Last Updated on September 19, 2019 by Kimberly Crawford
When we imagine a getaway to somewhere cozy, we often picture a large country home. These large estates are the best places to book a winter vacation, curl up beside the fire and spend the winter days hiding in the warm.
Achieving this aesthetic is perfectly doable in your own home. With some style tweaks and some practical adjustments, you can create a home that feels as if it belongs among the rolling countryside.
Frame your fireplace
Country homes often have broad, elaborate fire places. There’s nothing quite like spending time reading a book in front of a crackling fire. The best way to make your own fire place feel like one that’s in a country is to frame it accordingly.
Placing a large log basket next to it and hanging copper utensils either next to it or above it will give it an old-fashioned, rustic feel.
Invest in radiators that work
To get that catalogue-cosy feel, you will want to ensure that your home doesn’t feel drafty. While the reality might be that actual country homes are quite poorly insulated, you don’t want your recreation to be too true to the real deal.
Instead, keep your home feeling warm and reassuring with a central heating system that works. Companies such as warmrooms.co.uk use aluminium in their radiators, to ensure that they need less water to be effective. Picking colors and textures to suit your country aesthetic will help pull each room together.
Don’t be afraid of modern touches
Just because you want your home to feel like a rural escape doesn’t mean it has to be truly authentic to an old-fashioned farm house or a period home. Instead, marrying modern elements with old-fashioned features can make your country-style home feel even more rustic. Pairing old floorboards and wooden furniture with modern-print rugs and linens can create a look that feels lived in but fresh.
To that end, you might also want to experiment with different types of fabrics. Layering multiple types of linen and fabric with different types of pattern and texture has the effect of being welcom-ing and snuggly – simply by contrasting different textiles.
The same approach applies for your kitchen; contrast different objects and textures, but also keep it modern when it needs to be. Country kitchens feel so authentic because they host vintage knick-knacks and traditional cookware with contemporary, up-to-date appliances.
It’s the modern features that keep the home feeling comfortable in the sense of it being useful and efficient. While older items can be charming and quaint, when it comes to practicality it’s best to ensure your machinery and electrical items comply with 21st century standards.
Country homes are perhaps so comfortable and cozy because of their period features and their tendency to use a combination of textures and materials in their furnishings. Creating your own country home look in your own house is easily achieved. By finding contemporary household items and pairing them with vintage ornaments and fabrics, you can create a look that is straight out of a nostalgic postcard.