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A French-Inspired Garden and Home by Judith Stringham

French Country Rustic Fall Entry

Monday, October 14, 2019


A small entry welcomes Fall with rustic French Country decor. White mums in a woven French flower basket, small green and white gourds in a French wire basket, and a vintage green chippy wooden folding chair invite visitors into our post and beam country house. 


French Country rustic fall entry with mums and variegated green gourds in a chippy green wooden chair
Earlier this Fall, the front entryway was decorated with blue and white cottage style with a white French ladder back chair and a metal basket of white pumpkins. If you missed how the entryway looked then, you can read Fall Blue and White Cottage Style Foyer Lives Large

The rustic Fall French Country entry is the second of three ways I decorated the small foyer this year. All of the ways are filled with ideas for decorating a small entry with style.



F R E N C H  ⚜  C O U N T R Y   

R U S T I C   F A L L   E N T R Y   


A tall mirror with blue ribbon trim is the most striking French-styled piece in the small room/hallway and sets the stage for elegance mixed with rustic... a juxtaposition in styles often found in French Country homes.


French Country rustic fall entry with elegant French mirror juxtaposed against a rustic wooden folding chair
A wreath of white metal leaves goes well with the white chrysanthemums and white Baby Boo pumpkins mixed with colorful gourds. 



French Country rustic fall entry mirror doubles the visual size of white mum arrangement in a wheeled French country flower basket
Arranging flowers in front of mirrors doubles the visual size of a flower arrangement. White mums brighten the dark French flower basket and chippy green folding chair. 

Don't you think dark colors evoke a feeling of Fall? 



French Country rustic fall entry with white mums and small green gourds save space by placing a French wire basket on a chippy chair instead of the floor
Short on floor space is no problem by going vertical in a grouping.  Going vertical is a design trick I use repeatedly in the small entryway. Placing the French wire basket on the chair seat saves valuable floor space. Elevating the white mums in the wheeled French flower basket rounds out the small scene with another vertical element in the tiny corner. 

A metal watering can on the floor completes the vignette of three items. Visually the basket on the chair counts the basket-and-chair as one item. In addition, the watering can adds a third height to grouping.



French Country rustic fall entry with white mums and small green gourds greets visitors to a post and beam house
Callie, our lovable, knows-no-stranger, cat appears to be winking at the camera. She runs to the entry to greet everyone as they enter the house. 



Keep a tight color palette for a French Country rustic fall entry with white mums and small green gourds
Green chair, green mum leaves, green iron fence finial, and multi-green gourds mix well with the dark brown of the French flower basket, rustic French wire basket, rust on the iron finial, and exposed brown wood in the paint-chipped chair. Well-known and expert stylist Yvonne at Stone Gable often advises, "Keep a tight color palette in decorating." 



Place small gourds and pumpkins in an open wire basket to vary color, texture, shape, and size in a small French Country rustic fall entry
Use small, inexpensive gourds and pumpkins in a favorite open wire basket to vary color, texture, shape, and size in a small space that does not have room for multiple large gourds and pumpkins. 



French Country fall entry with a rustic iron fence finial from France adds a wow factor
Vintage pieces add a "wow factor" to any arrangement. The rustic huge iron fence finial came from France and adds authentic French style. 

Well-made reproductions can give a similar look to an arrangement, but if you have a chance to buy the "real thing," snap up a genuine vintage piece. One real thing becomes a scene-stealer you can use multiple places all during the year. 



French Country rustic fall entry's mirror reflects the posts and beams in the kitchen
From a slightly different angle, you can see how the mirror reflects the posts and ceiling beams in the kitchen. Mirrors are versatile decorating items: reflect light, reflect other views of a house, reflect floral arrangements, and reflect yourself for last-minute checks before you head out the door. 



Small French Country rustic fall entry uses white mums, green gourds, chippy folding chair, and French flower basket to make a beautiful entry
Be sure to check back later this Fall to see the third way I styled the front entry using pumpkins, gourds, and white flowers... in a totally different look from the French Country rustic Fall entry style. 


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Did you know I am in the midst of a massive laundry room makeover (down to the studs!) as part of the ONE ROOM CHALLENGE™ this October? See the progress in Week 3's post on Thursday, October 17... the half-way mark in the six weeks renovation. Think DEMO day, and BLUE! 

Take a peek at some of the materials and design ideas for the laundry room makeover in a new Pinterest board, One Room Challenge™ Botanic Bleu. The big reveal of the finished room is sometime during Nov. 7-10. 

Will I make it or not? I am on my 3rd contractor...