A great Luxury French-style home is characterized by elegance, sophistication, and meticulous attention to detail. Here are the key elements that contribute to the quintessential French-style home:
Architectural Style: French-style homes are typically defined by their tall, elegant, and symmetrical design, focusing on balance. This often includes prominent, steep rooflines, intricate mouldings, and tall, narrow windows with colonial bars and shutters.
Exterior Materials: Traditional French-style homes often feature natural materials like stone, brick, and render, lending a sense of warmth and texture to the exterior. French Provincial style is less ornate than Baroque and Italianate styles, using colors, textures, and simple moulds to complement its symmetrical form.
Design: French-style homes are typically simple in design, featuring fewer but larger rooms with tall ceilings and grand spaces. Features often include staircases and views through tall windows to gardens and courtyards. These homes are family-focused, with large kitchens, meals, and family spaces, and sensibly sized formal rooms such as a lounge room, study, or library. The spaces are beautiful yet highly functional.
Interior Design: Modern French-style homes feature a mix of antique and modern furnishings, focusing on classic design elements like curved lines, intricate patterns, and ornate details. Materials like silk, velvet, and linen are commonly used for upholstery and window treatments. Texture plays a key role in mastering the style both inside and out.
Color Palette: The color palette typically includes muted tones like cream, beige, gray, and white, accented by deep timber colors and black steel and wrought iron.
Gardens: French-style homes often feature formal gardens, outdoor entertaining spaces with complex paving patterns, meticulously manicured lawns, sculpted hedges, and symmetrical planting beds, highlighted by statuary, pools, ponds, and fountains. These gardens are designed in harmony with the home’s symmetry, ensuring the home looks great from the garden and vice versa.
Choosing a Site: Building a French home can be done on almost any site. Beyond typical checks for easements and planning regulations, consider site characteristics such as slope, fall direction, site width, and proximity to neighboring homes. Street assets like trees and signs can impact feasibility and costs.
If you are considering building a Luxury French-style home on an existing site, Ravida Homes are experts from start to finish. We are happy to inspect your site and have a preliminary meeting to explore the opportunities. For those looking to buy a suitable site, contact Ravida Homes at www.ravida.com.au before making an offer. We can inspect the site and ensure it’s suitable for your dream French home.
