Indulge your inner Francophile with these country housesand which architectural elements make it positively ooh-la-la.
Take notes and get inspired by the homes below.
These sturdy, long-lastingsiding materialsoffer a refined appearance and a sense of timelessness.
Credit: Brie Williams
The windows of French country houses often feature multiple panes and are sometimes accented by iron balconies.
French Country Home Roof Styles
French country homes are often clearly identifiable bythe style of the roof.
One of the most common is the hip roof design.
Credit: Emily Followill
Butblack trim, windows, and doors give the home a crisp, modern edge.
The stucco siding features a weathered finish and shutterspainted in whitethat give the multi-paned windows a quaint look.
Copper lanterns and fittings finish off the look of an old French manor.
Credit: Brie Williams
French Mediterranean-Style Homes
French-inspired homes share many notable characteristics withMediterranean-style houses.
Elaborate stonework, stucco siding, and intricately carved doors are standard for the two aesthetics.
An ornate iron balcony draws extra attention to the front entrance of this French country house.
Credit: Tria Giovan
The steep mansard roofline and charming shutters are rooted in European style.
Butan inviting porchnods to classic American ranch homes, creating a unique marriage of architectural influences.
Rustic details, such as a simple portico and wrought-iron flourishes, add old-world panache.
Credit: JULIE SOEFER
A pea-gravel patio lends authentic sounds of the South of France underfoot.
The grounds are overflowing withespaliered apple trees, olive groves, anddrifts of lavender.
The exterior’s low and rambling roofline is capped with 100-year-old red clay tiles.
Credit: Edmund Barr
The gate and finials are 18th-century French antiques, but the Frenchlimestone pillarsare new.
The quintessentially French rounded front door features a custom-designed and hand-cast bronze doorknob.
Cement-color stucco walls andhand-carved wood shutterscomplete the look.
Credit: Michael Garland
The tiles were placed in the same angular way they are in France.
They were left unglazed to allow moss to grow, another detail that adds to the overall pastoral look.
The main house, guest cottage, and garage are all clustered around a courtyard and garden.
Credit: Laurie Black
The color was chosen to give the petite French country chateau a gentle patina that disguises its newness.
Like a typical French country home, it exudes village warmth while maintaining its city sophistication.
Surrounded by plants andedged in rocks, theswimming poollooks like a free-form pond.
Credit: Ron Blunt
A stately cypress tree introduces quintessential European charm.
On the front of the house, tall, shuttered windows with 20 and 24 panes recall French doors.
A majesticpecan treeandleafy pergolafilter the light and soften high-summer harshness.
Credit: Michael Garland
Country French-Style Front Porch
Thisremodeled 1920s Colonialreceived a country French makeover.
The mahogany front door is capped with a Napoleon hat detail.
The late-1800s bluestone door surround was treated with a slush-and-brush technique to mimic repaired stone.
Credit: Hedrich-Blessing Studio
Round windows from a French chateau help instill the distinguished character of a century-old villa in the new home.
The home boasts French blue shutters, tall windows capped with window lintels, andcozy dormerson its uppermost level.
The mansard roof, which features four double-sloped sides, is characteristic of French country homes.
Credit: Claudio Santini
Interiors of a French Country House
French country design doesn’t stop at the front door.
Comfort and elegance are the recurring themes in these interiors.
Farmhouse-style homes are generally more casual and feature vintage-inspired accents like shiplap and raw wood.
Credit: Michael Partenio
Credit: Michael Garland
Credit: Jenifer Jordan
Credit: Kim Cornelison
Credit: Anthony Masterson
Credit: Bob Greenspan
Credit: Gordon Beall
Credit: Helen Norman
