“Provence and Languedoc share a uniquely Mediterranean lifestyle. Compared to the rest of France, the air here is drier, the sun stronger, and the light beloved by so many painters, appears clearer.

“…nothing in life is finer than to be invited into a Provençal kitchen—the heart of family life—the smell the aroma of herbs and wines cooking with the catch of the day...It’s a land of ingrained traditions and a dramatic landscape…”

From Arthur Frommer’s “Provence and the Riviera”

For anyone who’s ever read Peter Mayle’s bestseller, “A Year in Provence,” or saw the enchanting, 199__ foreign film, “My Father’s Glory,” one would be hard pressed not to fall head over heels in love with the South of France. Provence, as it is called, is a place of mesmerizing light and color, bucolic settings and brusque terrain. In fact, it is so stunning that one can see its luminosity in the paintings of the French Impressionists, particularly Vincent Van Gogh.

            Adapting the “look” of this part of the world has become a pastime and even a passion for designers and do-it-yourself home decorators. It’s not unusual to see a kitchen-dining room in the Back Bay, or Pembroke, or Weymouth that seems to slavishly imitate the style and fashion of Provence. But being a slave to fashion isn’t what French country is genuinely about.

            According to Heidi Thiede, owner of Norwell’s Voilà, a year-old boutique on Route 53, “Decorating in the French country style involves beauty and texture, yes, but mostly comfort. You have to look at an object, touch it, and feel the character of it—get into it, understand it. It’s about loving the look, the life.”

            French country decor has so much charm upon first glance; one gets the feeling they can easily interpret the look into their own existing furnishings and décor. Au contraire. The image of Provençal is more enigmatic and indistinct than first meets the eye.

 The Internet has a vast array of information on French country but there are several, consistent factors that combine to create the look and feel of Provence:

 §  Color, usually vibrant and predominantly blues, yellows and reds

§  Pattern, regional, cottagey fabrics and jacquard, including toile, generally in pure cotton and lacy curtains on windows

§  Texture and finish, rustic and matte/flat on walls and floors; high-gloss on glazed ceramics; or a rusted, worn patina evoking age

§  Themes recurring are the “primatif” rooster, the dragonfly, a countrified fleur de lis, papillon (butterfly), the rather formal, Napoleonic bee, and Provence’s ever-present cricket, the cigale—all depicting aspects of nature and things organic

§  Furniture, primarily light woods, white-washed woods, rush or cane seats; or (wrought) iron with marble tops or hand-painted embellishments

§  Metals, chiefly in iron (wrought), pewter, some copper, and wire-type accessories. 

But country French, for all its country-house ambience, usually incorporates a hint (or a shout) of something formal, ceremonial, or a variation of Louis-the-umpteenth. So the challenge is perhaps to think grand on a cottage scale.

            Voilà in Norwell features furniture, antiques, the finest accessories, linens, and objets d’art of France. The merchandise is one-of-a-kind with 18th and 19th-century antiques and a fabulous selection of Thiebeaut linens and Pichon ceramics and dinnerware. Heidi Thiede works with both her customers and interior designers to help clients create an authentic French country atmosphere.

            At Pierre Deux on Newbury Street in Boston, they carry a coordinating line of fabrics, wallpapers, ceramics, and accessories that are quintessentially South of France. Their fabrics include the ubiquitous Toile de Juoy (bucolic country scenes involving people at work and play), and the prosaic cottage-style patterns of tiny flowers and/or paisleys, usually finished with a vibrantly-colored border of more flowers and stylized motifs. They specialize in Les Olivedes fabrics and Quimper ceramic dinnerware and pottery.

            Rue de France on Thames Street in Newport, R.I., specializes in lace window curtains, the popular Toile de Jouy patterns, and other decidedly French-inspired accessories.

           Heidi Thiede at Norwell’s Voilà reminds customers, designers, and aficionados of the Provençal style that “the French may not have a lot, but what they do have is very fine and often rich in color for them, and what they can afford. They have incredible color combinations, and they’re not afraid of combining varying vibrant colors all in one palette.”

“The way of life in the south of France is unique,” Thiede says, “For instance, when they dine, a simple meal becomes an event. Even how they dress, their gardens and their homes; it’s about things they really love and want to keep for a long time.” Clearly, Thiede believes that French country is more a state of mind than just a “look,” and her top-of-the-line boutique lends credibility to her philosophy. Her antiques and accessories in the Voilà showroom speak volumes to the simplicity, rustic formality, and pastoral elegance of French country detail and design.

RESOURCES:

Voilà, 428 Washington St. (Route 53), Norwell; www.voilainc.net

Pierre Deux, 111 Newbury St., Boston (Back Bay); www.pierredeux.com