• Paint can transform the entire look of a room.yellow paint image by Jennifer Griner from Fotolia.com
  
  The French Country decorating style isn't limited to the yellow and blue common in the Provence region of France. There are different color schemes evocative of the south of France, the north of France and contemporary French Country design. You can paint the walls of a room one color and let the furniture and accessories in the room supply the complementary colors, or paint one color above the chair rail and another color below.
  
  

Red, white and blue

• Subtle shades of the colors that appear in the French flag can create a French Country look. Try to not be too literal (such as a white chair rail dividing blue and red sections of a wall) and just place the three colors around the room. Consider using only one or two colors for paint and leaving the third color for objects in the room. Use multiple shades of each color to keep the room from looking too formal, or just pick two of the colors and leave the third out entirely. Also, you could paint the room in two soft shades of red or blue and paint the molding a creamy white.
  
  

French seaside

• Soft shades of blue and green are evocative of the French seaside. Since both blue and green are cool colors, you can warm up the room (if you feel it's necessary) with wood or other orange-brown accents. Paint the walls in two shades of green or blue, meeting where a chair rail would be in a more formal room. Paint the room's trim antique white for a crisp, clean look reminiscent of a beach home.
  
  

Contemporary French Country

• The current trend in French Country homes is pairing neutral colors, such as white, cream or tan, with different shades of one color, especially yellow, blue or pink. Paint stripes on the wall using different shades of a color, plus a neutral, or paint the neutral color on the walls and paint the trim different shades of your chosen color. If you choose yellow, be sure to use some gray and white paint to keep the yellow from becoming overwhelming.
  
  

Provence

• The walls in homes in the Provence region of France are often made of plaster over stone. When these walls are painted, the finish looks chalky and matte. Select a matte paint in a washed-out hue to mimic this look. Typically the walls in Provence are painted green, light yellow or blue. Paint the lower parts of the walls a darker color than the top to disguise scuffs and marks. You could also match the colors of a piece of traditional Provence fabric, such as a tablecloth or cloth napkin.
  
  

Red, blue and yellow

• Soft hues of red, blue and mustard yellow are evocative of a formal French Country home. Paint the walls mustard yellow and leave the blue and red to the furniture, or paint the room's trim blue or red.