How to Create a Blue French Country Bedroom: Part 1
5 Blue French Country Bedrooms That Will Make You Want to Redecorate
French country bedrooms are a beautiful way to add some subtle charm and cozy style to any home. Characterized by muted blues, natural elements, and a hint of rustic design, French country bedrooms are perfect for creating a comfortable yet stylish sleeping space. Check out our ideas for how to achieve this look in your own bedroom!
This post is part of a series:
PART ONE (You are here!) Blue French Country Bedroom Inspiration Ideas from Pinterest: Bedroom Makeover
PART FOUR: Blue French Country Bedroom Reveal
In this article, you’ll also find areas where my husband and I disagreed on decorating decisions, and my solutions to these differing opinions. I hope you find it helpful. I used to be embarrassed by the fact that my husband never said, “You can do whatever you want” to the house. However, I’ve learned that gentle confrontation that leads to solutions has helped us a great deal.
Table of Contents
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Links to additional articles in this series about a master bedroom makeover
Effective arguments between couples when taking on a home project
Inspirational Ideas: Create a Pinterest Board of your favorites and then look for common elements
My Favorite Blue French Country Bedrooms from Pinterest
1. How to create a welcoming guest room. Design by Lory at designthusiasm.com
What I Love About Lory’s Room as Inspiration for my Bedroom Makeover
Our Couple’s Dilemma Regarding Layering Rug Over Carpet
2. Guest room makeover by Shirley Stankus of Housepitality Designs
What I Love About Shirley’s Room as Inspiration for my Bedroom Makeover
Our Couple’s Dilemma Regarding He Says “Too Many Bed Pillows”
3. Southern Design Showhouse Bedroom via HelloLovely.com
What I Love About This Bedroom as Inspiration for my Bedroom Makeover
Our Couple’s Dilemma about having a window off-center behind our bed as well as about curtains
4. Atlanta Bedroom designed by Karen Menge of Pulliam Morris Interiors
What I Love About Karen’s Space as Inspiration for My Bedroom Makeover
Our Couple’s Dilemma About Natural vs. Painted Wood Furnishings
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What I Love About This Bedroom as Inspiration for My Bedroom Makeover
Our Couple’s Dilemma: My Husband and I Can’t Agree on Paint Colors
Inspirational Ideas
Start your journey by gathering ideas. When I start with a new client, they fill out a fun design questionnaire that gives me a starting point for which to begin my design selections. One of the questions/tasks I ask of my clients is to send me the Pinterest board of their favorite ideas, such as the ones you see below. Here’s an excerpt from my tutorial on how to utilize Pinterest for any decorating project:
Pinterest started in 2010, so it’s very likely that you already use the site to gather and catalogue your favorite ideas by now.
Pinterest’s popularity is it’s ease of use, as well, as the multitude of visual inspiration for any topic you can imagine.
While you may already have a Pinterest board started for your home ideas, this article will discuss how to organize a Pinterest board to best help you while undergoing a home remodeling, renovation, makeover, or room refresh project.
You’ll be organized like a pro and making your #homegoals dreams come true using the following strategies, whether you are new to Pinterest or have been using it for years.
I’ll teach you how to register for an account, start organizing a renovation board, how to add a description and category, how to research pins, search suggestions, where to go for inspiration, how to narrow down your pins, and how to make your board a private group board for just you and your designer.
Read Why You Need to Use Pinterest for Remodeling/Makeover/Refresh
You can view my Pinterest board of Blue & White Bedrooms here.
I want to thank these talented homeowners for sharing their spaces, and offering us inspiration. I’ve linked their projects here. The rooms below were created by the following:
My Favorite Blue French Country Bedrooms from Pinterest
What I Love About Lory’s Guest Room:
We have the same color carpet in our Master Bedroom. While I thought about layering an area rug over ours for added texture, color, and pattern, you don’t miss it in Lory’s room.
Calming blue wall color
I also want to point out a few critical French Country elements in Lory’s guest bedroom. You may wish to incorporate something similar in your room. These characteristics are:
wrought iron,
worn surfaces,
weathered woods,
and the lilac floral arrangement.
Our Couple’s Dilemma (regarding layering a rug over carpet)
Since our Master Bedroom is an addition that used to be a garage, we had to use carpet over the concrete floor for warmth, especially with New York State’s chilly winters.
As I mentioned, I did want to bring in an area rug because it helps anchor the room for me as a designer.
However, my husband said no. (Read my article on Overcoming Decorating Dilemmas with a Spouse here. I have won and lost many “battles” with my husband over design and decor, yet I’m so happy to see his personality shine in our home as well as mine.)
My Solution
My husband agreed to runners along each side of the bed. Yay!
My thought is to get something very soft and cozy to the feet, such as faux sheepskin.
We have yet to add these, however, as you’ll see. (The faux sheepskin throw rug made it’s way in as you see in the reveal.)
So far, the room works without them, as does Lory’s welcoming guest room above.
Next: Guest Room Makeover by Shirley Stankus, room photo below.
What I love about shirley’s room:
Bold patterned bedding in blue (shown is a chinoiserie pattern)
French Country style table lamp
Layered bedding
Note Shirley’s use of French Country elements such as wrought iron, a chandelier, and painted furniture.
Couple’s Dilemma (regarding too many pillows):
Even though we purchased all the extra pillow shams for the first time in our marriage, now all I hear is complaining every night when the extra pillows have to come off.
My Solution: Use Pillow shams for company only, temporarily
Since there is no room to store them in our bedroom nor the closet, the extra pillows have gone into storage.
We will bring the pretty shams out when company comes over.
Or until I come up with a better solution!
If you have a genius idea, please let me know.
What I love about this bedroom as Inspiration for my home
The linens hanging from the bed frame - how dreamy and romantic!
There is so much to love in this Showhouse Room.
Notice how French Country style is evoked through pastel green chinoiserie style panels, the understated gold candelabra chandelier, the petite chair, and the same soothing color repeated in every pattern.
Our Couple’s Dilemma About Having a Window Off-center behind the bed
I wanted to have a romantic allusion to the linens hanging from the bed frame. The curtain linens in our master bedroom were purchased when I took my mother to Ireland a few years ago.
I struggled with the idea of how to incorporate them for months because not only were they going to be used for the bed, but my husband was insisting on using them also on the bedroom window.
My experience told me that there would not be enough fabric.
My Solution:
An extra window panel added on either side gives the window treatment beautiful fullness. In other words, in addition to theIrish linen panels, I purchased an additional set of curtain panels to add fullness to the whole window treatment. In the article for the reveal, I offer instructions on how to DIY Curtains from an Irish Linen Tablecloth.
Read: What Is the Fullness of a Drapery?
Read: My Designer Trick to Making Curtains Look More Expensive
We hid the off-center window behind our bed with these curtain panels.
You can see the final result in my reveal.
Next, Atlanta Bedroom by Pulliam Morris Interiors.
What I Love About Karen’s Space as Inspiration for My Bedroom Makeover
The dark wood bed frame (I thought I would have to paint our wood bed frame white until I saw a few photos where a dark or wood bed frame worked wonderfully in this style of bedroom.)
The French Country elements I love that Karen incorporated include the settee, the hand-painted chest of drawers serving as a nightstand, the scalloped pillow shams in white, and fresh flowers.
Couple’s Dilemma about natural wood vs. painted wood
One of our household’s recurring dilemmas is that my husband loves and adores natural wood, especially dark wood furniture, while I long for white-painted or whitewashed furniture.
My Solution
People have said to me in amazement in other work settings that I have an abundance of patience.
At one time, I worked with very ill and elderly patients.
(I know I am cranky when I am not feeling well, myself.)
A physician admired my patience with these patients.
It doesn’t even occur to me that I am practicing patience.
However, when I look back over our marriage, I see how patient I have been in getting what I want.
Sometimes you know you can’t get everything you want, and then there are times when you can’t get what you wish for because of another person’s preferences.
I’ve learned that if I wait long enough, my husband will come around.
And I’m not opposed to compromise.
I was dealing with having a wooden bed frame that I longed to paint for many years ended up being one of those times that was a combination of biding my time and compromise.
I agreed to keep the bed frame as is, and we ended up purchasing a refurbished French Country dining set painted white for our dining room as a compromise.
Next, blue bedroom via DecorPad
What I Love About This Bedroom as Inspiration for My Bedroom Makeover
Various shades of blue
This eclectic room has hints of French Country with the chandelier, the nightstand drawers, whitewashed furniture, and fresh flowers.
Couple’s Dilemma: My husband and I can’t agree on what paint color to use
When it came to selecting a paint color, we found it hard to agree. First of all, my husband was in a rush to pick a color because he already scheduled the painter. This deadline did not serve the project well as I always select paint color last.
I knew that I wanted a calmer light blue color than the more vibrant blue paint that was in our room.
We ended up looking at over 20 paint swatches taped to our wall. It was quite overwhelming.
To complicate matters further, we also wanted to repaint the attached 3-piece bathroom, as well as my attached home office. So all three spaces had to coordinate.
My Solution:
My solution to this dilemma was to whip up a quick concept board for the master bedroom and attached office. I was able to coordinate colors from my chosen bedding, and after sleeping on it, my husband agreed to my choices.
Next, my mood board inspired by these bedrooms.
My Mood Board
In conclusion, I found much in these rooms to be inspired by. With my Master Bedroom reveal soon, you’ll see that I used a calming blue paint color on the walls. There may or may not be runners alongside the bed! You’ll find bold, patterned blue bedding with the decorative pillows brought out of storage! The matching nightstand lamps have French flair. There is a creative solution to the hanging linens for the bed and the window treatment. And the bed frame remains unpainted and looks great among the various shades of blue.
This post is part of a series:
PART ONE (You are here!) Blue French Country Bedroom Inspiration Ideas from Pinterest: Bedroom Makeover
PART FOUR: Blue French Country Bedroom Reveal
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