Parlez-vous Françes? Don’t worry - you don’t need to speak French in order to enjoy bright, comfortable and classic style of French Country in your home. From weathered walls to wide wooden tables, it is not hard to achieve French Country look using following guidelines.

French Country style is all about well-used, worn-in, imperfect but beautiful architectural elements, furniture and accessories. Forget sleek lines, fine china, and black, white and gray color combos. Instead, fill your house with chunky wood tables, dozens of sweet-smelling flowers, and brightly patterned couches, curtains and pillows styled after look of Provence, southeast region in France that borders Mediterranean Sea.

When choosing a French Country style home, think along lines of cracked wood beams, curved panels, hand-carved decorations and raw material flooring and walls, like stone or exposed brick. Raw or distressed wood also can be used to cultivate a French Country atmosphere, as do uneven plaster walls.

Don’t worry about that spider crack in paint in your kitchen, or slight discoloration of paint in your bedroom or living room. In French Country "speak", these imperfections simply add character.

Other French Country architectural features include shutters for your windows, narrow, deeply cut window sills, and striped fabric awnings over windows to afford home dweller extra protect from heat.

But what if you just want to add some French Country flair to home you already have, without changing its walls, floors and windows? No sweat. Rustic furniture is a key element to French Country style. Think oversized rectangle or round wooden dining room tables, with a dull waxed or natural finish.

Chairs and occasional tables of French Country style can be curved or boast carved designs in woodwork. Dining room chairs can have a ladderback style or vertical slats. Also, large armoires are well-suited to French Country look, giving owner a nice cool place to store dishes, linens, or even clothing.

There is nothing like wood furniture to add elegance and beauty to a home. Whether it is a thick, all-natural butchers block table, an Art Deco wooden dresser, a simple mahogany dining room table or a sleek, modern coffee table, wood furniture is a staple in homes across America and world. Make sure your wood tables, vanities and dressers stay gorgeous for generations to come with these simple solutions and guidelines. Stain, Stain, Go Away! Ever gasped after a child inadvertently left a giant scratch in surface of your dining room table? Or cringed when a well-meaning adult accidentally knocked over a drink onto your beautiful wood coffee table? Well, fear not. One of best attributes of wood furniture is that it is simple to touch up or renew its original luster.

Small nicks and scratches can usually be disguised with help of a store-bought scratch cover product. For larger scratches, try using a felt tip pen or shoe polish in a color closely matched to finish of furniture piece. Shoe polish applicator bottles filled with stain work well for cover-up job, as do Sharpie markers. Coloring in scratch is easy and surprisingly effective.

Get rid of pesky water spots on your wood furniture by allowing spots to dry completely, then rubbing real mayonnaise onto it with a soft cloth, until spots disappear. Erase color rings left on tables by cups and glasses with a homemade mixture of cigarette ashes and cooking oil. Prep stain first by scrubbing it with an abrasive pad or sandpaper. Then, rub oil and ash concoction into wood.

And what about candle wax, marring beautiful finish of your wood dining room table? Wait until wax cools, then apply ice. Once wax becomes extremely hard and brittle, gently scrape it off with a plastic spatula. Finally, polish table with a rich cream polish, and buff away any residue.

Remove or Disguise Scratches and Stains

Problem: Solution: Nicks, Scratches Magic Marker or Shoe Polish Water Spots Mayonnaise Color Rings Sandpaper, Ashes and Oil Wax Ice

An Ounce of Prevention, a Lifetime of Protection Prevent serious damage to your wood furniture by taking care not to position it in direct sunlight. Unless you are going for weathered picnic table look, shield all wood furniture from drying influence of sun. Also, protect your dining room table’s finish using an inexpensive table pad when table is not in use.

When eating a meal or entertaining guests, use a tablecloth or placemats to protect finish of a wood table, especially when serving hot food. Place hot serving dishes atop a hot pad and candle holders over a large felt protector with a plastic top, since plastic prevents wax from running.