightfully European Cookspace
The term timeless gets thrown around a lot, but there’s no denying that it applies to the French country kitchen. This distinct aesthetic, which is characterized by the juxtaposition of rustic, natural elements with luxurious Versailles-style details, has been en vogue for hundreds of years. It first came to prominence during the reign of Louis XV, an 18th-century monarch who took his court for jaunts in the countryside. The blending of farmhouse and regal vibes has been popular in kitchens ever since.
French country kitchens can, of course, be found in the French countryside, from Provence to Burgundy to Alsace. But Francophiles and other stylish people live in the United States and around the globe, meaning French country kitchens exist just about everywhere. We scoured the internet to find our 24 favorites, which we present to you here, along with the French country kitchen ideas that will help you recreate the look at home. But first, here’s a bit more information about the beloved style.
What design elements are featured in a French country kitchen?
According to Houston-based interior designer Amitha Verma, French country kitchens are defined by weathered stone floors, exposed wood beams, honed marble countertops, aged hardware, and traditional cabinetry with ornate, furniture-like detailing. “Replace some of the door fronts with country-inspired chicken wire, decorative metal grille work, or glass,” she recommends. “Enhance the charm with decorative bolts and hinges.”
French country kitchens are also typically outfitted with crystal chandeliers, copper cookware, trestle tables, and Louis XV–style chairs. Vintage objects fill the open shelves and available counter space. “Seek home decor that seamlessly integrates into the French Country style,” Verma advises. “Old farmhouse clocks with serif fonts, antique engravings, charming paintings, beautiful blue-and-white platters to display on your walls, and richly framed art pieces.”
Why is French country decor ideal for a kitchen?
Since the kitchen is the heart of the home, it’s a well-trafficked space. It’s used for everyday meals and entertaining alike. French country decor lends itself to this versatility, as it has the rustic, utilitarian elements needed for daily use, as well as the glamorous flair required for hosting holidays and dinner parties. It’s truly the perfect kitchen style. Now that you’re convinced, you can scroll on for 24 French country kitchen design ideas.
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Photo: Charlotte Reiss1/24Install weathered stone floors
For an authentic French country feel, weathered stone floors are the way to go. Charlotte Reiss of home goods brand Vivi et Margot aced the look in the remodel of her 260-year-old Provençal “mas” (or farmhouse) in the South of France, where she sourced local limestone from a nearby quarry for the floors and archway. The raw, organic texture of the new stone blends in seamlessly with the original fireplace mantle, ceiling beams, and sink. “I wanted to keep the old-world charm for a modern family life with functionality for cooking and prep space,” Reiss explains.
Photo: Carina Skrobecki2/24Or consider rustic wood floors
Though weathered stone is often the floor material of choice for French country kitchens, Emily Ruff of Cohesively Curated Interiors makes the case for rustic wood floors in her Issaquah, Washington, project. The wide, walnut-hued planks offer a coziness that stone does not. “We used a medium tone hardwood for the floors that feels richer and warmer than the light white oak that is so popular right now,” she says. “The thing I love most about French country style is that it feels collected and comfortable, while still being very polished.”
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Photo: Sara Silm3/24Opt for exposed wood beams
Exposed wood beams are quintessential to French country kitchens. This is proven by Sara Silm, the author of How to French Country: Color and Design Inspiration from Southwest France, and the kitchen she built in her barn in Béarn, France. The historic structure, which once housed her chateau’s wood pile, wine press, and tobacco drying area, features original wood beams that add warmth and rusticity. “It’s honest, unpretentious, and unapologetically authentic,” Silm says of the French country aesthetic.
Photo: Mikael Lundblad4/24Spring for a farmhouse sink
A farmhouse sink, with its generous depth and bold apron, is a French country kitchen must-have. Originally designed for washing dishes without running water, the farmhouse sink still facilitates cleaning even with modern plumbing. It also just looks inherently rural. Sara Lerner of Palta Studio installed one in the new kitchen of her 18th-century barn in Gotland, Sweden, pairing it with local stone countertops and oceanic blue cabinetry.
Photo: Carole Poirot5/24Add a skirt under the sink
Instead of a cabinet door, add a decorative skirt under the sink. Photographer Carole Poirot executed this expertly in her North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, kitchen, where a yellow floral curtain hangs beneath a limestone sink. “I knew I wanted a relatively unfitted and homely look, rather than absolute perfection, hence the curtain under the sink rather than a standard cabinet,” she explains. “The way I interpret French country style, there’s an imperfection and warmth that makes it feel slowly evolved rather than painstakingly designed.”
Photo: Marian Parsons6/24Display copper cookware
French chefs have long favored copper pots and pans for cooking everything from beef Bourguignon to bouillabaisse, so it’s no surprise that these beautiful tools are often on display in French country kitchens. The metal cookware typically hangs from hooks on a rail above the stove, as it does in Marian Parsons’s kitchen in Washington County, Maryland. The Miss Mustard Seed blogger also has a ceiling pot rack, so her copper colanders and cake molds can dangle above her farmhouse-style wood island too.
Photo: Anita Joyce7/24Hang crystal chandeliers
For that Versailles-style glamor, hang shimmering chandeliers like Anita Joyce, the author of French Accents: Farmhouse French Style For Today's Home, did in her Houston cookspace. The glitzy light fixtures are perfect for balancing the rough textures and natural imperfections of a farmhouse kitchen. “I love mixing the rustic with the refined, so we paired the old beams with crystal and gold chandeliers over the island,” she shares.
Photo: Emily Followill8/24Or try oversized lanterns
If sparkly chandeliers aren’t your style, try hanging a set of oversized lanterns instead. The striking light fixtures have an old world European air that fits right into a French country kitchen, like the contemporary-leaning one that Liz Williams Interiors created for a client in St. Simons Island, Georgia. “The antique reproduction dining pieces add a collected sense to the room, as do the lanterns and iron chandelier,” she says.
Photo: Max Burkhalter9/24Invest in a statement range
A statement range—especially a French one from La Cornue or Lacanche—is key to a French country kitchen. That is abundantly clear in Zoe Feldman’s Washington, DC, townhouse project, where a black-and-gold range pops against the pale gray pink kitchen cabinets and checkerboard floors. “The Lacanche is a gorgeous focal point that complements its light surroundings,” she says. “Everything was selected to look like it had been there forever and to be used for just as long.”
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Photo: Greg Berlucchi/Awe Photo10/24Replace cabinetry with furniture
To achieve the effortlessness of a French country kitchen, replace traditional cabinetry with furniture à la Instagrammer Susan Johnson’s pink kitchen in Phoenix, Arizona. “With a limited budget, our goal was to create a functional kitchen that was fairy-tale-like and would make us feel like we were living in the French summer,” she shares. “We converted a vintage armoire into a pantry, cleaned a rustic wood console to function as a kitchen island, and built cabinets from small kitchen islands with wicker baskets for drawers.”
Photo: Jack Thompson11/24Incorporate curved details
Verma’s favorite way to bring French country style into a kitchen is with curved details and serpentine shapes, which she incorporated on the painted cabinet doors in a Houston project. The embellishments appear on the ivory perimeter cabinets, as well as the soft gray cupboards on the base of the island. “To address storage creatively, we chose a raised panel door design with a curved pattern, providing both functionality and movement in the small space,” she describes.
Photo: Abigail Jackson12/24Make the hood a focal point
A range hood can be a utilitarian appliance or it can be a major focal point. In most French country kitchens, like the one Libby Padula of French Bleue designed in Cary, North Carolina, it’s most definitely the latter. The big brass hood above the black Lacanche range steals the show. “White kitchens can feel stark, so I incorporated unlacquered brass elements that added warmth and history to make it feel lived-in and inviting,” she explains. “The large brass hood from Francois & Co. helped to tie all of the brass features together.”
Photo: Josh Grubbs13/24Go for a patterned tile backsplash
Go for a patterned tile backsplash as a way to bring in more French country curves and ornate embellishments. That’s what Heather Peterson did in the makeover of a St. Paul, Minnesota, kitchen—and it changed everything. “The most special, transformative material we used was the statuario marble backsplash,” she declares. “It has a brushed finish to make it feel antique. Marble is more timeless and classical than ceramic or porcelain tiles would be. Though it is digitally printed, the silver and gold pattern almost feels like reverse-glass painting.”
Photo: Adam Macchia14/24Build a fireplace
The presence of a fireplace instantly adds warmth—literally, but also figuratively. This is readily apparent in a Germantown, New York, kitchen by Louise Copeland of L.B. Copeland Interior Design, where the hearth is steps away from the antique draper’s table that serves as the island. “A standout feature is the inclusion of a wood-burning fireplace, not only adding a cozy atmosphere, but also paying homage to the historical elements of this beautiful 19th-century house,” she describes. “I love how French Country takes a more weathered and casual setting, adding hints of elevation and refinement.”
Photo: Raquel Langworthy15/24Commit to honed marble countertops
Honed marble countertops, as seen in Christina Kim’s Belmar, New Jersey, project, are a key element of French country design. She used the earthy material, which is prone to patina, both along the perimeter and on the massive island in the space. “Though large, the 14-foot island doesn’t feel overwhelming because it is clad with warm, natural materials like Danby marble and cerused oak,” she explains. “The idea was to meld the old world with the new world and come up with a fresh, modernized version of the classic French country kitchen.”
Photo: Amy Neunsinger16/24Or choose butcher block countertops
Marble and other natural stones can be pricey. For budget-friendly French country countertops, choose warm, farmhouse-style butcher block, as Mark D. Sikes did in his Normandy-inspired Southern California project. The rich, walnut-toned wood balances the cornflower blue of the Delft tile backsplash, cone-shaped Ann Morris pendant lights, and custom stools upholstered in a Raoul Textiles Pasha fabric.
Photo: Matthieu Salvaing17/24Splurge on travertine
If your budget can accommodate a splurge, travertine is a worthy purchase. Diego Delgado-Elias proves this to be true in the makeover of a centuries-old French country home in Provence, where he designed an eye-catching travertine island and matching light fixture for the kitchen. The two custom features play off the house’s original stone floors for an organic aesthetic that’s simultaneously luxe and rustic.
“As seen in The Joy of Home by Ashley Gilbreath.” Photo: Emily Followill
Styling: Eleanor Roper18/24Furnish with antiques and vintage
Furnish your kitchen with antiques and vintage for that collected vibe that’s integral to French country design. That’s how Ashley Gilbreath upgraded an existing Pete J. Vallas Architecture kitchen in Mobile, Alabama, which already had a stunning carved wood island and exposed beams. “We stepped in to tailor the kitchen to the needs of a young family, selecting vintage and antique furniture pieces that could withstand the rough and tumble of children, while complementing the existing aesthetic,” she explains. “We selected a stripe performance fabric to slipcover the dining chairs and counter stools.”
Photo: Abigail Jackson19/24Integrate old doors
The integration of all manner of antiques and vintage is encouraged in the making of a French country kitchen, but reusing old doors is an especially fantastic way to do it. Cheryl Bafford’s Raleigh, North Carolina, project is a prime example, as she sourced reclaimed doors directly from France for the walk-in pantry. The worn, peeling wood provides the space with compelling historical character.
Photo: Chris Mottalini20/24Source a trestle table
When curating an eat-in French country kitchen, source a trestle table to serve as the central gathering spot. This type of dining table has been around since the Middle Ages, so it evokes the conviviality of a medieval tavern. That’s why Molly Kidd of Light and Dwell placed one in the middle of an Oregon cottage kitchen. “My main goal was to create an eat-in kitchen with a large dining table in the middle of it, instead of your traditional kitchen island, for a sense of hospitality and warmth,” she confirms.
Photo: Meghan Marin21/24Paint your cabinets blue
Many French country kitchens are entirely neutral in palette, but when color is used, it’s often blue, the hue that traditionally represents France and its monarchy. Celebrity hairstylist Harry Josh went with a dusty blue shade for the Shaker-style cabinets in his Manhattan kitchen. Though the Behr paint color is technically called Norwegian Blue, it looks like it belongs in Provence. “I’m always drawn to old French countryside homes, so I always love those color palettes,” he says.
Photo: Miguel Flores-Vianna22/24Put up wallpaper
To increase the luxury factor in a French country kitchen, put up elegant wallpaper. Floral Marthe Armitage wallpaper completely transformed editor Deborah Needleman’s garden-adjacent Hudson Valley kitchen, which she designed with her friend and interior designer Rita Konig. The two women filled the space with antique and vintage gems, including a wrought-iron hanging light and a Portuguese tablecloth.
Photo: Miguel Flores-Vianna23/24Mix patterns
A French country kitchen should never be too designed. It should feel layered, like it came together over time. Mixing patterns—especially those that don’t match—is a great way to achieve this, as evidenced by the kitchen renovation in business tycoon Chris Burch’s 1608 house outside Paris. Designers Marco Scarani and Michel Pinet combined blue-and-white plaid seat cushions with ikat window treatments and a geometric tile backsplash for a collected style.
Photo: Matthieu Salvaing Art: Henri De Waroquier © 2023 ADAGP, Paris/ ARS, New York24/24Bring in art and objects
The final step of crafting a French country kitchen is peppering art and objects throughout to complete the lived-in look. Morgane Sézalory, the founder of womenswear brand Sézane, does this flawlessly in her Paris apartment, where she displays beloved items on the marble counter and the ledge built into her mirrored kitchen backsplash. Stacked ceramic coffee cups from Les Composantes mingle with a vintage Braque exhibition poster, a Henry de Waroquier painting, and a fan.