Text by Lesley Baker
The old country style home is still by far one of my favourites. The one and a half or two story homes with many windows, beautiful hard wood floors and many small cubby holes. It reminds me of my Grandmothers home. Just thinking about the traditional country home can induce the smell of freshly baked bread.
Yes, the bedrooms were smaller often due to structured “attic like” ceilings on the top floors. The bathrooms were usually quite small and sported the old claw bottomed tubs, stand up shower heads and wrap around curtains. The bathrooms in those days were made for purpose not luxury. In most country homes you will also find large kitchens and a cold room for canning and vegetable storage. But even with all the above mentioned beautiful features, I do have to say the most attractive feature for me are the beautiful exterior and interior detailed mouldings and the large wrap around porches.
If you own, or are thinking about purchasing, a country style home then you will need to put some real thought into the decor. This style of home gives over to many fabulous decorating options.
Here are just a few room by room ideas.
The Kitchen:
The kitchen is always the central room of your home. It’s the room that you meet with family and friends, enjoy meals together and have those late night talks with your kids. The country style kitchen should be decorated to feel warm and inviting. Beautiful wood kitchen cupboards would be a perfect place to start. Choose an older style of furniture, perhaps a nice Victorian style table and chair set. Perhaps an old rocker or antique piece of furniture Accent with old style dishes, pots and pans. You may even want to go to the extreme and use the old chickened material to make your curtains and table cloth. Strategically place a bouquet of wild flowers and a lovely bowl of fruit. Heated potpourri is a pleasant added touch.
Bathroom:
Paint your bathroom a very light and inviting colour (ex: light yellow or a very light blue or green). Use very bright material for your bathroom curtains as well. The lighter your colours the larger your room will appear. Decorate your walls with country charm pictures or dried flower arrangements. An antique wash basin and water jug placed on an old wooden stand in your bathroom really makes a beautiful finishing touch.
Living Room:
Bolder, richer colours on walls with a cream trim will make your country living area come alive. Stick with your antique Victorian furniture. Throw rugs on the wood floor can pull your room together nicely. Old roll top desks, spinning wheels, rocking chairs, large scenery paintings, and embroidered throw rugs are all perfect accent ideas.
Bedrooms:
Once again, remember to use light colours to open up the rooms. Rod Iron beds or wood carved headboards are beautiful country style furniture pieces. Antique chairs and cedar hope chests are well thought out bedroom pieces. Use old fashion quilts and matching throws for your beds and fresh wild flowers are also beautiful added touches.
Whatever style of home you choose to purchase study and get some decorating ideas. Whether your home is modern or an old country style farm house, paint and decorate to the style and era of your home. It is your own decorating ideas which turn a house into a home.
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