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French country curtains come in lots of styles and materials. And if you consider just how large and diverse this country is, it comes as no surprise that ...
Take your pick among the North Sea coast, the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, the Pyrenees, the Alps, and anywhere in between!
On this page, the examples of French window treatment ideas are mostly from the Southern part of the country.
You’ll find more photos of French country curtains on the pages about (That's just in case you’re on a major research trawl!)
Linen Puddles on Terracotta Tiles
My favorite French country curtains are made of heavy, cream colored linen (as in the pictures above and left).The typical crumpled appearance of linen creates a perfect complement for the glazed terracotta tiles that are so common in the Mediterranean part of France.
To get the full effect of these curtains, make them so long that they form a pool of yummy, creamy crinkles on the floor.
Of course, this isn’t particularly practical. You’ll probably have to wash them a lot. But they are … French. Treat them like they're special (they are!)
Ticking
The picture to the right shows that French country curtains aren’t reserved for windows alone.They cover doors, conceal ‘wardrobe’ openings in the wall, and occasionally separate an ensuite from a bedroom, too.
It comes in soft colors that are a calm, cool antidote to sizzling summers, and it looks perfect against whitewashed or slightly tinted walls.
It also has an understated, ‘Scandinavian’ feel about it, reminiscent of the Gustavian style that the Swedish adopted from the French court in the 18th century.
(So in an interesting twist of home decorating history, the photo above shows the Gustavian style on a home visit!).
The ticking in the photo above right is in neutral stripes, with just a bit of sky blue. Color schemes like this one go beautifully with the muted, chalky light blue or yellow umber walls of Southern French houses.
To the left, another fashionable color combination for French country style curtains.
This one's a mix of unbleached linen and ticking in ecru, charcoal, cream, and a few hues of rusty red. (As you see, it also works well for cushions and slipcovers).
Linen Sculptures
If you're looking for French country curtains with a special flair, this one's definitely an option.The transparent curtain of loosely woven linen ends in the most amazing, artistic knot.
Curtains like these do their job - they create privacy, and at night they cover the dark rectangle of the windowpane.
But beyond their duty, they are really works of art in their own right, and they can add a whole lot of interest to a plain little room.
So if you have a room in your Mediterranean style country home that is in need of a little ooomph, this type of French country style curtains may be a suitable candidate for you.
Patchwork
The last-but-one in our little défilé of French country curtains is this patchwork masterpiece.
Considering the fine fabrics that went into it, it probably doesn’t really qualify as a French country curtain, but I found it in a very small village in France, so maybe it does count ;-)
The general idea here is to use a plain fabric for the main body of the curtain …
… and then add something more fancy and eye-catching to the lower third.
The same principle was at work in the Provençal curtain you can find in the page on French Country Interior Design.
It’s a simple but very effective way to give your French window treatments that extra little bit of style.
Here are a few ideas for combining fabrics and patterns:
- antique white linen and toile de Jouy
- antique white linen (or cotton) and a floral print (it doesn’t have to be in pastels)
- unbleached linen and ticking
- unbleached linen and a solid color
- unbleached linen and antique-white linen
You’ll probably come up with a lot more ideas than this for your French country curtains – just let yourself get inspired by the fabrics that are available in your part of the world.
(And please send me a picture when you’re done!)
Back to Basics
After all these exciting possibilities, I thought it might be a good idea to show at least one really simple version of French country curtains.So here’s a pair of floor-length ones, made of lightweight cotton.
In this photo, the color combination of window, shutters and narrow iron balcony is typical of a Provençal house: gray, cream, light blue and dark green.
During the summer months, a wattle screen will be rolled down over the metal construction above the window, to provide dappled shade for the balcony and add a dash of straw yellow to the color mix.
If this type of French country curtains strikes you as a bit, well, low-key …… you can always embellish the fabric. In the picture to the left, strips of tan and sand colored cotton have been added to the lower part of the curtain.
It’s not just the slight variation in color, but also the raised, 3D effect that adds interest to what might otherwise have been a rather bland piece of fabric.
To achieve this subtle effect, you don’t even need a sewing machine; just iron some ribbon onto the cotton fabric with the help of fusible backing.
Then complete this simplest of French country curtains by using the same ribbon as a tieback - voilà, job done!
Curtain Rails
Keep them really, really simple.I’ve seen several places where the curtains were just attached to a length of copper piping.
So don’t add fancy finials (unless you really love them) - just let the fabric speak for itself.
You can make a room look higher if you hang your French country style curtains from just below the ceiling.
This can work particularly well if the curtain rod is in a color that’s similar to the wall and/or curtain fabric. With more color contrast, you’ll get a distinct ‘line’ on the wall (as in this picture).
And that’s it ... for this page!
If you’d like to explore some more French window treatments (plus non-French ones), have a look at the pages about
Or ...
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