How to make furniture in the style of Provence. Decoupage kitchen furniture in provence style - creative ideas for decorating your home

When we change the interior, often we buy new furniture. However, some styles in the interior, such as shabby chic or provence, require aged furniture. If you want to decorate the interior in this style, you can get an old grandmother's chest of drawers or chairs from the attic and update them with painting. You can read more about this in the article - How to paint furniture white at home.

If there is nothing really old in the house, and you cannot afford to buy expensive antiques, then you can learn the art of aging. Aging techniques can give a different character to interior items and make them stylish and unique. We will advise you on how to age your furniture in different ways.

There are several methods of aging a tree:

sandblasting,
brushing
whitening
grinding and home patination.

Because of its ease of use, we will focus on two: whitening and patination at home. Both methods make it easy to achieve interesting effects. We can process in this way not only chairs, tables, chests of drawers and cabinets, but also doors, window frames and cornices. Experts advise that for aging a tree it is worth choosing soft colors:

blue
gray
white
cream.

The aging of the furniture will make it look elegant, and the surface will become more durable. If you put an aged stylized lamp or an old telephone on such a chest of drawers, then such an ensemble will be very harmonious, objects emphasize each other's color and enhance the aging effect.

In the building materials store you will need to buy:

special preparations for patination of wood,
water-soluble paints that can be applied to flat parts of furniture.

Home patination sequence

Apply the top coat of varnish and you're done!

An interesting effect of wood aging can be achieved with the “reverse” use of patina: patina can be left over the entire surface and rubbed only in certain places.

Aged Provence-style whitened furniture

The effect of old bleached Provence style furniture can be achieved by light grinding or using a special paste.

Sanding with sandpaper will make the paint coat look darker and shine through white paint. This will allow the chest or armchair to look old and repeatedly painted. In this way, you can age interior items from solid wood: oak, pine, birch, beech.

If we use whitening pastes, characteristic white lines will appear on the wooden surface. Paste whitening is suitable for porous wood, such as oak and ash.

How to age furniture with this method - step by step:

The surface must be thoroughly cleaned of dust, wiped with a damp cloth and allowed to dry.
If the surface is varnished, sand it with 150-200 grit (first coarser and then finer).
Places that want to be emphasized should be treated with blue or brown paint and allowed to dry.
Then you need to apply wax to these places, for example, wiping the surface with a candle.
Then we cover the surface with white paint in several layers, allowing each layer to dry well.
Rub the places covered with wax with a knife.
Use fine sandpaper to even out the surface.

Thus, using fairly simple and inexpensive means from old and unnecessary furniture, you can make unique and stylish decorative elements with your own hands that will suit some interior stylizations. In the process of transforming old family heirlooms, you will get a lot of pleasure from creativity, and the resulting updated furniture will delight you for a long time and remind you of your grandparents, who once also enjoyed their acquisition.

The combination of romance and comfort, tenderness and sophistication, antiquity and taste. All these words refer to the cutest and most subtle direction in interior fashion - the Provence style. To furnish a room in the spirit of the French hinterland, it is not necessary to purchase expensive accessories. It’s not difficult to paint your own Provence-style furniture.

The style begins in the 16th century in the French outback. Refined, like endless lavender fields, it extends through the centuries and penetrates into modern interiors. Romantic and neat Provence is extremely popular today.

Features of Provence style:

Light weightless shades, white and pastel colors.
Lace, ruffles, floral ornaments and noble textiles.
Antique or aged furniture.
The neighborhood of color lightness and immediacy is metal - nickel-plated handles, forged furniture legs.
A worn tree for centuries, be it a ceiling beam or a bedside table.

Most often, the direction is used for arranging bedrooms. The "lace" theme fits perfectly into the comfort of living rooms, enveloping them with angelic sophistication.

Old French motifs are often used in kitchen design. The style perfectly combines botanical patterns and wicker furniture, assembled in a unique atmosphere of rural life.

Do it yourself france

To acquire furniture in the southern French style, it is not necessary to acquire masterpieces of eminent designers. You can make wonderful interior elements yourself using one of the wood processing techniques.

Provence style provides for the proximity of wood and metal. However, the embodiment of such a cocktail, consisting of glossy gloss and chrome elements, is not attributed to French motifs. Only old melodies played on worn gilded stools are allowed.

To age furniture, such techniques are useful:

The choice of materials, painting

After visiting the grandmother's attic and choosing a chest of drawers, proceed to its processing. Regardless of which type of processing was chosen, the Provence style requires the designer to lighten the “object of creativity”.

Painting is done at home using the most common means. For example, water-based paints for ceilings. This coating is easy to apply, dries quickly, and also mixes well with other paints, gaining the desired shade. To embody the Provencal motifs, it is enough to choose blue, gray, soft purple or lemon tones.

If the design of the furniture allows, it is advisable to disassemble and paint in parts. In this case, the countertop and walls can be taken out for drying in fresh air, which will significantly speed up the process.

Step 1. Surface preparation for painting involves the removal of the coating. To do this, use a sharp knife or spatula. To sand a countertop, it is enough to process it with sandpaper with large grain.

Step 2 After removing the old paint proceed to the primer. Apply an acrylic primer for wooden surfaces. Such a coating will allow the paint to “cling” to the surface.

Step 3 The paint is applied with a wide dry brush in a thin layer. If the shade of wood contrasts with the tone of the paint, veins are allowed through which the tree will be visible.

Step 4 A thin coat of paint can be applied using an aerosol. Spray aerosol at a distance of half a meter from the surface.

Advice! In this case, before painting, the wood is rubbed with candles. Paraffin penetrates the wood texture, preventing its uniform coloring.

Step 5 Finishing of the dried coating is carried out using a foam sponge with a rough surface. Sanding furniture with aerosol-painted furniture is not recommended, unless coarse chips are part of the designer's plan. In other cases, coarse grains can damage a thin layer of paint.

Advice! The edges and corners of the furniture should be rubbed. With light efforts, without excessive pressure, they sponge along the ends of the shelves and drawers.

Step 6 As a topcoat, varnish can be used. However, the Provence style is incompatible with gloss, so the varnish must be matte. It will not only emphasize the effect of antiquity, but also preserve the texture of the tree. After the first layer of varnish has dried, the second is applied.

Decoupage furniture

Decoupage is a business card of Provence style. Floral ornaments are called rustic classics. Light pastel colors are in perfect harmony with botanical patterns.

Using wipes

Napkins are the easiest way to decorate painted furniture with colorful patterns. Even a novice master will cope with such a task.

Napkins - the easiest way to decorate painted furniture with colorful patterns

To work in decoupage technique you will need:

painted surface;
fine grain sandpaper;
napkins for decoupage or ordinary dining rooms with a pattern;
water tank at room temperature;
pVA glue;
scissors;
soft brush.

Step 1. Work begins with surface preparation.

Step 2 It is advisable to remove old paint from it, after which the countertop is thoroughly washed with soapy water and sanded. If recesses have formed on the surface, they are hidden with putty. It is possible to start the main front of work only after the table has completely dried up.

Step 3 As a primer, you can use acrylic paint in white or pastel color. It is applied in two layers, each of which is carefully dried. At the same stage, the corners are sanded if it is necessary to add the effect of antiquity.

Step 4 In parallel, napkins are prepared. The upper layer with a pattern is separated from it. The necessary part of the picture is cut out with scissors, leaving a few millimeters around the contour. Often, newspaper clippings are used as an ornament.

Step 5 Cut elements are alternately dipped in water for several seconds. Remove them carefully so as not to damage the thin tissue. Pictures are applied to the surface face up. Using a soft-brushed brush, gently brush with glue, carefully treating every millimeter of the picture.

Advice! To remove air bubbles without damaging the napkin, a plastic file is applied to it. Smooth the surface with a dry elastic brush, removing bumps. After that, the file is carefully removed.

Step 6 While wipes moistened with glue dry, you can paint the gaps on the countertops that are not covered with pictures. They are painted with a brush dampened with plenty of paint, without touching the edges of the drawings.

Depending on the type of paint, complete drying can last up to 2 hours. After that, the table is covered with two thick layers of acrylic matte varnish. The more intensively the table will be used, the thicker the finish layer should be. The finished product dries for about 3-4 days.

Textile option

Decoupage with guipure implies the same algorithm of action as decor with paper napkins.

Centuries-old cracks or craquelure technique

The spirit of antiquity and centuries-old history can be conveyed not only with the help of floral patterns. In the Provence style, the craquelure technique is actively used, which allows to effectively age even completely new surfaces.

To work in the craquelure technique, you will need furniture that needs to be transformed, as well as a special one-step craquelure varnish. In addition, the master will come in handy sandpaper, acrylic paints, brushes and other creative little things.

A novice designer can train in mastering the technique on small elements. For example, decorating a chair.

The entire surface of the chair must be thoroughly sanded. The layers of old paint are removed with a knife and they clean the wood with sandpaper. As in the case of the table, the resulting pits can be sealed with putty. When the "patches" are dry, go to the main part of the work.

Craquelure technique involves cracking a layer of varnish, through which the "lower" paint.

For the Provence style, a white chair is perfect, therefore, a dark shade is taken as the inner layer. For example, the “graphite” tone obtained by mixing white and black inks to the desired shade.

Wherever cracks are required, varnish is applied for a one-step craquelure. In order for the cracks to be “mixed”, the thickness of the layer varies. However, it must be applied in one coat.

When the varnish dries, the chair can be covered with top paint. For even coverage, it is advised not to use a brush, but a foam sponge. Places where cracks are expected are covered in a single layer. All other surfaces are stained twice.

When the product is completely dry, proceed to sanding. Treat the stool carefully using a rough sponge. Overwrite places that are supposedly the most worn out over the years. In places of attrition dark paint will appear, adding ten years to the chair.

The final chord in creating an old armchair will be its decoration using decoupage technique. Patterns with inscriptions should be printed on the printer, turning the picture mirrored.

The dried ready-made chair should be covered with a finish acrylic varnish, so that the pattern does not fray over time. The highlight of the chair will be chipped, scratched or wormhole, deliberately applied.

Interior Application

It is not difficult to enter furniture created independently on the existing Provence interior. If it is made in light pastel colors and inspires romantic thoughts, half the job has already been done.

The bedside table is only slightly worn. Metal straps make their colorful notes.

Waxed and then stained wood - a stylish stave for accessories melody.

Waxed and then stained wood - a stylish stave for accessories

Chips, scrapes and decoupage - Provence in the most refined embodiment.

A textile pattern that resonates with an ornament on wood is aerobatics of the French direction.

Provence - perfection in the details.

Provence style - perfection in details

Grandma’s chest? Why not?

Shelves for cups and other little things will fill the atmosphere with comfort.

Lightness and charm, tenderness and color.

There are not many flowers. Botanical ornament - spring style melody.

Botanical ornament - spring style melody

"Pajama" motifs - a permanent classic of the French theme.

"Pajama" styles - classic French theme

Elegance is made up of little things. Sophisticated secondary accessories are a prerequisite for competent Provence.

Minor accessories - a condition of competent Provence

You can strengthen the decoupage position with living plants.

Non-standard color schemes within the kitchen will paint the mood of the inhabitants in bright colors.

The winning combination.

Provence style - an interior woven from wheat fields and the morning sun of France. You can create an atmosphere of weightless chic with your own hands, breathing new life into old furniture. It is enough to master the simple techniques of restoration and aging of wooden surfaces.

Video - Conceptual repair in the Provence style

The main feature when creating an interior in the Provence style is the presence of antique furniture with a century of history. Specially purchased expensive antique furniture is not necessary. Thanks to the aging technique, you yourself will create this effect. Consider 4 techniques that are most often used by masters.

What paint is suitable and do I need varnish?

To age furniture, you should not buy expensive paints. An inexpensive water emulsion for ceilings is quite suitable. It dries quickly, does not cause difficulties during work and is easily mixed with colors (dyes). Choose pastel colors, preferring gray, blue, cream, white shades.

Before painting Provence-style furniture, coat the surface with an acrylic primer for wood. It will increase the adhesion of the paint to the surface and reduce its consumption. On the primer, any pigment lies flat. To create an artificial patina, use bitumen varnish and silver. The first option is suitable for aging light surfaces, and the second - for dark. When choosing a finish for furniture in Provence style, it is preferable to use a matte rather than glossy varnish. It emphasizes the effect of antiquity, preserves color and texture, without highlighting smudges and bumps.

Aging with paraffin and paint

For the first version of aging Provence style furniture, you will need the following set of materials:

paint;
foam sponge;
paraffin candle.

Before you begin to age furniture, take care to keep the workplace clean - with your own hands or with an assistant, cover everything with a newspaper so as not to stain anything. Next, we prepare the furniture for painting - we remove the layer of old varnish with sandpaper, wipe the surface from dust, pull out the shelves, remove the handles and rub the wood with paraffin candles. To make the process faster, use spray paint in the spray can. It penetrates well into inaccessible places and crevices. Due to the fact that it is not sprayed evenly in all places, the effect of antiquity only intensifies. Spray paint at a distance of 50 cm from the surface.

After applying the paint, let it dry slightly and process the painted wood with the rough side of the dishwashing sponge. In this case, we do not recommend using sandpaper, as it can severely damage the surface. Start washing off excess paraffin paint from the sides of the furniture, and then move on to the base. Movements should be light without effort, and scuffs should be as natural as possible. If desired, the aged surface can be supplemented with painting or using decoupage technique.

We fix the effect with two layers of varnish. To create artificial cracking, apply craquelure varnish instead of the usual matte or glossy.

Processing with steel wool - creating a realistic coating

Metal or steel wool will help you create the effect of antiquity with deeper scuffs and traces of past years. Steel wool can be purchased at any household goods store, it is inexpensive. The initial stage of preparation is not much different from the previous method. Remove shelves, pens, decorative elements, remove the old coating with fine-grained sandpaper.

Then we apply the paint of the desired tone, slightly let it dry. We take steel wool and intensively wipe the surface to obtain the desired degree of wear. After polishing, black streaks remain on the painted wood. As such, they look rude. To smooth the scuffs, we walk along the surface with a damp cloth, wiping off the excess. Then we take a dry napkin and wipe the furniture. Handles are also recommended to be painted with a layer of paint, treated with steel wool, and then polished with a dry cloth. The final stage of the work is matte varnish coating.

Natural effect - more on craquelure varnish

If you want the chest of drawers to resemble as much as possible, use craquelure varnish. It will help create cracking on the surface, as if they had formed over time. In addition to craquelure varnish, for work you will also need:

fine sandpaper;
alcohol for degreasing the surface;
painting set (roller, brushes, foam sponges);
white and black acrylic paint;
bronze paint;
decorative patina;
finish varnish.

We begin the preparation of the surface with sanding with sandpaper, remove the old layer. If the surface is rough with irregularities, cover it with a primer for wood. After surface treatment, degrease it with alcohol and wipe it thoroughly with a dry cloth. The surface is prepared, apply the first layer of white acrylic paint. Depending on the desired result and the size of the chest of drawers, we choose a roller, brush, foam sponge to apply, or we combine all three options. Just note that when using the brush, gaps may remain on the surface, the roller distributes the composition more evenly. It is better to apply a foam sponge to small, hard-to-reach areas of furniture with blotting movements.

While the white paint dries, let's take care of the pens. We apply a base (white) layer interspersed with bronze, and after that a little decorative patina. We also recommend patina to be applied to the main part of the furniture and shaded with a brush. Meanwhile, the white base coat has dried up, black paint can be applied. It is more convenient to spray it from a spray bottle or spray can. When the black layer dries, apply craquelure varnish. We distribute it in a thick layer. It is not necessary to wait for the varnish to dry. On top of a fresh coat of varnish we distribute with a blotting motion the white paint, not too tightly. After complete drying, the upper white layer with varnish will crack, and a black background will be visible in between. To speed up the drying process, use a household hairdryer.

If it seems to you that you applied the white paint too thickly, and after drying the black gaps are practically invisible, we recommend taking sandpaper and walk it in the right places. As a result, you will get a heterogeneously stained shabby chest of drawers with the effect of cracking old paint. To fix the result, apply a matte varnish on top.

Patination and whitening paste - application options

To create antique scuffs, buy a patina and pastel shade in a hardware store. Among the additional materials you will need fine and coarse sandpaper, brushes and matte varnish. For better penetration into the wood, the old coat of paint, varnish and other finishes are completely removed. The prepared surface must be dry and clean. Therefore, after removing the paint layer, thoroughly wet it with water and grind it with fine sandpaper.

We apply the paint of the chosen tone on the prepared surface, let it dry, cover it with a matte varnish. After drying, we grind the surface again, but now with coarse sandpaper. We apply a patina with a brush or spray it from a spray bottle. Depending on the desired effect, the patina can be applied to the entire surface or to separate areas. We advise you to try both options on a small piece of wood and choose the right one.

When the patina dries, we treat the surface with steel wool, remove the excess with a dry cloth. Painting of antique provence furniture is complete. Re-apply a layer of matte varnish and enjoy the result. An alternative to patination is whitening paste. After applying it, we grind the surface. Dark stripes shine through the white base. It seems that the furniture has repeatedly been repainted, looks vintage. However, this option will be successful for aging furniture made of solid wood.

How sometimes you want to give your home a new touch, update furniture and the interior as a whole. How do you want to plunge into the space and comfort of a bright living room, feel the delicious notes of lavender and feel the sea breeze. But unfortunately, not everyone can afford a radical change of style. Is this your case? Then do-it-yourself furniture Provence is your option!

The origin of the Provence style

Provence style originates from France. As in Russia there are wide open spaces of gold fields - with wheat, oats, rye, so in Provence you can’t take a look at the endless fields of lavender. The golden sands of the beaches, blue and as warm as fresh milk, the sea, lavender bushes - this is what characterizes this area.

Also in the interior - the hallmark of Provence style furniture is the spaciousness and softness of colors, from milk to rich, but soft lavender. Trying to recreate the outlines of the French hinterland in your home, pay attention to the lightness, laconic forms, but at the same time the tenderness of furniture. The style of Provence uses artificially aged, and as if faded in the sun, home decoration.

Provence, as it is fashionable to say now, is eco-style, it is characterized by natural materials such as stone, wood, cotton. Another style name - French country - is also sometimes used in everyday life.

The distinctive features of the French country in the interior

So, you decided to recreate in your apartment a small piece of the French village. Let's see what stylistic solutions are applicable in this case:

Walls. For style Provence, there is no wallpaper in the broad sense of the word, but we are not talking about wallpapers that have minimal structure. That is, if the wallpaper is simply concise and have calm tones - you can safely use them in your interior. Provence style is characterized by inaccurately applied plaster, brickwork and ease of wall covering.
The ceilings. The characteristic Provence-style ceilings are beamed ceilings, or simply painted white.
Color scheme. Try combining the lightness of pastel colors with saturation. If you are not comfortable with white walls, or if you have associations with a medical facility, pay attention to milky, olive or warm gray tones.
"Massive" floor. Classic Provence involves the presence of a stone or wooden floor. Currently, this can be achieved with terracotta floor tiles or laminate in the color of faded wood.
Creating furniture in the Provence style with your own hands, pay attention that it should evoke a sense of antiquity, as if it passed from generation to generation.
Think carefully about all the details. Let each linen napkin, each plant or figurine carry their own semantic decision.

It’s not so difficult to recreate the Provence style with your own hands, the main thing is to close your eyes and imagine yourself in the village. What do we see? Old wooden furniture, wrought iron beds, linen napkins. Add to this a bit of modernity and romance, wicker chairs, floridity and at the same time simplicity of wooden backs of chairs will fit perfectly.

Rules for furniture styling

You are attracted to comfort, lightness and romanticism of style, and you have decided that it is time to find application for your hands and a little imagination, but first familiarize yourself with the basic rules of furniture stylistics.

Do not try to create a modern chest of drawers or cabinet. There should not be any modernity, only "grandmother's" carved facades and the severity of forms.
No glossy surfaces should be! On the contrary, try to create artificial chips and cracks. Some manage to imitate damage to furniture by a bark beetle.
All wooden surfaces should be repainted in soft light and always matching tones.
Wicker furniture will dilute your interior with lightness and comfort. For example, you can use wicker chairs or an armchair. By the way, wicker items can be created by yourself using a vine or rattan.

The style of the French country is characterized by the presence of forged elements. If you have the necessary skills, you can create forged shelves, hooks, coasters or legs for furniture. If not, you can do it easier, for example, to make a florid vase stand with your own hands, using ordinary aluminum or copper wire. Just do not leave the case halfway, it will be necessary to paint it, for example, in white and carefully sandpaper with the finest granulation to clean the edges of the product to create antiquity.
Cabinets in the Provence style are quite massive and tall, but with carved facades that add elegance to the shapes. Dressers and cabinets most often have either wooden curved legs or fancy forged ones. In the old days, chests of drawers and wardrobes were locked. You can also decorate them with non-functional keyholes.
Remember that the style of the apartment is a collection of styles of each room. A room style is a combination of styles of objects that combine with each other. Therefore, when recreating the originality of France, pay attention to small details; you can also decorate photo frames, or, for example, vases.

So, you decided to breathe colors into your home by changing furniture and making repairs. A budget option would be to make furniture with your own hands, or to give a new life to old interior items.

Decorating an old Provence chair

Before you begin to work, you need to acquire the necessary materials:

The chair itself.
Dense upholstery fabric in color to the interior (if you want to highlight and make a bright accent - pay attention to lavender or blue shades, and if there is already an emphasis on something else, choose the upholstery in the color of the walls or floor).
Acrylic paint of the desired shade (cream, white, ivory).
Brushes of various diameters.
Matt varnish. Choose water-based varnishes, they will not have a pungent odor and you will not have to sit by the open window for hours, waiting for the room to be ventilated.
Gilding paint.
Sandpaper.

When starting to reconstruct a chair, first take care of a comfortable workplace. Have you found? Let's get started!

Initially, remove old paint from the chair. This can be done with a knife or spatula. If the chair is varnished, and paint with his teeth even with his teeth, leave everything in place, do not suffer.
The next step is to remove the soft upholstery from the chair. Usually on old chairs the seat itself is perfectly removable, try it. Evaluate the scale of the disaster - is it worth changing to fill up at the seat. If you still have to, then you will need to get furniture foam rubber.
If you are unable to remove the cover of the chair, try applying paint to a small area. Evaluate whether she lays well. If there are no problems, start covering the entire chair, if there are problems, wait until the coat dries and apply another one on top. Assess the condition of the paint now. If it again failed, I hasten to disappoint - you still have to remove the coating by sanding large granulation with sandpaper.
After applying two coats of paint, wait until it has completely dried and varnish the product. Getting to the seat. Remove the upholstery and gently, with a thin brush, paint over the wooden fragments of the chair. Next, pull a new upholstery, it can be easily and simply fixed with a construction stapler.
You are almost done! Secure the seat on the chair with the support of a man. Now you can resort to aging. Treat all faces with a flat brush with gold paint. Wait for it to dry and gently sand the gold fragments with fine-grained sandpaper. Top with varnish again. With the initiative of you! One piece of furniture is ready!
It is worth saying that you can not just repaint old interior items, you can decorate them with various ornaments. If you know how to draw, it will not be difficult for you to do this. If not, learn the decoupage technique and use it with ready-made clippings.

Do it yourself furniture

So, you decide to make furniture with your own hands. First, decide what exactly do you want to create? Will it be a cabinet, a chest of drawers, or maybe a stool? Secondly, decide on the choice of material. Provence does not tolerate such materials as particleboard, PVC, MDF. Furniture from these materials will certainly not be from that song.

We will not describe what is needed in the manufacture of furniture. We describe the most important stylistic components that will distinguish it from any other other style.

Carved components. It is quite difficult to make carved facades, and if you are unable to do it, just use carved legs, handles, or sides.
You can drive a couple of decorative carnations into the ends, they will emphasize the weight of the goods and the antiquity of your product.
Use decorative elements - it can be modeling, but carefully masked with wood paint.
Come up with a stencil, if it doesn’t work out, you can find it on the Internet. Use it to add personality to your furniture. You can use it, for example, on the sides of the chest of drawers. You can make an interesting move - let the furniture be bright, and the ornament in color to your bright accent. And you can do otherwise: make the ornament and furniture light, but the difference in a pair of tones will look gentle and spectacular.
Naturally age the furniture, rub it with sandpaper along the edges, you can use the gilding method described above, in general, do everything that your imagination is capable of!
Use heavy copper accessories, such as handles. Remember that you need to fix them at the very last stage, when the furniture is ready to stand in its rightful place in the room.

So easily and simply you can create a French province from your home, breathe into it the romance of the sounds of the accordion and the fresh smell of lavender steppes. Feel free to experiment and make new changes to the interior. Let you have to try to recreate it for the first time, but your efforts will rightfully be awarded with the admiring exclamations of the guests, and the feeling of the comfort of the family nest by your family. Create, do not be afraid of experiments, and everything will turn out!

Furniture in Provence style is not difficult to create with your own handsRecently, DIY furniture is gaining popularity. This trend did not pass by such a style as Provence. Therefore, if nowhere in the district there is a store where you can order such furniture, then it can be done independently. In this style, it is important to consider many nuances and useful recommendations.

A style called Provence appeared in France in the 19th century. He was named after one of the regions of this country. The capital of the style was the city of Marseille.

Prerequisites for Provence appeared in the middle of the 17th century. People wanted to go closer to the village from the annoying city bustle. Entire families of industrialists and lawyers begin their own home furnishing in a style reminiscent of this style.

Widespread Provence style all over the world has French roots.

The main features of the style are:

play of sunny flowers
natural lightness
naturalness
open space.

Stylistic solutions

Massive floor. The classic version assumes the presence of wooden or. Using a special floor tile, you can easily achieve this effect.
Walls. Wallpaper in the common sense in this style does not exist. In this case, for this design, brickwork or inaccurately applied plaster are most suitable.
Furniture should ideally create a sense of antiquity. Do it yourself so that the guests have the impression that it has been passed on to each other for many generations.
Details Any, even the smallest details should be carefully thought out and planned. In this style, even the most ordinary napkin can carry a certain semantic meaning.

Secrets of Provence style (video)

Several ways to age furniture surfaces

Artificially aged furniture looks as excellent as a truly antique. However, making it much easier, faster, and cheaper.

Of the ways in which you can independently age furniture at home, there are three main ones:

Mechanical. Thanks to this, artificial scratches, cracks and other damages appear on the furniture.
Chemical. In this embodiment, substances such as craquelure varnishes, ammonia, stain and much more are used.
Thermal. Using an open flame or a soldering iron, the effect of antiquity is achieved.

Necessary tools and materials for the manufacture of furniture in the style of Provence

For professional furniture restoration:

acrylic paint
matte polyurethane glaze,
oily and water based varnish,
gilded paint
sandpaper,
the necessary stencils.

Decoupage is an integral part of creating a provence style do-it-yourself

Artificially aged furniture surfaces are a vivid sign of Provence style.

Provence style may not necessarily be cream or white

DIY work steps

All work takes place in this way:

All accessories are dismantled and cleaned of old paint and varnish.
Acrylic paint is applied to the surface.
Using a stencil, they make a drawing with their own hands, which must be left alone until completely dry.
Oil varnish is applied to the surface and left for several hours.
After that, the product is covered with a layer of water-based varnish.
Using a hair dryer, a specific flowing pattern is created. The product is left in this position for 3 hours.
With a hard little brush, apply the remaining varnish to the product.

An egg shell and craquelure varnish create an artificially aged surface

The main touches that give the surface an individuality are best applied without a stencil.

Upholstered furniture and its upholstery

With the help of a furniture stapler, you can thoroughly transform upholstered furniture. First of all, you need to choose a fabric.

It must be:

soft
having a pattern with natural elements or geometric shapes,
no flashy flowers.

Find such a fabric is not difficult. It is enough to climb into the grandmother's chest or in the attic.

In addition to the method described above, there is another way to give the effect of antiquity to furniture. An interesting technique in which two-component crackle varnish is used will help in this matter. It is applied in several layers. Using a brush with natural bristles, the layers are applied with an even thin layer. The varnish dries in 40 minutes.

The second layer is applied in a similar manner. The more cracks you want, the thicker the layer itself should be. To dry the surface faster, it can be dried with a hairdryer. When the varnish dries, then all the resulting cracks are overwritten with oily dark paint, gold powder or bitumen. To fix the effect, another layer is applied with colorless varnish.

Upholstery of upholstered furniture in the kitchen can be combined with wall decoration in a single style

Chest and its own decoupage do it yourself

Provence style furniture is made from:

tree
gland,
vines.

Designers categorically do not recommend materials such as particleboard, MDF and PVC.

If you still have a grandmother’s chest of drawers, then it can be made as new and even better. Enough do-it-yourself do-it-yourself decoupage.

The manufacturing instruction is as follows:

First you need to paint the chest in light colors.
Wait for the paint to dry completely.
Sanding paper on the surface makes chips and simple attritions.
Top dresser covered with wax.
When the paint is completely dry, the chest of drawers is upholstered with a soft cloth, which depicts natural patterns.
It is also important to use forged elements. The chest of drawers will look much better if it has forged arms or legs.

Do-it-yourself mono to create a unique design of any furniture

Provence style does not have to include scuffs

In general, a chest of drawers is not the only piece of furniture to which decoupage can be applied. The main thing is to use materials and color shades correctly in order to achieve coziness and comfort in any room.

Of course, you can buy a new high-quality chest of drawers in a hardware store. But many people are faced with the fact that this piece of furniture is expensive and many simply cannot afford. Therefore, decoupage in the style of Provence is simply an amazing solution to this problem.

Kitchens in Provence style (video)

With the Provence style, experiments can and should be done. After all, one of the most fascinating homework is the creation of furniture with your own hands. The resulting furniture products will last you a lot of time, and for a long time they will delight the eye with their appearance.