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Get the Look: Sophisticated Country Style
15 Ways to Keep the Farmhouse, Lose the Chicken Coop
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
Sometimes country gets a bad rap; the word conjures visions of tea cozy collections, gingham overload and cow tchotchkes. But to me, country style means a place that is relaxing, feels like it has history, has some nice open space and seems like home. Sophisticated country is just cozy country with a bit of editing and some updates. It's analogous to Gwyneth Paltrow performing at the CMAs, or Carrie Underwood on the cover of Vogue. Here are a few tips for achieving chic country style.
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Mix eras. Here a vintage brass bed, contemporary dresser, and Federalist mirror meld into a light country composition. The mostly-white color palette and mix of metal finishes holds everything together in a modern way.
by Sandy Koepke
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Think French country. With its French bathroom door and and Provencal bedding, this bedroom looks like a dream house in the French countryside. The bedding provides the only jolt of vibrant color in the room while everything else is muted and calming.
by Sandy Koepke
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Treat whirlygigs as folk art, not tchotchkes. Displaying them as you would any other special sculpture keeps them from becoming clutter.
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| Let wood shine by creating white backdrops. The hardwood floors, farmhouse table and wooden chairs take center stage while white cabinets, walls and objects create a serene and updated background. This kitchen has replaced fussy cafe curtains and upper cabinets with unadorned windows and open shelving. |
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Give peeling paint a fresh coat of gloss. The front porch of this historic home is kept crisp by the black, white and gray palette as well as the glossy floor. Did you notice the gray slanted ceiling? I looked at this photo about four times before I realized that was not a shadow.
See the rest of this historic home.
See the rest of this historic home.
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Curate your collections. Close your eyes and imagine a big crazy cornucopia full of weird plastic vegetables and dried leaves atop this cabinet. Open your eyes and see how this organized grid cleaned up the look of an autumn leaf display.
More Art Arrangement Advice:
How to Display Family Photos
Easy Decorating: Great Plate Arrangements
Make a Place for Children's Art
More Art Arrangement Advice:
How to Display Family Photos
Easy Decorating: Great Plate Arrangements
Make a Place for Children's Art
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Update your cabinet hardware. Contemporary handles and pulls are small details that keep this country kitchen looking fresh. While we're speaking of country-inspired kitchens, definitely keep that farmhouse sink.
See the rest of this charming home.
See the rest of this charming home.
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| Dress up your outdoor spaces. This beautiful Michigan garden is casual and comfortable, but carefully chosen pieces and a well-thought out furniture layout give it an air of sophistication. It looks to me like it's in an advertisement for some fabulous European rental villa. I'll take it!
See the rest of this Michigan farmhouse retreat. |
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| Pair your farmhouse table with unexpected chairs. Shake things up with a Marais A Chair, a Bertoia Side Chair, or maybe some Eames Shell Chairs with a traditional wood-planked table. |
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Keep upholstery neat and tailored. The rough-hewn and chipped farmhouse coffee table adds country style, but it is balanced out by the tucked-in-and-pressed look of the surrounding sofa and chairs.
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Paint it white, but keep the beadboard. This bathroom is full of new finishes and sharp lines, but the beadboard on the back of the shelves and the planks on the walls retain the original country flavor.
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Rethink your bedscape. This traditional four poster looks relaxing and inviting with very simple bedding. There's no need to overdose on throw pillows and patterns.
By the way, I am not saying you need to get rid of traditional quilts by any means. They are works of art and should be displayed as such; if you are using one on your bed, let it be the star of the room and have all of your other accents and furnishings bow down to it.
By the way, I am not saying you need to get rid of traditional quilts by any means. They are works of art and should be displayed as such; if you are using one on your bed, let it be the star of the room and have all of your other accents and furnishings bow down to it.
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| Let your architect know you are a country girl/boy. Vernacular buildings serve as constant inspiration to new construction. This modern farmhouse is a wonderful example of this.
Now go enjoy a bit of John Denver, because that first sentence probably made this song go through your head. Give into it. |
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Play with traditional objects. If you look closely at this railing, you see the spindle shapes are voids created by flat spindle silhouettes (which are now the spindles themselves — whoa!).
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by Amoroso Design
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| Swipe a bright hue for a neutral one. In the 1980s, this kitchen would have had bright yellow everywhere you see tan, and some gingham thrown in here and there. All it really takes to update some country rooms and add sophistication is a bit of editing, a new coat of paint and perhaps trading out one of the bright colors in the palette for a more subdued neutral. |
by peterfasano.com
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I wanted to sum up by saying that I am not knocking ANY sort of country style, tea cozies and all. I am just providing some inspiration for those who are interested in freshening up and editing a bit. In fact, this Coop wallpaper is one of my new favorites. I love a good luck rooster in the kitchen as well. Cheers to all kinds of country style!
More:
Modernizing Cottage Style
Houzz Tour: Mobile Modern Farmhouse
More:
Modernizing Cottage Style
Houzz Tour: Mobile Modern Farmhouse
Ideabook updated on June 12, 2011.
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With a name like that they sound pretty scary. Can anyone enlighten me?
Oddly enough though, I do love cows. Would love a life sized sculpture of one right here in my 70's modern house. Probably absolute proof that I should get therapy.
Tchotchke -- It's Yiddish for knick-knack or trinket. Some of the very best words are Yiddish!