Craft Your Way To A Countryside Inspired Home
With more and more of us moving to cities it can be hard to inject some charm into our homes, but there is hope for those looking to simulate the feel and look of a countryside house.
You might not be able to afford a thatched roof and acres of land for yourself, but that doesn’t mean with a few tricks and some clever crafting you can’t bring the country to you. The basic ideas behind this aesthetic is having a home that feels rustic but cosy that takes inspiration from nature. It might seem complicated, but achieving this is simpler than you think.
Bringing The Great Outdoors To Your Garden
The obvious place to start with a conversion like this is the outside of your house, and you have a variety of options. The front of your house is the perfect place to plant thick beds of wild flowers for a garden lifted straight from the country. Alternatively, a combination of short, tight hedges and a gravel drive will set you apart from you more metropolitan neighbors.
If you really want to leave the city behind, then consider some climbing plants to paint your house with the colors of nature, with the Guardian making some superb suggestions. Along with this, plants in large ornate pots really give you a countryside house feel; you can put a unique and rustic twist on this and plant some flowers in old wellington boots and other miscellany – if it can hold soil and water plants will grow in it. Don’t forget to let the rest of nature in with a simple bird feeder or bird bath, which can make the most urban of gardens into a place of tranquility.
Rustic Living
Even if the inside of your house hasn’t got the luxury of roof beams or low ceilings you can still bring the country inside. For those looking for a big project to sink their teeth into why not make furniture from old railway sleepers? It’s the perfect shabby chic material, letting you create big, seemingly aged pieces such as tables and shelves. Even if you’re not the greatest craftsman, bringing in wood furniture is a quick way to achieve the countryside feeling.
There is a way of making that wood furniture even better: if it’s looking a bit too fresh then why not artificially age it to make it look as though it’s been used for decades? It’s simpler than it sounds – all you need is some sandpaper, paint, primer and some time. The same basic principles can even be applied to metal furniture, ensuring all areas of your house take on the country look.
One key feature that will give your home a lot of character is the fireplace (if it has one). It might be tempting to tear it out or to cover it up, with a little work you can make it a centerpiece for your living room. Even if it isn’t wooden or aged, there’s still an array of uses for it, even if it’s a place for uniquely-potted greenery.
Don’t forget to decorate the place with some outdoors-inspired accessories – a row of planted herbs on your kitchen window brings some color and flavor to proceedings, and antiques like old tools, barrels and stag’s heads can be converted into functional fixtures like coat hangers and shelves. Curios like this and more can be found for sale on eBay.
Country Home Flooring
One characteristic that many forget about country houses is their flooring: many forgo carpet in favor of more practical materials, such as tiles or wooden flooring. While you may not have shoes as muddy as a farmer’s, or enjoy carpet too much, some tactical flooring selections can help you give your home a cosy farmhouse feel.
Laminate wood flooring may be popular, but tile flooring has a better country style to it. Darker tiles like slate will look great alongside wooden fittings in a kitchen as well as giving your floors a distinct texture. For those wanting wood flooring in their homes then, again, darker woods are ideal, as well as products that have the feeling of having separate planks.
Waking Up In The Country
You’ll be surprised how rustic you can make your bedroom feel with a few choice pieces of furniture. The wardrobe is ideal for crafting into something straight out of the country; why not convert or build one that features a shed-styled wooden door? Lighting can set the atmosphere with an aged simple-styled chandelier hanging low from the ceiling. As for the bed it may seem counterintuitive, but a Victorian-style metal bed frame can have a better effect then something wooden. Finding one of these will put the icing on the cake, letting you wake up in a countryside inspired home every day.
