Wednesday, April 27, 2022

5 Essentials for French Country Style: Tips from an Interior Designer

At Lavender & Company, French country style is one of most popular categories on our site. Our interior design and e-design customers also love French country style decor, and we layer their rooms in our favorite French country style rugs, bedding, furniture, wallpaper and more. Here are essentials for a fresh, modern French country style that works for any home. 

What is French Country style?

French country style is defined as a blend of rustic decor and more refined European elements - think a rustic wooden dining table with upholstered Louis XIV dining chairs. This style is inspired by classic homes in the French countryside, especially like those in the Provence regions.

In classic, traditional French country homes like those in Provence, you'll find:
  • rustic wooden dining tables
  • distressed wooden furniture - if painted, it's usually in whites, creams, or shades of French blue
  • upholstered seating in velvets or linens, but nothing stuffy: casual elegance is the name of the game. Chairs and sofas are meant to be lounged in.
  • Elegant antiques like gilded mirrors
  • White stoneware or bisqueware
  • Fabrics in toiles and ginghams
Traditional French country is casual and elegant, but still refined. It's not uncommon to see a neutral room with distressed wood furniture, natural linen upholstery, and beautiful silk gingham curtains.

Image of Provence via Julia Berolzheimer

What is Modern French Country style?

Modern French country style retains the color palette and refined spirit of traditional French country style, while incorporating elements like marble and stone or more diverse decor like modern art or bolder patterns that you might not see in a traditional French country home.

If you want a lighter, brighter version of a French country home, you might want to do a lighter paint color on the walls. You might also do a sectional in a neutral linen that you'd see in a traditional French country home, but incorporate a toile pattern on the pillows.

Image via Simons Design Studio

Five Essentials for French Country Style in Your Home:

#1: A Distressed Wood Cabinet or Dresser

A distressed wood console, cabinet, or dresser is a French country mainstay and can work in any room in your home. It does double duty as decor and as storage. These finds from our shop have that antiqued French country look that can work in a modern or traditional French country home. 

Shop the Painted French Sideboard at Lavender and Company

Shop the Bow Front Server at Lavender and Company

Shop the European Painted Server at Lavender and Company

Shop the Spool Leg Console at Lavender and Company


#2: French Blue Velvet Placemats

This is the perfect way to add a touch of French country to your home. Pair them with our Giulietta Dinnerware and Sofia Coupes to achieve the full look.


Shop the French Blue velvet placemats set of four at Lavender and Company


#3: A Rustic Wooden Dining Table

Add a rustic wooden dining table in your breakfast area or dining room for that casual French country feel. In Provence, it's all about casual elegance. 

Shop the Club Room Table at Lavender and Company

Shop the Old Elm Farmhouse Table at Lavender and Company

Shop the French Country Dining Table at Lavender and Company


#4: A Romantic Bed

A romantic bed frame, piled high with lace-trimmed bed linens and pretty pillows, is the ultimate in French country chic. 

An wrought iron bed frame is classic in French country decor, as is a painted wood finish. 

Shop the Corsican Sleigh Bed at Lavender and Company 

Shop the Somerset Bay Chateau Bed at Lavender and Company


#5: The Right Patterns

Toile and Gingham/Checks are the predominant patterns in the French Country style. Usually seen in softer tones of blue, green, and pink, you can have fun with them by incorporating brighter colors for a modern French country look. 

Shop the French Farmhouse Toile Chair at Lavender and Company

Shop the Gingham Tea Towel at Lavender and Company

Shop the Seda France Sel de Mer Candle at Lavender and Company

Shop the Schumacher Toile De La Prairie Wallpaper at Lavender & Company 



Saturday, April 02, 2022

Featured in House & Garden UK May 2022 Issue

  We're excited to have been featured in the May 2022 Issue of House and Garden UK! Take a look below. 





Wednesday, March 23, 2022

How to Set a Table for a Dinner Party | Absolutely Everything You Need to Know [With Illustrated Place Setting Ideas]

 


If you're throwing a dinner party for friends and family and want it to really "wow," we've got you covered. Follow along for our advice on how to set everything from a basic table for a casual get together to a formal table fit for royalty. 

Should You Use a Tablecloth, a Runner, or Placemats?

This depends on the formality of your dinner and your overall style. If you have a beautiful farmhouse table, you can show it off and skip a tablecloth for most dinners (unless you want to throw a Bridgerton style gala dinner). 

For casual events you can do placements, or placemats and a charger. A charger is a piece of decor that goes under your plate to add another element of style. It's usually round and is slightly larger than your plate. You leave it there as people eat, but it can be removed at dessert. 




For more formal events, you can do a tablecloth - or if you love tablecloths, you can do them at casual events, too! The rules aren't hard and fast and can be adjusted to your style and taste. 

A runner can be used on its own down the center of a table, or layered on top of a tablecloth to add visual interest. You can also use a runner in creative ways, running it across the table from different place settings, like here in our Provence Linen Runner. 




What Utensils Do You Need for a Dinner Party?

This depends on what you're serving. A fork and knife are usually the basics. For most dinner parties, you'll want a dinner fork and a salad fork. 

Do you need a spoon? Well, only if you're serving food that requires eating with a spoon. 

Check out our illustrated guides below for an in-depth look at what utensils to use. 

How to Set a Basic Table for a Dinner Party - What Do You Need? 

Having a simple dinner for just the family? If you just need the basics, this should suffice. You can dress it up with flowers from the garden and a great bottle of wine.




For the simplest, most basic table setting, you'll need:
  • A dinner plate
  • A bowl if you're serving soup
  • A napkin
  • A water glass
  • Utensils, depending on your menu (fork and knife, usually; soup spoon if you're serving soup)
  • And decor, of course: place cards, flowers, candles, etc.

How to Set a Casual Table for a Dinner Party - What Do You Need? 

If you're having a more casual affair but still want an elevated look (no paper plates, please), here's what you'll need: 



  • Tablecloth if you're using one. A runner can go on top of a tablecloth if you choose.
  • If you're not using a tablecloth, a runner and placements will dress up a bare table. 
  • Chargers with a tablecloth are always recommended (at least by us - we love a good charger!) - chargers with placemats are optional but add another layer of decor. 
  • A dinner plate and salad plate. Soup bowl if you're serving soup.
  • A napkin
  • A water glass and additional glass, depending on your menu. Usually a wine glass (red or white, depending on what you're serving). This could also be a champagne flute, if it's a brunch and you're serving mimosas, or a cocktail glass if you're serving a fun signature drink with dinner. 
  • Utensils: fork, salad fork, knife. Add a soup spoon if you're serving soup, and a steak knife if you're serving steak. 
  • And then of course, your decor. 


How to Set a Proper Formal Table for a Dinner Party - What Do You Need? 

If you're going all out and setting a formal table for a fancy dinner party or a holiday, here's what you'll need. 



  • A tablecloth is de rigueur for formal dinners. It doesn't have to be crisp white; you can always do something more interesting and colorful, while maintaining the formality of the dinner. 
  • A beautiful charger underneath each plate will elevate your table - we definitely recommend it for a formal dinner.
  • A dinner plate and salad plate. Soup bowl if you're serving soup.
  • A napkin 
  • A water glass, white wine glass, and red wine glass if you're serving all three. If you're not (or you don't have that many glasses), you can get away with just a water and a wine glass... we won't call the etiquette police!
  • Utensils: fork, salad fork, knife. Add a soup spoon if you're serving soup, and a steak knife if you're serving steak. A dessert spoon goes above the place setting. 
  • A bread plate and bread knife opposite the glasses. Your bread plates don't have to match the rest of your dishes! You can mix and match.
  • And of course, your decor. Candlesticks and flowers galore for a more formal setting! 



Shop Dinner Party Decor and Essentials

Shop all of our dinner party decor and essentials at Lavender and Company here. Don't forget to register for dishes, stemware, and tabletop for your wedding, too! 

Thursday, March 17, 2022

Four Ways to Add Spring Style to Your Home This Easter

 Spring is here, and we're sharing four unique ways to add a touch of spring style to your home this season. You don't need to do a total overhaul of your decor - you can just add a few fresh touches to bring in the seasonal color!

Throw pillows for spring - add to your bed, sofa, or chair

Throw pillows are a great way to kick out the winter doldrums. You can also add a fresh, pretty throw blanket to your sofa or bed to jazz up the space, too. Our Laura Park collection is full of bright, happy colors. For a more garden chic look, try Designer's Guild




Shop Easter Table Finds - Add Something Springy to Your Tabletop

We like tabletop finds that can do double duty: look great for Easter, but also work all spring and summer long. Our Vietri collection is perfect for an Easter brunch, but can also be used throughout the season for farm-to-table meals and al fresco dinners. 

You can even opt for just the salad plates or just the pasta bowls to mix and match for different dinners and menus! 



Get Your Garden in Gear with Seeds and Garden Supplies

We've stocked our garden section with pretty seeds this year - plant them now and keep them in containers all summer, or move to your garden when it warms up a little more. They also make a great gift! 

Get your garden into shape with a fresh twine dispenser and forged steel pruning shears. 






Freshen Up Your Outdoor Space with an Indoor/Outdoor Rugs

Nothing freshens up a porch or a patio like a new indoor/outdoor rug. These fade-proof, easily-cleanable rugs make your outdoor space into a warm, inviting oasis. They come in every style, from jute to coastal to fun and beachy. 


Shop New Spring Arrivals at Lavender and Company 

Shop all of our new spring arrivals online at Lavender and Company! Get free shipping on orders of $75 or more and don't forget to register for your wedding and join our rewards program, too. 

Saturday, March 05, 2022

Featured in House & Garden UK April 2022 Issue

 We're excited to have been featured in the April 2022 Issue of House and Garden UK! Take a look below. 








Monday, February 28, 2022

Now Offering Stark Custom Rugs

 We're thrilled to now be offering STARK Custom Rugs!





STARK classic designs have a timeless elegance that’s always in-style. Shop the styles that earned STARK its luxury reputation, available now and ready to ship from Lavender Fields.

Get one of STARK's classic patterns cut to a custom size for your home in just 3-5 weeks, or customize the color, pattern, or size of an existing STARK product starting at an 8 week lead time. You can also get a completely custom product starting at a 16 week lead time. 

Get in touch with us today to begin your STARK journey!