If you’ve hit the newsstands or dawdled online lately, you’ve probably noticed that country remains one of the most popular decorating styles here in the States. The relaxed, unpretentious vibe resonates with many folks in a way that high-end modern or minimalist designs never could, and the textiles of choice for country decorating—cotton, linen, and sometimes fleece—wear beautifully over time. Even better, it’s often easy to mix country pieces with their sleeker, citified cousins, for a fresh take that has all the ease of country style with a tailored, upscale look.
Today we’re breaking down three ways to style a country bedroom using this wonderfully tactile, substantial linen duvet cover and shams as our starting point.
This look is classic country, from the log-paneled walls to the bare wood floors and the rustic wood headboard. In order not to compete with the patina-green paint on the headboard, we went with layered neutrals—the duvet cover and shams in a coffee-hued plaid, and a drapey cotton matelassé coverlet. We added tailored elements—the linen bed skirt and the crisp cotton hemstitch sheets—to keep the look from feeling too cabin-in-the-woods. And what’s more country than farmyard friends? These adorable animal pillows prove that decorating doesn’t have to be serious business, and it is possible to bring your cow, goat, or pig in the house without making a mess.
Get the look:
Farmhouse Linen Java Duvet Cover and Shams
Kerala Java Matelassé Coverlet
Classic Hemstitch Platinum Sheet Set
If you’ve ever wondered how to incorporate country elements in a modern space, this is the primer you’ve been waiting for. We took the same duvet cover—this time in brick—and paired it with a textured cotton quilt in a sandy hue. For contrast, we added hemstitch sheets and a fringed throw in a creamy ivory. To take it in a more modern direction, we went graphic with the throw pillows, in a red and camel stripe and a zigzag pattern. Geometric shapes are again echoed in the jute rug with a raised red pattern of interlocking diamonds. Midcentury modern furniture—the platform bed and night table with angled, tapered legs—and the stacked-cubes lamp make the design sleek, which is, in turn, cozied up with the wood-cut wall art and the terrarium of mossy plants.
Get the look:
Farmhouse Linen Crimson Duvet Cover and Shams
Classic Hemstitch Ivory Sheet Set
Cambridge Red Decorative Pillow
This bedroom design is all about cozy layering, and country elements that take on an upscale look and feel when approached with a modern eye. Raised-panel walls painted bright white and whitewashed floors offer a clean backdrop . . . but also need a bit of warming up. So we added a nubby jute area rug in a zigzag weave and a rustic wood heaboard. Then we got down to business with the bedding. The same red-and-neutral plaid duvet gets a color boost from a rich crimson matelassé coverlet and shams, and a red-and-camel zigzag decorative pillow. The gathered linen bed skirt is a decidedly more feminine touch, but could easily be swapped out with a tailored skirt. The soft weave of the throw—a grandpa-style cable knit—adds an extra bit of texture and pattern.
Because the walls are so light, we opted for walnut tones in the furniture. On the bed, we went in the opposite direction, lightening up the neutral shades with snowy white sheets. The contrast of pale and dark is another nod to modern decorating, and keeps the bedding from skewing too country. It also helps the room feel fresh and welcoming—perfect for holiday decorating and beyond.
Get the look:
Farmhouse Linen Crimson Duvet Cover and Shams
Interlaken Brick Matelassé Coverlet and Shams
Classic Hemstitch White Sheet Set
1 comment
I am most interested in rustic/country rugs