The French Art of Living in Marbella

In Marbella, there is a trend nowadays to follow the popular trends of interior design and we have paid special attention to France. The standards of beauty change every season, but not by the French - they know the timeless recipe of beautiful life, and they have no intention to change it even for the sake of fashionable trends. Now the secret of the French art de vivre (art of living) has been unveiled and  components of the French style interior released. In our turn, we are happy to share the main interior beauty recipes à la française.

Provence style will fill the house with warmth and coziness, make it comfortable and welcoming. Simplicity, restraint, kindness and light characterize this famous interior style directly related to the natural beauty of the French region.

Colour Pallete
The main palette of this style reflects the natural colours of Provence: beige and milky, white and lavender, warm terracotta and sienna, bright colours of sunflowers, azure sea, refreshing wet sand and ecru. They fill up the house with serenity and tranquility.

Furniture
Comfortable and simple Provence style furniture has a clear geometric lines and hand made from solid walnut, chestnut or oak, painted in the main style’s colours. The furniture fronts are especially charming decorated with artificial chips and scrapes, shallow holes as if eaten with bugs. Provence style reflects the natural beauty of Southern France with its flowers, birds and butterflies.

Tableware & Kitchen Utensils
Tableware and kitchen utensils are very important in a Provencal house being a guardian of family traditions, a family legacy, and beautifying the interior decoration. Decorated with artistic representation of bouquets, countryside pictures and floral watercolors table sets and individual
items will look great on tablecloths of unbleached linen and cotton with floral motifs or traditional stripes. It should be noted that the French prefer mixing and combining of items, and there can be plates from different sets on the table, and antique porcelain will easily appear next to some rustic handmade pottery.

Decor
The decor of the Provence style house is delicate and elegant, with a touch of time and history, or rather patina and artisan crackle technique. Therefore, forged decorative objects, small tables with tracery deco, birdcages, all sorts of “lacy” elements perfectly complement the style. Moreover, the house should be filled with flowers - in fabrics and furniture’s deco, fresh bouquets, and even in breakfast desserts.

This wonderful mix of elements of English cottages, French chateaux, Tuscan villas and Mediterranean houses exists only a couple of decades, but has captured the hearts and entered the homes of many connoisseurs of the most luxurious interiors. Shabby Chic is not a word but a lifestyle, romantic with a careless attitude to things. Sometimes it is even called “shabby elegance”.

Colour pallete
Shabby Chic incorporates all the luxury-faded colors: eggshell, milky white, ecru, sandy, pale blue and pale pink, warm light gray.

Fabrics
Very gentle and romantic, this style creates its image on the subtle combination of tulle fabric with a rustic lace, satin frills and handmade embroidery with floral ornamentation.

Furniture
Vintage, painted in several layers furniture with clear scuffmarks, upholstered in natural fabrics best of all reflects the romantic mood of those who prefer Shabby Chic style.

Decor tips
- Lights for your home decor can be found at any European Flea market: look for the chandeliers with glass or crystal pendants or lampshades of frosted glass with an aged bronze header.
- There at the market also look for the porcelain figurines, lightcolored tableware with delicate
floral decor, patinated metal accessories that will add a special charm to the Shabby Chic style
interior.

Boho style has its roots in the French word «bohème» (gypsy) and the artistic bohemian concept. Boho interior style is rich, versatile, colourful and relaxed, as the life of the nomads discovering new lands.

Colour palette
The colour palette of this style is bright and intense: orange, yellow, purple, ultramarine and fuchsia make the house cheerful and cozy.

Decor
A boho -house is magnificently decorated with textiles, draperies, blankets, pillows, bright covers for furniture, carpets, exactly as the nomadic people do.

Decor tips
- Use the play of contrasting colours, patterns and textures, collages and applications to create a dynamic and bright interior.
- Old, beat up furniture will be most welcome here.
- Feel free to mix ethnic styles and season the interior with eastern or colonial accessories.
- Give preference to environmentally friendly natural materials and handmade objects brought from the trips and reminding you of the romance and adventure of the road.