• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Collaborate
  • Blog
  • Parties
    • Children’s Parties Ideas
    • Holiday Parties
    • Adult Party Ideas
  • Holiday Ideas
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Spring
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Seasons
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Project Gallery
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY
    • Good Ideas
    • Tutorials
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

July 26, 2016

Why French Country is My Favorite

When I got engaged to my husband in 1997 and began to plan for our home together, I knew exactly what I wanted for our bedding. I had seen a comforter in a movie (Father of the Bride??) and just like the moment when I realized my husband was ‘the one’, I had no doubts that this comforter and I were meant to be. It was a sage green Ralph Lauren set (I found it at a discount outlet) with muted burgundy floral details. I loved it so much that I registered for all of the coordinating burgundy and sage green things I could find. Don’t forget, this was the late 90’s.

Bless my heart, right?

vintage scale

 

Even though I was quite certain at the age of 22 that the sage green and burgundy comforter perfectly captured my style, it’s still taken me MANY years to really feel confident in my home decor choices. In fact, it’s only within the last few years that I feel that I can actually state what I believe to be the style that most represents me.

And today, I’m going to tell you why I have a love affair with all things French Country.

You see, I kind of think of French Country as the little black dress of home decor styles.

It can be dressed up to appeal to a more formal, elegant sensibility.

mirrored glass cabinet

Traditional bedroom with a French country flair

Or dressed down for a more casual, comfortable feel.

Family room windows with woven shades atthepicketfence.com

 

metal lantern in a wire basket as easy summer decor

It can have hints of farmhouse style.

hydrangeas in milk bottles

Vintage inspired summer tabletop decor atthepicketfence.com

And definitely hints of cottage.

shutter doors as backdrop for french country decor

Breakfast nook with farmer's market sign atthepicketfence.com

In French Country designs, vintage and heirloom pieces are easily incorporated, expected even.

basket tray vignette

 

china cabinet with cream ware www.atthepicketfence.com

And I think that French Country style gives a nod to the traditional without being stuffy.

French Country mantel decor with rooster print

French Country style allows me to bring in some European elements and indulge the fact that I alternate between being a wannabe Francophile and a wannabe Anglophile. A little bit of French and a little bit of British.

entry table with french country decor

Almost 20 years ago, when my eye was drawn to that sage green Ralph Lauren comforter, I wasn’t really thinking about whether or not it was MY style. I just knew I liked it. And the funny thing is, I think that it would quite possibly still work in my house today.

You see, that’s the thing about defining and refining our tastes. It’s about tapping into what we are naturally drawn into and understanding what it is about those things that we love so much.

But for years I got distracted by what I saw everyone else doing and allowed their home decor choices to cause me to second guess myself.

What to love about French Country style from atthepicketfence.com

But now, I’m finding that just as I’m feeling more comfortable in my own skin at the ripe old age of 40 ;-), I’m also feeling more settled in my decorating skin.

I only wish I had held onto that sage green comforter!

Thanks so much for meeting me at the Fence today,

Vanessa signature

20 Comments Filed Under: Decorating, Good Ideas Tagged With: decorating

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « Kitchen Makeover Sneak Peek
Next Post: What I Can Do »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gee says

    July 26, 2016 at 8:03 AM

    Aaaah French ountry. So comfortable and easy to live with. Luv your touches!

    Reply
  2. Linda Hogeland says

    July 26, 2016 at 8:20 AM

    Your style is as lovely as you! I always enjoy your posts and your pretty pictures. Your home is beautiful, but also , so welcoming and warm and comfortable!
    Have a great day!
    Linda

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      July 26, 2016 at 9:09 AM

      Awww…thank you so much for your kind words Linda! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Betty Whatley says

    July 26, 2016 at 8:32 AM

    Loved the items and comments on Country French. It is also one of my favorites. It not only looks beautiful, clean and so homey with all the different things you use with it. There are just so many different colors and old things as well as beach things you can use with it. Thanks so much for sharing.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      July 26, 2016 at 9:10 AM

      Thank you so much Betty!

      Reply
  4. Michelle Mortensen says

    July 26, 2016 at 8:41 AM

    French country is so versatile. It is the style I have used for my home. Incredibly, I never made a conscience decision to decorate in a French Country style. I simply began purchasing items I loved and over time I realized those items all came together to form my style. I love how French Country brings elements of the outdoors inside.
    Thanks for your post.
    Best & Bisous,
    Michelle from Simply Santa Barbara

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      July 26, 2016 at 9:11 AM

      Yes!! Michelle that is such a good point about French Country bringing the outdoors in!

      Reply
  5. Michele says

    July 26, 2016 at 8:51 AM

    Well written – and I agree with you completely about being confidence in our decor choices and mixed styles.

    I have always been; it’s just I have had my own place in the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s and now 2016 – and I have gone from going up in a tradition and running screaming away from it and did my time with ultra sleek contemporary for 25 years – then did the touch of Tuscany for quite a while and loved it – and now – golly I wish Mom were still here to see it – I have come back to what I grew up in; transitional on the side of traditional with touches of contemporary, farmhouse and antique. Who knew. My mom HATED my contemporary, but she would absolutely love my home now. She has been gone over 20 years so she didn’t get to see the Tuscany decor but would have liked it too.

    Anyway, not sure why I told you all about me, sorry, haha, just liked this post. It reminds me it is OK to change as we age – it’s just stuff, right? I do wish you’d have held on to your sage comforter set though – kinda wish I would have held on to my sage comforter set too. I had a set that was absolutely gorgeous I gave to my niece. Wonder what she did with it? : – )

    Reply
  6. Eilis says

    July 26, 2016 at 2:24 PM

    You are so right. I fell into French Country by accident when I chose our dining room table and chairs many years ago. It is so comfortable and versatile. I tend to mix in some Italian with mine 🙂 Your photos are just beautiful!

    Reply
  7. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    July 26, 2016 at 6:01 PM

    We all went through that sage green and burgundy in the 80″s and 90’s…I loved navy mixed in with those colors…but tastes and styles change…I would say that I love French Country for all the reasons you do….you can dress it up or dress it down…add a touch of farmhouse, like the wonderful farmhouses in France..or dress it up like an elegant Paris apartment….French Country is so versatile…lots of color, or lots of neutrals…My very first “European” type pieces of furniture was when my hubby gifted me with a new Ethan Allen dining room set…it was called Old World Treasures….then I was hooked…I love your home Vanessa….you style is so perfectly to call it your own!

    Reply
  8. Vicki says

    July 26, 2016 at 6:15 PM

    I totally agree and LOVE your French Country style!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      July 27, 2016 at 7:11 AM

      Thank you Vicki! 🙂

      Reply
  9. pamela Lepage says

    July 26, 2016 at 7:44 PM

    Love your post. Your house looks great!! I started out traditional and little country and then went victorian and now Im back to farmhouse , french countryfarmhouse and boho with a little rustic. Except Im at point where if I really do not love a item we don’t buy it. 🙂

    Take care.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      July 27, 2016 at 7:10 AM

      I think that’s the key Pamela! If you don’t love it don’t buy it. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Becky says

    July 27, 2016 at 4:16 AM

    I could have written this post myself. I still have the French provincial bedroom suite my husband and I started housekeeping with 54 years ago! At the ripe age of 19 I knew what I liked and still do to this day!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      July 27, 2016 at 6:55 AM

      When you know, you know right Becky? I’m sure that bedroom set is just beautiful! Thanks so much for stopping by. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Char says

    July 30, 2016 at 9:37 AM

    Lovely home. My first two homes were French Country mixed with pieces brought from England. Then I lost my way in my current house. I’m hoping to move soon and return to my style roots.

    Reply
  12. Summer says

    August 3, 2016 at 2:22 PM

    I lean towards french country style too! Love your decor ♥

    summerdaisy.net

    Reply
  13. Melissa Weldon says

    September 11, 2018 at 12:39 PM

    Where did you purchase your sofa? Is it a slipcover? I love it!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      September 11, 2018 at 1:00 PM

      Hi Melissa! The sofa and slipcover are both from Ikea. We love it too! 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Eilis Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search This Blog

Take the Quiz

Stay updated!

Get all the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Get the book!

Invite Vanessa to speak at your event!

Must Reads

Recent Posts

  • Painted Staircase Handrail Makeover March 4, 2021
  • A New French Country Dining Table February 3, 2021
  • Open Now December 17, 2020
  • Tradition and a Christmas Home Tour December 9, 2020
  • Tabletop Hot Cocoa Station November 29, 2020

Get all the latest straight to your inbox

Footer

Instagram

I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 y I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 years now and every year I ohhhh and ahhhh over the blossoms like it's the first time I've ever seen them. I gush and I take photos (that look exactly like the ones I took the year before and the year before that) and I make my family come outside and look at them with me which you know they just LOVE to do. 😉 I think that is one of the main reasons why I love spring so much. On the one hand, it's predictable and yet, on the other hand, it still feels like such a surprise after the long months of barren branches.

And yesterday, as I was staring at the gorgeous blossoms for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but think that I hope this is how I feel when our lives return to some semblance of normalcy.

I hope that the predictable feels special and that the typical feels anything but. I hope that I ohhh and ahhh over the simple things I've realized I've taken for granted. And, most of all, I hope that feeling doesn't go away for a very, very long time! 💗
Are you living with great expectation friends? Bec Are you living with great expectation friends? Because He is risen!

Happy Easter from my home to yours!
Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to be a different kind of Easter for sure but some things don’t change. Have you been baking and getting ready for tomorrow? What’s one thing on your menu that you have to have every year?
If this is Good Friday, why doesn’t it feel so “good”? It all seems backward doesn’t it?

What could be good about the unspeakable pain he suffered? What could be good about the shame and betrayal?

Easter Sunday is so joyful, bright and cheery. Shouldn’t that be the day we call “good”? It just feels so much better!

But, I don’t know how to rejoice over His resurrection, unless I have felt the pain of His death. I have realized that in life the sweetest victories are the ones which were realized after a pain-filled journey.

And, so it is with Good Friday. I know there will be victory over death, but I can’t skip ahead in the story.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he would experience. And he knew why he would go through it. He did it for me. He did it for you.

Do you know that? Have you felt it down in the very core of your soul? 
Sometimes it makes me squirm a bit. Why would anyone do that for me?

Well, because, I can’t do it for myself!

There is nothing I can do to earn that kind of love and mercy.

That is why it is called GRACE.

His grace is freely given. We don’t have to pay for it. He paid the price for us already.

Do you remember that movie from years ago called “Ransom”? A couple’s young son was kidnapped and the parents went to hell and back trying to find him and pay the “ransom” demanded by the kidnappers.

Well, Jesus is our “ransom”. (1 Timothy 2:6) His life was the payment.

Why is it called “Good Friday”? Because that wasn’t the end of the story….
.
…It was just the beginning!
Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house that’s become the landing zone for ALL THE THINGS! 🙋🏻‍♀️🤪 I’ve never been more thankful for our rarely used dining room table as it’s become command central for school books and laptops and games.

Where are things collecting in your house right now?
“Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every si “Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every single one of these emotions has made their way through our home in recent days and, my guess is, they have in your home too.

I SO needed this reminder today from the new book ‘Adore’ by @sarahagertywrites.

Adoration isn’t just sitting at His feet gazing longingly with stars in my eyes. It’s bringing my fears and my sorrows and gray roots in my hair that desperately needs to be colored and my messy house and all of the things that threaten to send me over the edge right now and laying them down before Him, soaking up His word and His presence so that when I stand back up, I am changed for having spent the time adoring the ONE who is... Healer, comforter, peace-giver, deliverer, redeemer.

What do you need to bring to Him today? I’ll share mine in the comments and I’d love to hear from you too!
I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole lockdown thing began, I’ve come to appreciate this time of day even more.

It feels the most...normal. Daytime is strange and foreign right now. My husband has taken over our home office, I’m suddenly taking over the responsibility of managing my kids’ distance learning and let me just say that teaching 7th grade algebra to my daughter is hugely ironic since I struggled with math all the way through school. I’m trying to do my own work but it feels utterly futile with the constant interruptions which take precedence right now. In the daytime, I’m constantly reminded of how upside down life feels.

But, in the evening, I cook dinner like I’ve always done and we gather around the table like we’ve always done and we laugh and tell stories and then clean up and play games or go on a walk or watch a show. And that feels SO gloriously normal.

So now I love evenings even more than I ever did before and I’m so grateful for this little chunk of time where the rhythms we established years ago are helping to sustain us now when so much of life feels outside of our control.

What feels ‘normal’ to you right now? Whatever it is, keep doing it. 🌿
When I was in college I would frequently call home When I was in college I would frequently call home and pour my heart out to my mom, sharing with her all that was happening in my life in that completely unfiltered way that you can talk with the person who potty trained you. These phone calls usually took place at night and my mom would patiently listen as I vented frustrations about professors, roommates, boyfriends and the food in the cafeteria. And, inevitably, they would end with my mom saying, “Everything seems worse when you’re tired. Try not to overthink things or make any major decisions tonight, especially when you are feeling emotional.” Dear friends, may I pass along this advice to you today?

If you don’t absolutely HAVE to make a decision right now, I want to encourage you to wait until life gets back to normal. If you are finding yourself over-analyzing relationships and family dynamics, I want to encourage you to remember that everything seems more dramatic when looked at under a microscope. And, let’s face it, being homebound with our loved ones non-stop makes us all feel like lab rats in an experiment.

If you are tempted to quit a job, start a business, start homeschooling permanently, stop homeschooling permanently, move to a new city, buy a farm, quit pursuing your dream, join a commune or make any other major life decision just…wait. Because, if it is in fact the right decision, it will be made even clearer once our lives return to their ‘regularly scheduled programming’. Instead, in this strange season, let’s all just take a deep, collective breath and let it out slowly, releasing the anxiety that threatens to overtake us. Let’s help each other maintain some perspective and not slip into a posture of over-thinking every little thing in our lives. Let’s remember that the enemy of our souls would love nothing more than to use this time when things feel dark to manipulate us into thinking that aspects of our lives are worse than they actually are.

My prayer for you in these days is that you will have the clarity to know what is true and that you will be filled with peace even while we live in this season of so many unknowns.
Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking thes Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking these days! 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’m trying to avoid gaining the #corona15 but my daughter and I LOVE baking together and it does help to pass the time plus it counts as a science lesson right?

If you’re able to find flour in the stores (for the love people please stop overbuying!) and you’re doing more baking at your house too you need to add this apricot bread to your list of new recipes to try!

Normally I’d point you to my blog for the directions but I’m going to do you a solid and leave the full recipe in the comments.

What have you baked so far during this time of social distancing? I’d love some new ideas!
There are a LOT of people out walking in our neigh There are a LOT of people out walking in our neighborhood right now (but still social distancing!) and she decided that she wanted to bring them some joy and put a smile on their face when they pass by our house. Also, the square with ‘say no to coronavirus’ is priceless. 😂 I just love her so much!
Follow
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins
There has been a problem with your Instagram Feed.
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2021 At The Picket Fence