Exploring the Timeless Appeal of French Provincial Homes

With their high roofs, courtyard gardens and expansive windows, French Provincial homes have classically timeless elegance and charm.

Well-suited to both inland and coastal locations, French Provincial homes have their origins with the French aristocracy, as they sought refuge from the city in the countryside, building comfortable, refined residences of grand proportions.

Showcasing grand design and impeccable style, Oswald Homes’ eight-bedroom, eight-bathroom Bellevue home is quintessentially French Provincial, being reminiscent of an 18th-century châteaux.

As the Bellevue elegantly showcases, French Provincial homes are immediately recognisable by their balanced, symmetrical proportions, with sweeping roofs, tall windows with arched tops, and porches and balconies to enjoy warm summer nights.

Shutters and wrought-iron accents are other key features of French Provincial homes, as you can see in the Bellevue’s elegant façade. Shutters are both decorative and functional, perfectly controlling a room’s light and privacy. Ironwork is used for decorative purposes and heavily features in French Provincial balconies and stair railings.

The interior of a French Provincial home is serene and subdued, with natural tones that create a sense of warmth and elegance. The Bellevue is the antithesis of austere, with coordinating mismatched and ‘vintage’ pieces of furniture adding character and charm. Parquet floors are commonplace in French Provincial homes, and will never go out of style.

Patterns and prints feature heavily in French Provincial homes. Gingham is a staple, together with plaid, stripes and checks. The natural materials, usually wood or stone, will have a weathered appearance to suit the warm, welcoming French Provincial style.

As well as the Bellevue, French Provincial style is beautifully captured in our award-winning Phillip Road home in Dalkeith.