Country Decorating Ideas

by Mary Wynn Ryan

European Accents

©Ballard Designs There's always space for a distinctive occasional chair like this one. Graceful lines are soothing, and elegant rosette medallions add panache.

English, French, Pennsylvania Dutch (German), and Swedish fresh country styles are some of the most perennially appealing looks in America. That's no surprise; many of the earliest settlers came from these lands.

Even if your ancestors hearken from elsewhere, you can adopt these popular looks and, even fresher, adapt them to your family's culture and your own personal taste. European country is relaxed, so mix and match to your heart's content.

©Ballard Designs Boldly colored in jewel tones or quietly tinted in soft shades, nothing grounds a refined European-style room like a traditionally styled area rug. Tthis one is hand-knotted in pure wool.

Try a palette of celadon green, antique-white, and berry for an English garden look or a trio of gallant red, yellow, and blue for a French country feeling.

©Ballard Designs This little stool has a French toile cushion cover in pure wool needlepoint with nailhead trim and hand-turned legs with carved rosettes in genuine cherry wood with a walnut finish.

Blue and white china is common to all these styles; toile, once French, works everywhere and so do pretty chairs and traditional needlepoint. Mix florals plus stripes or plaids for a look that's irrepressibly romantic.

Hungry for more fresh country style ideas? In the next section, we'll show you how to use vintage accents to create a style that evokes memories of times gone by.

For more decorating ideas, see: