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Fundamentals of English Country Style

07/04/2010 14:46

Dried flowers and long-lasting relationships -- these matters are precious to you, bringing you back to the home of your youth warmed by the love of your parents and brothers and sisters. Chances are strong that the best style of home design for you is English country; let's look at how you can impart the beauty of the English countryside to your home:

Have a flower garden outside and potted flowers at the doorway. Flowers are an essential component of English country style. But the floral accents must not stop at the threshold. The garden look is brought indoors with hanging wall vases, tree wall art and pitchers and vases stuffed with aromatic blossoms and newly cut flowers.

Inside walls should be papered in lieu of being painted. Yes, wallpaper. And the design will of course be floral. What about the accents? From pictures that portray English horsemanship and the hunt to floral wall art, metal wall decor, and more, this decor style thirsts for accessorizing.

Pick Out the right furniture. English country style necessitates items like lowboys, highboys and secretaries to be placed in a posh and ornate style; sofas and armchairs embellished in leather, velvet and tweed are common. Depending on the budget that you have allotted for decorating, you may want to consider additional details like a Queen Anne or Sheraton dining table, or a posh, overstuffed Chesterfield lounge.

Finely bound leather book overflowing from a solid wood book shelf with brass hardware in the corner is a terrific accent. Brass, not chrome, is chosen for hardware. You will not find high gloss paint in a true English country styled home. Don't be astounded if you find the wood surfaces sporting a finish that comes with years of dusting and shining.

A sense of timelessness is evoked in true English country style. The furnishings and even the house itself impart the feeling that they have been constructed to endure. This feeling falls over in everything from the floral themes to the brass-accented doors.

Select the most appropriate colors. Aside from the smell of leather and wood, and the impression of having trodden into autumn no matter of the time of the year that greets one as he enters, one gets the good feel that he's welcome. Exquisitely upholstered armchairs are placed by the open fireplace, and the combination of floral and an aged homespun look makes you want to sit down and stay awhile.

An essential for English country style is a hearth. Well-used brass fireplace instruments are shown off by the conventional fireplace. One will often find leather bridles, candles and horse brass displayed to complete the atmosphere of English country.

The shaping of English country style has been greatly determined by the British weather. This explains the want to be warm, waterproof, and informal to counter the crisp weather.
The weather demands that the house be warm, waterproof and snug in order to counter the chill. Thus, comfort is the center of English country style.

Use curtains for the windows, never blinds. Draperies are employed, commonly matching the wall paper. Blinds and blank walls are two things that you will be hard-pressed to find in an English country styled home.

Have ornamental pieces in abundance. Have ornamental pieces that seem like they've been passed on from generation to generation. English country homes invariably exude this "cluttered" look. Collectibles, antiques, petit point, brass antiques, metal wall art, and leaded glass are routine. At no point, however, should one be afraid to walk through them, fearing he might knock over the china or the fine porcelain figures on tabletops.