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Why You Should Favour the English Country Look in Your Home

No matter how many interior design fads and fashions have come and gone over the decades there is one enduring style that will never lose its hold. That style is called the ‘English country look’. It goes on and on, without much change and without flagging, mainly because this time-honoured style emphasises homeliness and our deep relationship with nature.

English country decor can be cottage casual, or slightly more grand and formal, but always with the focus on practical rather than flamboyant. Whether the country home is a tiny black and white cottage or a large manor house, English country style should exude warmth, comfort and a love for family life.

An English country home usually features plenty of period details, beamed ceilings, stone or wood floors, prominent fireplaces, family and equestrian portraits, old photographs, handmade throws and cushions, fresh flowers and lots of over-indulged pets. In a nutshell true English country style should not look planned or designed, but rather the result of generations living in a home.

If you want to add a more relaxed country look and mode of living to your home why not adopt the charm of English country decor? By introducing a blend of neutral colours, beautiful and appropriate fabrics, antiques, inviting sofas and appealing country accessories you can have the soft and inviting look of the English countryside no matter where your home is situated. By carefully selecting the right accessories, furniture and colour tones, you will be able to make your home look like it was designed by a professional designer.

Remember to always start with your colour schemes first, pulling ideas and inspiration from Mother Nature. Colour abounds in the countryside and you will see all manner of different pinks, reds, greens, yellows and blues in country gardens, along rustic lanes or high on the rolling hills. These colors can be vibrant or muted and therefore your country style can reflect these many variations, probably nowhere more obviously than in the fabrics you choose for furniture, cushions and window treatments. Chintz, floral patterns and damasks are common choices and often mixed with vintage fabrics or antique tapestries.

It’s also important to include the right lighting fixtures for your English country look; modern harsh lighting in the wrong place can easily destroy the exact feel you are trying to achieve. Try to avoid central ceiling lights where possible and aim for homely soft wall lighting and with strategically placed table lamps to add a degree of comfort and style. Bear in mind that lamps that have yellow or cream shades create a much more cosy effect and conical shades generally spread a softer and dimmer light.

 Flooring is often informal and even imperfect. Worn stone and bare wood floors all help to create a casual country look. Newer wood can be stressed to look old and painted floors can be stenciled with vibrant rural designs. Equally attractive wall-to-wall carpet, with a good quality underlay, can also be perfect if you are seeking comforting luxury in your country retreat.

You can in fact pull a whole room together just by using coordinating accent rugs on top of hardwood or flagstone floors. Choose Oriental style rugs or rugs in creams and beiges for a more formal style and colourful rag rugs for a casual cottage look. Do be careful if you are planning to put down new tiles, wet tiles can be lethal so if they are going in a hallway or kitchen test them well for slipping before you buy.

Furniture should always be traditional, and even well-worn, giving an appearance of being inherited rather than bought reproduction. Fill your reception rooms with comfortable chairs and sofas that are not overstuffed with too many unnecessary cushions. Choose oak or mahogany for the dining room with needlepoint seats on the chairs for added interest and elegance. Display racks and cabinets can be utilized throughout to show off bone china and precious family heirlooms.

For a real country cottage look fill your home with oak benches, ladder-back chairs, rocking chairs, wicker furniture and Windsor chairs. Any piece of furniture can be given a rustic look by brushing it with a coat of paint then rubbing most of the paint off to reveal the natural wood underneath.  A coat of matt Polyvine (varnish) will protect the finish.  If you like the really aged look polish with a dark polish which will fall into the cracks and crevices then rub off excess to give a soft sheen.

English willow baskets of all sizes can be used to store wood, walking sticks, umbrellas, fruit, vegetables, outdoor boots and magazines. While brass lamps, wrought-iron candle holders, copper pans, old cheese dishes and even Victorian chamber pots will add a rustic country ambience to your country style home.

Rustic-style décor in the kitchen can include open shelves, hand- painted hutches, plate racks and cupboards to display plates, dishes and dinnerware collections. Storage can be an assortment of glass jars, stoneware pots, plain glazed earthenware and containers made from copper, or cast iron; while cookware tends to be functional and plain. Adding a free standing wooden butcher’s block can create a wonderful visual effect, as well being useful.

Most country kitchen units and furniture are built in natural woods or modern materials which are then decorated in various paint finishes, with architectural details picked out in a separate colours. Very often kitchen appliances such as dishwashers are cleverly hidden behind paneling or false cupboard doors.

The ideal country style bathroom normally has soft coloured walls in neutral tones with free-standing ‘Victorian’ baths or claw-foot tubs, pedestal sinks and old-fashioned country cabinets or antique cabinets. Plain white towels look better than those that are patterned or in bright colours. Use wicker or wire baskets to hold sponges, loofas and wooden brushes and put lots of different pretty soaps in large glass or porcelain dishes.

Finally enhance your country decor with coordinating artwork and accent pieces. Decorate with items that exude a country appeal to compliment your design. Purchase decorative accessories that work with your personality and preferences to make every room your own. Search for charming second-hand furniture, beautiful wooden boxes, crystal decanters, beautiful vases, hat racks, pine chests, ironstone china bowls, brass planters, battered straw hats, musical instruments, samplers, old master style paintings and framed needlework to complete your decor.

About the Author

Karole Howard is passionate about interiors, fabrics and colours inspired by the countryside. She launched her well known online shop http://www.countrycream.co.uk in 2003 in order to help people who want to create the country look in their homes.

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