CELEBRATING THE ART OF LIVING WELL,
AS THE FRENCH DO,
BY USING ALL FIVE SENSES
TO APPRECIATE EVERYTHING ABOUT LIFE

(FOR MY JOIE DE VIVRE PHILOSOPHY, READ MY FIRST THREE POSTS FROM JUNE 2009)






20 February 2012

J'adore la Vie de Campagne


J'adore la vie de campagne - in more ways than one! The title of this post means "I love country living" (and I do!) ...but VIE DE CAMPAGNE is also the name of the hottest new collection of home decorating fabrics from Kravet, and I am in love all over again! VIE DE CAMPAGNE is a compilation of prints and woven textiles in washed linens and cottons that convey a sense of rustic simplicity combined with a touch of nostalgia, that is the essence of French country style.

The collection includes various fabrics that, according to Kravet, "reflect the relaxed lifestyle of the French countryside." Of course I adore anything French, and French country decorating above all other styles, but there is something more to this collection that has captured my heart. Several of the prints are artful collages of vintage handwriting samples, old ads, labels, ledgers, mail and images from antique engravings. I absolutely adore collages like this, of any kind - be they artistic creations of scraps from paper, decoupaged onto furniture and accessories, or as in this case, printed onto fabric.






Kravet's new Aerogramme is 100% linen, printed in France. Shown above in Rouge, Aerogramme (which means "air mail letter") also comes in a white colorway (left), and Du Puy-Gris, which is greige neutrals (right).









Charmingly choreographed coordinating patterns mean that the look of a room, or even that of a whole house, can be created using these designs, combining graphics, florals, toiles and stripes for a cohesive look. And, naturally au courant, the collection includes trendy grain sack type prints on chunky linen, as well.

 Bergerette (little shepherdess) Toile in Rouge (above & below)
Two stripes from Kravet's new Vie de Campagne collection (above)

This collection includes several different stripes. Interestingly, the placement, color(s) and number of stripes on original French farmers' grain sacks were there to identify which sack same came from which farm - a signature of sorts. Today they also recall wonderful old linen hand toweling and mattress ticking.


Grain Sack influenced prints (above & below) with coordinates - all from Kravet

I haven't yet seen this brand new collection in person, and can't wait to get samples in the mail. They will be absolutely perfect for our kitchen when we redo it - French country style. While just in the planning stages, our kitchen needs some alterations, and I am having such fun gathering ideas for this new room. I'll keep you posted, bien sur! And if you're interested in seeing some of my other ideas for our new kitchen, check out my "Kitchen re-do inspiration" file on Pinterest, here

...and thank you Kravet for making our fabric choices so easy!

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