When it comes to country living, I favour a lighthearted and laid-back approach defined by casually elegant materials that emphasize comfort and carefree living. On an idyllic property, where both privacy and natural beauty were abundant in equal measures, a petite century-old stone cottage was enhanced with an open-concept great-room addition to welcome grown children and grandchildren to a weekend home with easy, breezy style.
You won’t want to spend every waking moment dusting knick-knacks and picking up after guests (which you will undoubtedly have once you make the move to a country lifestyle), so avoid the clutter and streamline your space to have as few useful pieces as possible. Take a less-is-more approach and outfit your living area with the minimum number of generously scaled pieces of furniture to service your needs. Instead of cramming too many upholstered pieces into a seating grouping, go for deep and comfy sofas and chairs that encourage lounging, then tuck a couple of extra chairs into empty corners and they’ll be ready to draw into the room whenever a crowd comes calling, yet you won’t find yourself tripping over them daily.
Since country life revolves around a seamless transition between indoors and out, you can relax the rules and bring exterior references indoors. A large-scale iron lantern illuminates the main living area in a spare and unadorned style while allowing the intricate rusted French iron chandelier to take centre stage in the adjacent dining area. Even in a single room you can define the areas and give them individual personality.
To minimize the use of drywall while adding texture and country-appropriate materials, consider applying beadboard or V-groove panelling to your vaulted ceilings. If you’re planning on using a solid painted finish, save the time (and expense) of painstakingly installing the boards one at a time and use MDF-sheet wood panelling, sold in large-format sizes like drywall. To reference the cottage-style aesthetic, the panelling here is intersected with decorative beams that add another layer of texture and interest to the cathedral ceiling.
Instead of glitz and glam, country style works best with unadorned, natural elements. A woven table runner adds a touch of softness to the table, a row of chunky glass candlesticks in varying heights will add a warm glow in the evening hours, and fresh-from-the-farm produce adds a decorative accent that epitomizes the field-to-table lifestyle.
Unexpected guests and cramped quarters at mealtimes are part of the joy of family gatherings. To ensure you’ve always got room for one more at the table, consider a mix-n-match approach to your seating plan. Reproduction, painted wooden chairs offer individual seats on one side, while an antique church bench provides a spot to squeeze in little ones (or those who like to get cozy). The misty-grey blue on the chairs references the palette of the living room accents, and the aged pine reinforces the honey-toned warmth of the floors and tabletop.
In a space composed of simple textiles and unadorned finishes, there’s still plenty of room for texture and pattern. Rely on useful accessories, such as soft and cozy throws, to layer in a bit of pretty pattern and indulge your appetite for luxury. Diving under a woven throw while sitting fireside after a long country walk is one of life’s simple pleasures.
If you are lucky enough to spend time in the country, you’ll likely want to maximize your views to outside, so you always feel connected to the landscape. Instead of closing off rooms with solid wood doors, consider keeping the vistas in view by installing sliding pocket doors with glazed panels. On a brisk day they can be kept closed while allowing the light to stream in, and they disappear when not in use.
