The city is a fast paced place to perch; the contrast to the countryside clear and concise. The differences are stark. You don’t even greet your friends in London streets as you pass, but when rural, strangers become soulmates over small chat. Urban boozing is all barging shoulders and elbowing for room, but the country pub is a place of respite and calm. Then there’s the air; oh, the air. The capital’s stays on your skin and in your lungs for longer than is alright. How we long for the fresh stuff.
While you may not be able to simply up sticks the moment you crave the joys of the countryside, you can still bring the pastures new to you, by giving your house a rural makeover in a few simple steps. So, here are 5 IDEAL decor ideas for a country chic look.
Carefully Cobbled Together
There’s mix and match, and then there’s mixed and matched with care. While pulling together anything from the charity shop that carries a single digit price tag may serendipitously result in a style in synergy, frankly, it’s a long shot. Having a loosely knit style in mind – such as matching lines, features or motifs – can offer a guideline for your thrifty foraging. Deliberately rustic is great, but a little focus keeps things looking carefully cobbled together.
Consider introducing a ‘through line’ in your eclectic collection—perhaps brass hardware throughout, or a consistent colour palette that ties disparate pieces together. The charm of country homes lies in their storied furnishings; each piece seemingly with its own heritage. Hunt charity shops and car boot sales for wooden side tables with character, mismatched dining chairs that share a similar silhouette, or vintage frames that can be repurposed. Remember, authenticity is paramount—genuine patina trumps manufactured distressing every time.
Texture
What sets houses with designs on being rural apart from their urban cousins is the deployment of texture. Carpets rule the roost in country chic homes, bringing a comfort and colour that one associates with being away from the hectic city. Throws and extra cushions can enliven dull sofas, and outlandishly textured bedspreads feel right at home in the rural. If you want to, too, then add multiple competing and contrasting textures.
Beyond carpets and throws, consider introducing natural materials like rattan, jute, and unfinished wood to create a tactile paradise. Layer textures vertically as well as horizontally – rough-hewn wooden shelves against smooth plaster walls, or heavy linen curtains framing windows with delicate roman blinds. In the bathroom, woven baskets and wooden bath mats introduce warmth and tactility where typically there’s only cold tile. A sheepskin draped over a bedroom chair creates an inviting nook for morning tea that feels quintessentially pastoral.
Wooden Light & Shade
Light and shade is a stylistic guideline that can be applied to most interior design, but we’d like to double down on this perennial favourite when discussing country chic.
More precisely, we’re talking wood. If you’re fortunate enough to have beams, then darken or lighten them with a little varnish to contrast with the surrounding hues. A thick and sturdy kitchen table as a centrepiece for all the home’s comings and goings should also fit this theme – light against darker background shades or vice versa.
Items which are sturdy and satisfying to touch make a worthy focal point for any farmhouse kitchen. We’re thinking a place to eat, drink and socialise here, and we think you’re picturing the same thing, too. You know the type – long, rectangular and wooden, with enough room to accommodate seating a large family; just perfect.
Embrace the natural imperfections in wood for a truly rustic aesthetic. Consider salvaged timber for shelving or mantlepieces, complete with knots, cracks and patina. The kitchen table needn’t be perfectly symmetrical – a live-edge dining table tells a story that mass-produced furniture simply cannot. For a contemporary twist on country chic, mix wooden elements of different epochs – Victorian spindle-back chairs alongside a mid-century sideboard creates delightful tension. If you’re fortunate enough to have original floorboards, consider having them sanded back and finished with a matte oil rather than high-gloss varnish for an authentic farmhouse feel.
Read: 5 essential elements of a farmhouse kitchen
Exposed Brick
There’s something inherently honest about exposed brickwork that resonates deeply with country aesthetics. If you’re fortunate enough to have original brick walls, consider carefully removing the plaster to reveal the characterful masonry beneath. For those without this luxury, brick slips offer a brilliant alternative. These thin sections of real brick can be applied to ordinary walls, creating the illusion of solid brickwork without structural implications.
When working with brick slips, opt for reclaimed options where possible—the weathered patina and varied colouration of aged bricks brings authentic character impossible to replicate in new materials. Consider whitewashing rather than leaving them raw; this softens the industrial edge whilst maintaining textural interest. A limewash treatment allows the natural variations in the brick to show through, creating a depth that flat paint simply cannot achieve.
For a thoroughly modern take on country living, contrast exposed brick with contemporary elements—a sleek kitchen against a brick wall creates delightful tension between old and new. Remember that less is often more; a single feature wall of exposed brick can have more impact than covering every available surface.
Agricultural Abundance
The quintessential country home blurs the boundary between indoors and garden. Embrace this with generous displays of both fresh and dried botanicals throughout your home. Dried lavender bunches and onions hanging from kitchen beams and loosely arranged wildflowers in stoneware jugs all evoke rural charm without trying too hard.
Consider creating a dedicated indoor herb garden on a sunny kitchen windowsill- not only practical for cooking but infusing the space with glorious scent and life. Traditional orangeries and conservatories were designed to bring plants inside year-round; channel this heritage by grouping potted plants in unexpected corners.
For the ultimate country flourish, forage seasonally – bringing in branches of spring blossom, summer meadow flowers, autumn leaves, and winter berries. These ephemeral displays connect your home to the natural rhythms outside in a way artificial decorations never could. Vintage botanical prints and pressed flowers in frames extend the theme to your walls, whilst floral fabrics (used judiciously) can add warmth without veering into chintzy territory.
A Warm Statement Piece
Whilst we’re on the subject of centrepieces, the heating and cooking in your house should not be viewed purely from a functional perspective. While certainly an investment – both in money and prime kitchen real estate – an aga brings a real sense of the rural living. It also provides heat; a triple win, then.
Heat and a statement piece also marry together happily in the form of wood burning stoves; a wonderful focal point for those craving the countryside. Having a nicely appointed pile of firewood in the living room can really hammer the point home. Just remember to have a carbon monoxide detector installed.
Beyond the Aga and wood-burning stove, consider how other heating elements might become focal points. A striking radiator in cast iron or brass can add period charm whilst keeping you toasty. Traditional heated towel rails in bathrooms bring both function and flair. For those without the space or budget for an Aga, a vintage bread bin or ceramic canisters in heritage colours can evoke country kitchen charm. Don’t overlook the power of a traditional Welsh dresser – not only practical for displaying your favourite crockery but a magnificent statement piece that instantly transports one to rural living.
The Force Of Floor
Flooring in country houses is a very different beast to the functional, wipe clean variety so often found in the homes of Britain’s bigger cities. Channel your inner bohemian with a patterned tile, juxtaposed with a simple, blonde wood in an adjacent room. Consider concrete to harden up those soft edges; a proud, cool material for a floor which works best when softened up by the room’s other country style furnishings like kitchen rugs.
Consider reclaimed terracotta tiles for an instantly aged, authentic feel underfoot. In bedrooms, painted floorboards with a few strategically placed rugs offer a perfect balance of practicality and comfort. For those seeking authentic character, encaustic tiles in hallways and bathrooms provide a heritage feel that improves with age and wear. Remember that in country homes, floors needn’t match throughout—different rooms can showcase different materials, creating natural transitions between spaces. In utility spaces, traditional quarry tiles in deep red or forest green offer both durability and timeless appeal. Whatever you go for, view the floor as a canvas, not merely something to step on.
And with that, we’re stepping on, too. We can’t wait to be invited round to see what you’ve done with the place!
