| Insight into the history of French Country Furniture | | | | unique stye common to the peasant farming |
| and its origins provides a greater understanding of | | | | lifestyles of the French people. Eventually, much of |
| the various styles that can be found within the genre. | | | | this style was also adopted by the middle class. Thus, |
| Originally, French country furniture was known as | | | | imagine a piece of fine French furniture from virtually |
| Provincial furniture. It was a rural adaptation of the | | | | any historical period. Simplify the lines, create it out of |
| more ornate styles found in Paris. Since the | | | | study woods, and lighten the color palette, and you |
| differences between the northern, more economically | | | | have a true French country look. |
| prosperous and southern, more Mediterranean areas | | | | It is interesting to see how directly the philosophies |
| of france were great, the styles that emanated from | | | | that were developed in French studies and spread in |
| those areas were also greatly varied. | | | | the French salons influenced the styles of the French |
| Eventually, the Provincial style melded with the rest | | | | people. One of the reasons for the desire to mimic |
| of the rural, farmhouse styles throughout France, | | | | the look of the poor countryside and the styles of |
| becoming known as French Country Style that we | | | | the peasants was the Romantic philosophy |
| know today. Many people are confused about where | | | | popularized by Rousseau. His ideas centered on |
| French Country fits in the various eras of French | | | | removing the obstacles and stratified and heavily |
| Furniture, but most experts agree that the answer t | | | | constricted societal rules and expectations. Thus, the |
| this question is that is technically is not a period style | | | | life of the everyday French peasant was glorified and |
| at all, but rather an attitude. Within the French | | | | romanticized as being the most genuine. Many upper |
| country look, one can find style elements from the | | | | class French women attempted to recreate French |
| Restoration period, Neoclassical period, and even the | | | | peasant life in their own homes and lifestyles. Some |
| medieval periods of French design. These elements, | | | | went so far as to recreate rural towns and raise |
| however, have been blended together to form a | | | | their own livestock! |