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Simplicity of Country Decor!


Country decor invites a casual friendly lifestyle. Here are a few decorating ideas which will inspire you to create a fresh, new country look in your home. A well planned home can turn routine living into creative living and enjoyment.

Imagine an empty room and begin with a focal point. Pick your favorite thing to start with and go from there. Arrange furniture and accessories that compliment your sense of style and show the country spirit.

Plan your ideas by deciding on the interior colors you will use for walls, wood-work, carpets, curtains, furniture coverings, lamp shades, and sofa pillows. Many paint stores have paint test sheets with coordinating colors to make picking your focal and accent colors easier. Of course it's always fun to use your own imagination too.

Ask yourself why some rooms invite you to linger and others don't! You will pick up decorating ideas and hints to use in making your country decor home comfortable.

The interior of a room should have an effect of simplicity and restfulness. In creating a country look, have only the pieces of furniture you need in a room and not too many colors. It's best to keep all of your colors bright or all subdued.

Use furniture in its natural tones, such as pine or oak. Although the current trend shows country furniture painted in dark greens, blues and reds, the choice is all yours.

Ideas for your floors consist of natural wood, flagstone or tile flooring. In addition braided or hook rugs will add warmth to the room. You can choose these in styles and colors that will accent what you already have in place. Or if you have a favorite rug, start with that as your focal point.

For windows, consider shutters, shades or wood blinds. These can be accented with cafe curtains or valances that are a floral or checked pattern. There are many styles of country decor curtains to choose from. What could bring images of the country more than various sizes of gingham check. Gingham always brings to mind country decor to me.

There are many ideas you can use and some of them are as close as your back yard. Displays on shelves or tables, in wooden bowls, galvanized pots, or baskets, with items such as decorative gourds, pinecones, evergreen, moss, twigs, plants, and flowers all add country accent. Silk flowers work well for year round touches. Many craft stores have a wide variety of silk greenery including ivys and mosses available. I planted my own curly willow trees, these are the tree braches used in crafting, so I could cut the branches for displays, etc. Of course, the trees are also beautiful in the yard.

The main advantages to Country decorating is simplicity! Good lines or shapes with your accent peices, attractive colors which harmonize, always comfortable chairs and sofas, and of course an open fire. Add in plenty of books, pictures that are appropriate for the room, sunlight when possible and plenty of good reading light by night and it's country magic.

These are points which make the kind of beauty you desire in your country home. You might also want to look at rustic touches to create that country decor homey feeling!



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Custom wood signs, vinyl wall lettering, vinyl wall sayings, wall letters creations, wood letters for the wall. Find all this and more at Signs & Wonders Decor.com


The Magic of Primitive
Country Decor

There are a number of images that go through a person's mind when they are surrounded by primitive country decor. They see a crackling campfire, radiating its warmth to the people huddled around it, telling stories. They see the grandmother sitting in a rocking chair with words of wisdom mixed with hugs and kisses. They see the clear night sky, the tall spring grass, and the vibrant colors of the leaves in autumn all at once. How is it, then, that primitive country decor can evoke all of these images?

Well, in truth, it is due in part to cultural background. A person thinks of these things when they look at examples of primitive country decor at least partly because they have been trained by cultural references to associate these things. But there is much more than just their past experiences at work. Another aspect of the primitive country style that helps to evoke theme images is, well, the visual style itself. Primitive decor is essentially a style filled with things that look simple, old, and natural. The images of a campfire come from the raw wooden features that many primitive pieces have. The thoughts of their grandmother come from the antiqued look of the objects, and the warm images that the style uses.

The thoughts of nature are evoked by the fact that primitive country decor usually uses not only a great deal of natural materials, such as woods and so on, but also because the color schemes are often very reminiscent of the colors you find all around you in nature. Deep greens carry the image of the spring grass, while faded reds and yellows bring thoughts of the leaves of autumn. All of this imagery works together to give the style its appeal, certainly, but it goes even further than that.

There is an unexplainable quality to primitive country decor. It is all but impossible to be surrounded by it and not feel warm and safe. The qualities of primitive decor simply have a universal appeal. Often, the style uses very soft, gentle features, such as dolls and stuffed animals, making them even softer by giving them an aged look, and then it contrasts that softness with the rougher textures of raw wood. It may seem like a bizarre idea at first glance, but somewhere between the soft fabric of a stuffed rabbit and the rough bark of the raw wood furniture, there is magic.

Primitive country decor is really a very loose style at its core. You can usually bring together a perfectly good roomful of decor items by walking through a flea market and perhaps an art fair or two. There is no strict line in the sand that says where primitive country decor begins and ends, but it is always easy to recognize. Simply look for things that show a sense of warmth, an antique essence, and a showcase of nature's beauty in its raw forms. The greatest aspect of the style is that as soon as you come across the right mix of elements, you will instantly know it. Just look for thought of campfires and rocking chairs.

Copyright (c) Kayla Berringer, 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://www.articlecircle.com/ - Free Articles Directory

About the Author Are you looking to lend your home a rustic touch? Then drop by Rustic Adornments where we offer a wide variety of free rustic decor tips and advice. http://www.rusticadornments.com


A Technique called Graining

Graining is the practice of imitating wood grain on a non-wood surface in order to increase a surface's appeal. Graining was common in the 19th century, as people were keen on imitating hard, expensive woods by applying a superficial layer of paint onto soft, inexpensive woods. Graining can be accomplished using either rudimentary tools or highly specialized graining tools. A specialized thick brush used for graining is often called a mottler. It is carried out in layers, with the first layer being a base, and then a second layer applied later, today usually by means of a sponge. During the 19th century, however, brushes were more commonly used. Graining can also be applied on bricks and brass, as is more common today. Graining can also mean the production of any artificial texture on any surface.

Just a little interesting tidbit about techniques used in home decor!



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