Tuning to a French tone

A family house and one family longing for a touch of French atmosphere in the connected space of the dining room and living room. How much was needed for realization and what was required? The offer of services on the internet brought a change at the speed of the 21st century.

KamiDesign, a studio of designers and architects connected and supported by the name of Ing. arch. Kamila Douděrová, received the following order via the internet: to cozy up and completely change the atmosphere of the living room. "Clients approach us to create a proposal for their interior. Our task is to create it in absolute accordance with their ideas and lifestyle. Therefore, an important step is the first consultation with the client, where we talk about their favorite colors, materials, and their vision of interior style," describes Pavla Knorová from KamiDesign how the beginning of cooperation with the client typically proceeds. The studio's creed is to listen to the client's ideas. The interior designer is merely a guide who leads the client to the right goal.

The first task of the renovation was to understand what constitutes the idea of French atmosphere. What color tones, what materials, and above all, what accessories will correspond to this idea. Kamila Douděrová also worked on the proposal with Pavla Knorová, and the result appealed to the family so much that they wanted to realize it in full, and thus had KamiDesign practically oversee the renovation. All the details incorporated in the interior proposal were able to be gathered in three weeks, so the turnkey realization was exactly according to the clients' wishes, i.e., as soon as possible.

Pavla Knorová evaluates the overall proposal as a mix of French styles and as a combination of original pieces: "Each piece of selected furniture is unique in its own way. The furniture is made from old wood." The chosen paintings as the main accessories of the interior are also original pieces made to measure. "We selected the paintings with care. The project Obrazy na míru from Profimedia helped us, offering a selection of 20,000 motifs and color combinations. Additionally, the ability to produce custom sizes of the chosen painting is a great advantage," describes the selection Pavla Knorová.

Overall, the interior is toned in delicate creamy to brown hues. The furniture and textile accessories create a neutral background onto which more noticeable, but fully harmonious accessories with the room's style were to be placed. "For this case of French-style interior, we chose a photo painting with the motif of Lily and Calla, which together create one of the main accessories of the interior against a dark brown background," explains the choice of motifs Pavla Knorová and adds: "The floral motif is certainly a well-chosen one in this color combination. However, if I had to choose from other motifs, then I would opt for black and white photographs from the offer Obrazů na míru as they would also be appropriate."

Pavla Knorová admits in retrospect that a similar order from a family living in a panel apartment would not have been as easily realizable. The size of the space and the layout of the rooms in close contact with the garden, as well as the French windows connecting it to the garden, were certainly a great help.
   
If we were to follow the design step by step as it built the French atmosphere, we would see that three basic components were chosen - massive wooden or wicker furniture in natural colors, flower motifs harmonious with nature, and metallic accessories. Neutral textile accessories were chosen throughout the space for these key elements: curtains, pillows, throws, and placemats at the dining table.

Pavla Knorová evaluates the offer in the area of decorations, which was key for this project, as still lagging a step behind the offerings abroad. Generally, there is a lack of variety in motifs and color combinations, which binds the designers' hands. Every expansion and new offer, such as the offer of Obrazů na míru, is viewed as a benefit and an opportunity to take creativity a step further. "The combination of styles can be very interesting if handled with care," concludes Pavla Knorová.

Not all clients will order the implementation of a proposal in a design studio. Some are satisfied with guidance and basic tips on what to adhere to and what to introduce into the interior. They leave with an idea that needs to be materialized independently. "For those who wish to select decorations themselves, the website www.ObrazyNaMiru.cz offers a helping hand and guides them through the basic choices of colors, formats, and themes of motifs to a narrower selection of paintings that would suitably complement their interior," explains how the website was clearly designed, project manager Andrea Musílková. "Another option is to consider popular motifs among customers during the selection, or to be guided by generally recommended motifs for specific living zones - kitchen, bedroom or even bathroom," adds Andrea Musílková.
   
For those who have not consulted a designer or interior architect because they are not considering a significant renovation and only want to redecorate and change the atmosphere of their living space using details and decorations, this website also offers general recommendations from designer David Plouhar. On the online advisory service of David Plouhar, for example, you can read about opinions on color combinations of paint and paintings, the suitability of wallpapers and paintings according to the nature of the space, or the advantages of the new trend of framing paintings on so-called blind frames, which remain an invisible reinforcement of the painting and allow the chosen motifs to stand out fully.