Country Decor and You

You may be wondering, “Can I Decorate My House in True Country Style?”

That’s nearly as silly as asking yourself “Am I creative?” as far as I’m concerned.

Of course you are! We all are! And when it comes to our own living quarters, all that counts is that ‘we’ like the colors, the accessories, the art prints, etc. What matters is not is it creative enough to be seen in a magazine?

Decorating creativity can be very subtle and you should never feel as though your ideas and designs won’t quite ‘cut’ it. Designers have been at the business of decorating for years and not everyone can afford one for any room in their house, much less an entire house and garden! Your own eye for country decor will grow over time as your tastes in home design changes.

Although creativity is an important quality to have when considering interior design as a hobby or a profession, most of it is dependent on originality - not on matching a room to a page in a magazine. You’ll be happiest with your own rooms (as will your clients or friends whose houses you decorate) when you offer a look that nobody else has.

A Few Tips to Finding Your Own Country Decor Muse

Begin by looking at what you have available and turning those items into something new - a conversation piece perhaps or a work of art. Here are some tips:

Through a color change. Color and creativity helps you to set one color against another. Sometimes all this takes is new color on an accent piece, new pillows coverings, just one wall painted to contrast existing walls. Color can also be moved throughout the house.

Speaking of accents… Adding new accents to a room can change the room’s mood. Art prints, decorative collections, or flower vases of varying sizes are just a few examples.

Changing With the Times in Country Home Decor

As with everything in life, decor trends are constantly changing. Whether you’re decorating your own home, or friends’ and familys’ homes, or if you have decorating clients - you’ll find that a finished room seldom stays that way for long.

Changing with the times, being aware of trends in home decor, and staying versatile (such as making a primitive decor room into a farmhouse decor room) are definite musts. And, since decorators are expected to be ahead of the pack when it comes to the newest trends, your ability to alter your current design ideas will be critical to your success.

Think of it this way…most home-owners will hire decorators to keep them ahead of the trends in home decor, but that’s not the only reason versatility is a necessity when designing other people’s rooms. You’ll often be called upon to introduce colors or styles into a room that go against your personal tastes and sometimes you’ll be pleasantly surprised how it all worked out in the end - but if you stuck to your guns you’d not only lose a client or a friend you’d also miss out on discovering a new decorating idea.