DIY Provence style shelves

Provence style is a relative of the country style that is popular today, but with a touch of French sophistication. Distinctive features are:

• natural materials in decoration and furniture;
• an abundance of delicate pastel colors, dim colors;
• a touch of deliberate aging.

The Provence style is simply created for works in the “handmade” style, which fit into it organically and complement the interior.

What materials and tools will be needed to create the Provence technique?

The rural style of the south of France does not tolerate any artificiality: plastic, chrome, film, gloss, polishing or chipboard. Only natural fabrics, wood and glass are appropriate here.

IMPORTANT! The key point is the effect of “passed years”, as if the furniture had been in use by great-great-grandmothers.

To do this, it is not necessary to order designer cabinets or antique chests of drawers. You can create the aging effect yourself. For this use:

The effect of fire on wood. This creates the effect of areas darkened by time.

Mechanical creation of abrasions using sandpaper, scrapers and brushes.

Chemical exposure allows you to age the surface using acids or alkalis.

Furniture in the Provence style can be not only the natural color of wood, but it can also be painted in light colors, painted or decoupaged.

IMPORTANT! When creating a bedside table or shelf with your own hands, be attentive to details, because in this interior they play a key role. Brand new, shiny hinges or handles on an aged cabinet will ruin the entire composition.

How to make shelves in Provence style with your own hands

To make our own shelves we will need:

• wooden boards;
• fasteners and screws;
• tools: jigsaw, screwdriver, drill;
• craquelure varnish;
• light-colored paint;
• napkins and varnish for decoupage.

First of all, you need to decide on the size and shape of the product. For the first time, it is better to choose a simple rectangular shelf that will organically fit into the Provence style.

1. We cut out parts of the required size from the boards and connect them with self-tapping screws.
2. For the back wall, we attach a small sheet of fiberboard using small nails or self-tapping screws. If the shelf is going to be left in the natural color of wood, then do not forget to first age the wood and decorate the back wall.
3. To create a painted shelf, you need to carefully prime the wood and apply a layer of paint. Once the paint has dried, you need to take coarse sandpaper and create a scuffed effect. It should be especially strong along the edges, gradually weakening on the shelves and sides.
4. A layer of white paint is also applied to the fiberboard back wall and then decorated with decoupage.
5. Using craquelure varnish we create a cracking effect, which can be further emphasized with dark tones.

IMPORTANT! Do not overload the shelf with parts. If you used decoupage inserts, then leave the rest of the background plain.

DIY Provence style rack

After practicing on a small shelf, you can move on to creating more complex interior items. Let's try to create a shelving unit in the French style.

We will need:

• boards and bars;
• accessories and fasteners;
• tools;
• varnishes and paints for decoration.

First, we assemble the frame according to this simple scheme:

Then, based on it, we begin decorating. The special airiness, so valued in the Provence style, can be created by such planks.

You can paint the rack in white, cream, blue, yellow and any colors that match the main interior.

As you can see, creating furniture in the Provence style is not at all difficult, opening up space for imagination and self-expression. And it is not at all necessary to assemble it from scratch, as in our master classes. In the same way, you can bring back to life old shelves, cabinets, chests or bookcases that were once sent to the dacha.