Country House Decor - How to Creat That Ambiance

There are "touches" that make a country house special - some large investments, like pieces of furniture or rugs, and others, smaller items - that will add interest and ambiance to your home.  It takes a long time to create a house or a home, but here are some ideas that you can use to make your "country house" special and unique.

1) Antique Accessories
My house is filled with odds and ends I have picked up over the years, mostly in the US, some in the UK, from antique stores, mostly "horsey" or "fox hunt."  You have to keep an eye out for an old tray, a figurine, even an old photo that will add to the ambiance of a country house. You can find stuff on Ebay, on 1stDibbs and better yet, Etsy if you peruse the sites regularly. Like this old wooden tray from a hunt club or this lamp from 1stdibbs.

2) New Accessories

It's not difficult to find new odds and ends that can add a lot to your home.  This cache pot I happen to own and it's in my kitchen.  Great sources are Horse & Hound on the Internet and Horse Country in Warrenton, Virginia.  The mirror below, I have in my master bathroom, one over each sink. I have the towel bars too.

3) Art

I have learned to appreciate art as I have gotten older and some of my very best purchases (the things I enjoy the most in my home) are original paintings I have bought, mostly in Canada.  But you can add art easily to your home, picking up pieces at yard sales, antique malls and antique shows.  Keep an eye out for inexpensive nice wooden frames and reframe a nice picture so it looks better. An easy fix that does not cost much. 

4) Books

I know books are dying a slow death. It's one of the saddest parts of our culture - that no one reads anymore and no one appreciates books.  I love books and I keep them, reread them, and treasure them.  Books add interest to your house, whether they are old books or newer books. Go to someone's house and the books they have (or don't have) will tell you a lot!  But books add a lot to the house.

4) Rugs

Hardwood floors are a must in the country as are rugs that won't show dirt.  Coming in and out of the yard and barn and into the house makes for dirty floors all of the time. You have to be able to hide that or you'll be cleaning 24 x 7.  I am not a fan of oriental rugs although they are very practical.  You can pay whatever you feel like for these rugs too so you can go cheap or very expensive.  I also like cotton rugs that I can throw in the washing machine. I won't buy a rug that I can't clean.

5) Antiques

Antiques have come down in price so much over the past ten years. You can buy some amazing furniture these days for a fraction of what you once paid.  While I realize that the younger generation has no interest in fine furniture, some of us still do. You cannot replicate a good piece of furniture today at Ikea or Pottery Barn.  No comparison!

Mix and match old and new, brown and painted to make a "lived in" look.  What I can't stand is matched furniture or a setting that looks like you pulled it out of a furniture showroom. A country house should look lived in.

6) Needlepoint

Add a needlepoint pillow (or two, or three) or better yet, a rug. You can buy old needlepoint at antique stores or you can stitch your own.  I love this new pattern. It looks like it's old but it's not!

Happy decorating!