Country-style decor is an enduring classic due to its warm and inviting look. Whether you prefer the cleaner, more minimal aesthetic of contemporary country decor or the weathered and distressed furniture and finishes of French country style, you can use architectural elements, color schemes, faux finishes, furnishings, textiles and accessories to give a new home distinctive country style. Integrate nature into your country decor by hanging leafy plants in doorways, filling window boxes with flowers or lining window sills with canning jars holding herbs or wildflowers. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Gather inspiration from diverse resources. Travel brochures and catalogs provide images of French farmhouses and chateaus with old-world country charm. Furniture shops, flea markets, antique stores and yard sales are good places for sourcing country theme decor. Keep a folder with images that catch your eye and a notepad for jotting down design and decor ideas.
2. Integrate country architectural features into your new home. A bay of picture windows in the living room or kitchen allows natural light to pour inside and affords garden views. Skylights and solar tubes brighten dark corners. Exposed wooden ceiling beams and wall posts have rustic country appeal. A stone wall and fireplace in the kitchen, dining area or bedroom recall a French chateau. Hardwood wide plank floors have a classic country look, while bamboo floors update the aesthetic for contemporary interiors.
3. Establish a color scheme. Keep stone, brick or wood panel walls in their natural tones or add a thin layer or translucent antique whitewash or milk paint, which allows the underlying colors and textures of the building materials to show through. For a rustic look, integrate hues of stone gray, faded cornflower blue, terracotta, mustard, antique white, pale yellow and soft poppy seed black. For a more contemporary look, use white to accent sunny yellow, apple green or different shades of blue.
4. Invest in focal point furnishings that define country style. In the dining area, a farmhouse table in a distressed finish or made of weathered gray wood has primitive charm. A white wrought-iron cafe table and chairs transforms a kitchen corner into a breakfast nook or a tea salon. An overstuffed chintz couch in the living room may hold throw pillows in an eclectic mix of patterns. In the bedroom, a low platform bed in a light or medium wood has contemporary cool, while a wrought-iron bed under patchwork quilts has a vintage look.
5. Accessorize with functional yet stylish pieces. Wall sconces flanking the fireplace or lining a hallway can accent artwork. Simple white pillar candles in black iron candle holders have a classic look. Bright, primary colors show up in checks, plaid, gingham and stripes on bath linens, bedding, chair cushions, awnings and window treatments.
Tags: country style, aesthetic contemporary, country decor, dining area, have classic
