How To Turn Your Dining Room French

Think of a French dining room, and what comes to mind? Furniture that is somehow comfortable, rustic and effortlessly chic all at the same time, carefully chosen colours that create an environment that is perfect for long conversations over bottles of wine. If this sounds like heaven to you, why not consider creating your own French-influenced dining room, and bringing some of that unique continental charm to your home.

The centrepiece of any dining room is the dining table and chairs, and to get that distinctive French look, you'll want to go for elegant high-backed chairs to really get that sense of chic. For the table, you have a choice - if you are after the look of a sophisticated Parisian apartment, then go for a dining table with slender legs and a delicate design, and accessorise with matching occasional tables and sideboards on which to place lamps and flowing plants. If you crave the rustic French countryside style of a Provence cottage, then go for a rustic table that accentuates the natural beauty of the wood - distressed furniture can help you to get that lived in look without having to pay the high prices of antiques.

This room uses pale tones and a simple
chandelier to maximise space

Once you've got your furniture sorted out, you'll want to think about the decor. French-style dining rooms can, if they are small, benefit from a traditional lemon yellow or powder blue, which will maximise the light and evoke the sense of space found in a refined French apartment. If your room is larger, why not go for something bold and daring like vertical stripes or even a trompe l'oeil painting (although with this you'll want to go to a professional, as an amateurish attempt is a real fashion faux-pas)

This room uses a rustic dining table to create
a relaxed yet stylish atmosphere

The crowning touch to a French-inspired dining room will be a chandelier, although that doesn't mean you should forget about subtlety. Pick a lighting centrepiece that is in keeping with the scale of the room - a small glass chandelier can be an imposing presence simply because it is the source of light, whatever you do don't go too big, otherwise the sense of space will be lost.

Once you've successfully incorporated a French influence into your dining room, you'll want the food to match. Check out the BBC's piece on the differences between French and British cookery, and create some marvellous dishes to serve to your friends and family.