When you think of country style do you imagine large, overstuffed furniture, a riot of floral prints, and accessories on every surface? Those were the signature elements of country decorating decades ago, but the style has come a long way. Modern country style evokes warmth, comfort, welcome, and a connection with your personal history and that of the area you live in. Country décor can wander in many different directions: farmhouse, coastal, cabin, barn cottage, American, English, French, and Italian or Tuscan. If you start with a few basic design principles you can develop your own version of country style.
Voyageur Log Homes/photo by Roger Wade Studio
Setting the Stage
Today’s country style is based on simplicity and natural materials—bringing the colors and materials of the land into the home. If you are building or decorating a log home, the warmth of the wood is the basis for your décor. Hardwood or stone floors will add to the ambience as will a rustic fireplace of natural stone. You might consider choosing D-logs or square logs that will give you a flat surface for hanging cabinetry and placing furniture and artwork. You might also consider a few accent walls of sheetrock or bead board to bring in some color and another texture.
If you are building or decorating a timber frame home, there are unlimited opportunities for bringing in country elements. Sheetrock, bead board, wainscoting, and horizontal wood paneling can be painted, whitewashed, or pickled to keep the home light and bright. Walls clad in barn wood or reclaimed timbers add a sense of history to a new home.
Windows play a large role in how a house looks from both the inside and outside. Window shapes, trim, and placement can announce your home’s decorating style to passersby. There is nothing wrong with a simple, single-pane window, but manufacturers offer many economical and energy-efficient choices to suit any style of home in wood or other materials. Windows with multiple divided lights or grille patterns have a timeless appeal that works well with country style. Consider a 2-over-2 grille pattern or eight lights, or even an Arts & Crafts style for your windows. Adding wider trim to windows on both the inside and outside adds old-time charm to a home. If it suits your style, shutters can add another layer of visual appeal to the exterior.
Photo by Roger Wade Studio
The Heart of the Home
The kitchen is often the center of a home, especially in an open floorplan where it joins with the dining and living areas and is visible from all points. An open floorplan also means that there is flow of materials and colors from one area to another. It is easy to bring country décor to your kitchen and then to carry it through to other rooms.
A simple style of cabinetry, such as Shaker, is a good starting point for country design. Wood fronts can be left in their natural state, whitewashed, or stained. Reclaimed wood or barn board are other good choices. Another option is to use light, painted cabinetry that is glazed to give it an antiqued patina. Even better, consider using one type of finish on the cabinets and another on the island to add interest. Putting glass fronts on some of the upper cabinets will allow you to display colorful china or glass. Open shelves are another great opportunity for displaying collectibles; backing the shelves with bead board adds to your country style.
There are many options for countertops and backsplashes. Classic gray and white Carrara marble works beautifully in a country kitchen and is still very popular today. Like the cabinetry, consider a combination of countertop materials, maybe using butcher block, stainless steel, or zinc for the island and marble, granite, or quartz for the rest. Subway tile in white or light color is another classic choice for the backsplash. Tin ceiling tiles also make a great, inexpensive country-style backsplash.
Consider using a hutch or armoire for extra storage in the kitchen and perhaps a large wooden farm table in place of a conventional island. It is also possible to purchase built-in cabinetry that looks like furniture. Farm or apron sinks, which are so popular today, add another layer of detail to your kitchen. And as the cherry on top for your country kitchen, look for old-style knobs and pulls for the cabinets and drawers.
Textiles and Accessories
Natural materials such as cotton, linen, and wool are ideal for the country-style home. Layering materials with different textures and patterns evokes a sense of casual comfort. Neutrals pair nicely with stripes, florals, and checks, which can be used sparingly. Area rugs made of wool, cotton, sisal, seagrass, or jute will help to define the various living spaces in an open floorplan.
Mill Creek Post & Beam/photo by Roger Wade Studio
Collections and family heirlooms are ideal decorating accessories because they tell a story and make your home unique to you and your family. Old quilts make beautiful bedspreads or throws or you can hang one on a wall or over a railing. Use old dressers, armoires, or shelves for extra storage. An old trunk or even a child’s sled can be used as a coffee table. Collections of pottery, china, glass, baskets, and crocks are ideal for tucking into bookcases and cabinets or they can be grouped together on open shelving. You can use an all-white palette against a neutral or pastel background or up the volume to bright primary colors. Shells, stones, pinecones, and driftwood can also bring nature into your country décor. Anything that has meaning for you and your family goes. If you don’t have a collection or any heirlooms, it’s not too late to start hunting at flea markets, antique stores, and online.
Anything Goes
The key to country décor is living with things you love no matter their source. Choose the colors that speak to you even if you don’t think they fit the country mold. Country décor is informal and relaxed and should look effortless. Furniture and accessories should look like they were purchased randomly over time. And don’t forget to insert some fun into your home. The old rules of country style were made to be broken!
Photography by Roger Wade Studio