Provence is a style that designers and ordinary people love. The reason for its popularity lies in its features: rooms decorated in a Provencal style are conducive to pacification, relax, create a feeling of comfort and serenity. You don't have to be a professional to recreate a Provence style interior in your apartment. The tile of the same name will well demonstrate this style, but it has its own characteristics.
Style features
Provence gets its name from the region in the south of France, where its history began in the 17th century. Due to its geographic location, the region has a mild and sunny climate. Houses are often decorated in light colors. The interior, decorated in a Provencal style, has its own characteristics:
- It is characterized by light colors of the walls and ceiling (white, beige, ecru, cream, sand).
- Furniture or individual interior details can be colored, but the colors should be dim (muted, pastel colors are the priority).
- Metal parts in the interior (household items, kitchen utensils and plumbing) should look aged, for example, the colors of brass and copper.
- The style is characterized by forged furniture or its individual elements (forged table and chair legs, cabinet frame elements).
- There should be a lot of textiles. Fabrics should be natural (priority is linen, cotton, canvas, knitted items are acceptable).
- Furniture material must be natural. It can be various types of wood, stone, ceramics, straw, wicker rattan (imitation of texture is allowed).
Where is it used?
French provincial style ceramic tiles can be used to decorate different rooms. The choice is made based on their own preferences: due to the widest assortment presented by modern brands for sale, you can choose varieties for each room, including the kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom, hallway, bay window.
It is a fairly durable material that can decorate wall and floor surfaces for years without the need for adjustment. Let's consider the main types of premises.
Kitchen
The use of ceramic tiles in the kitchen space is a must. This type of cladding is easy to clean, it does not deform under the influence of temperature, it is resistant to chemical and organic substances. It is in the kitchen space that the style of the French countryside is more often embodied, using finishing material to make a kitchen apron or as a floor covering. To lay the apron to match the kitchen unit, use a small tile.
The color must be chosen so that it harmoniously complements the kitchen cabinets. The combination of plain wall tiles, elements with patterns and a border looks interesting. The themes of plants, bouquets of lavender, olives, and sketches of village life are used as patterns.
Be careful with ornaments and pictures: if there are many shades, there is a risk of overloading the interior with details (this is a sign of bad taste).
Ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware for the kitchen floor are a good option for decorating a room. The kitchen will be cleaned much faster, and there is no doubt about the durability of porcelain stoneware. Please make sure the surface of the floor tiles is anti-slip and textured before purchasing. If the floor is laid with smooth glossy tiles, injuries cannot be avoided.
You can opt for an imitation of a stone or wood pattern of floor tiles. If you want something more sophisticated, it is permissible to repeat the pattern of the apron tile in the finishing of the floor covering. In addition to the apron and the floor, tiles can be on the kitchen work surfaces. It is important to use impact resistant materials. For such surfaces, glazed tiles are better suited: they are less susceptible to external influences.
Another piece of furniture where tiles can be used is a range hood. For the Provencal style, it is usually chosen in the form of a dome, then the edges are trimmed with tiles. This is done only for decorative purposes, the tile in this case has no functional load. In the homes of true connoisseurs of Provence-style interiors, you can find dining tables, the surface of which is finished with tiles.
Sometimes this decor can be seen in the design of the window sill. If you cannot find a tile with the desired ornament or decor, there is a win-win option - photo tile. Any high-quality image can be applied to its surface. These products are quite popular because they allow you to embody any, even the most daring ideas.
Bathroom
A tiled bathroom is comfortable, beautiful and functional. The tiles are not afraid of moisture, and the bathroom is more than enough. The rules for choosing tiles for the bathroom are the same as for the entire Provence style in general: avoid bright colors, powdery shades with an aged effect are preferred.
Remember one of the basic rules: a light color expands the space, a dark one, on the contrary, reduces it. If the bathroom in your apartment is no more than 6 sq. m., choose tiles in light cream shades. This applies to wall and floor decoration.
If you want to add color to your bathroom, choose shades of green and blue, avoid luscious and neon tones. You can decorate surfaces with tiles of olive, mustard, marsh, sky, cornflower blue. A lavender shade, a powdery pink tone is perfect for finishing a bathroom. Tile compositions with a combination of a plain background and patterned tiles fit well into this room.
Many manufacturers produce ceramic bathroom tiles in separate collections, which have everything you need:
- plain wall tiles;
- tiles with a pattern or texture;
- curbs;
- floor tiles.
At the points of sale of such collectible tiles, sellers have special programs for calculating. The design project will be done for you free of charge. This will allow you to buy the required amount of cladding, taking into account a small margin for scrap, which is possible during transportation or cutting.
Living room
Living room tiles are more often used for flooring. In this case, take care of laying the heating cable, otherwise you will have to save yourself from the coolness of the tile with carpet paths. If the living room has a fireplace, it can be decorated with a mosaic. You can decorate one of the walls with tiles. For these purposes, choose textures like stone, brick, wood, floral ornaments or sketches of rural life.
Bedroom
The presence of tiles in the bedroom is not as popular as in the kitchen and bathroom. But if you are a big fan of ceramics, you can use it as a wood or stone flooring, with or without ornaments. An interesting solution would be to imitate tiled carpet.
Manufacturers
Despite the abundance of suppliers of ceramic tiles, Provence-style tiles are not produced by all brands. Let us note several manufacturers whose products are in demand among customers. Among them, Russian and foreign companies stand out.
Face Fashion
Fase fashion ceramics is a newcomer to its segment. It produces a variety of ceramics, including budget and luxury tiles. Pay attention to the Provence, Lavender, Bread, Tea time series: the color scheme conveys the atmosphere of a French countryside, the collections have cute themed decors.
Global Tile
Another newcomer, confidently winning the sympathy of consumers. The company produces materials for wall and floor cladding at affordable prices. In collections with interesting names, everything is provided (from borders to wall panels). The patterns, ornaments, and palette are noteworthy if you decide to recreate the Provence style.
Cersanit
This tile is produced under the control of a Polish brand in Russia. To embody your ideas, high-quality stone-like porcelain stoneware is presented; in the catalogs of this company, you can find many suitable options.
Uralkeramika
The catalog of this Russian plant contains the widest range of tiles for any premises. The combination of "price-quality-cost of delivery" will allow you to make repairs and not go broke. There is a range of materials for every taste.
Kerama Marazzi
This brand has a decent selection of ceramic collections. Each of them contains the entire set of elements. For interior decoration in the style of the French province, you should pay attention to the "Karaoke Provence" series.
Useful Tips
When choosing tiles for one room, avoid the simultaneous use of glossy and matte surfaces. For lovers of original solutions, a patchwork-style finish (work from patches) is suitable. A composition made using this technique is ideal for laying an apron in the kitchen or mosaics in the living room. When buying bathroom tiles, pay attention on indicators of resistance to chemical attack.
If you want to recreate a corner in the style of a French village in your apartment or house, ceramic tiles will be a good choice of finishing material. Tile manufacturers have created beautiful full-fledged collections suitable for furnishing any type of premises in the spirit of Provence.
The most difficult decision that will stand in front of you is to choose one thing. To simplify the selection, you can consult with the seller.
See the following video for an overview of the Provence style apartment.