The country decor style has a variety of facets. From the modern take on farmhouse décor that we see in the Modern Country style to the tried and true elements of the Classic Country style, settling on one style can prove to be difficult, but fear not! IF you love country décor but want to hone in on a specific style of country decorating, Piper Classics is here to help. Their farmhouse décor experts explain the features of each country style so that you can find out which one is right for you.

Modern Country

You like country decor but you’re not wholly committed to it as your home style – you live in a modern world after all!If you find yourself drawn to country decor but also want your home to have an updated, contemporary flair, Modern Country combines the best of both worlds by pairing traditional country elements into a modern style. By combining rustic and contemporary elements, you create a look that is both comfortable, sophisticated, updated, and welcoming. Modern Country retains all the comforts of country decor while allowing you freedom to embrace other current decorating trends.

Achieve the Modern Country Style in your home by sticking with soft neutrals, like shades of grey or taupe, on walls and furniture. Combine natural wood and metal finishes and make use of the occasional pop of color or geometric pattern to keep your space interesting and updated. The key to creating a Modern Country home is to carefully balance aspects of both styles. Mix country elements like weathered mirrors or farmhouse tables and mix in modern or eclectic items like industrial metal chairs, colorful pillows, or a coffee table with simple lines.

Early American

You love the authentic feel of a 17th or 18th century colonial dwelling where furniture and household items were handmade by skilled craftsmen who made each piece to order. Your style focuses on historic antiques and primitive reproductions – it seeks to recreate the style of homes in the earliest time periods of American history. Think rooms with wide plank floors, rough wooden beams, pencil post beds, tiger maple and cherry furniture, collections of pewter or red-ware, and coverlet fabrics draped over beds and tabletops.

Achieve the Early AmericanStyle with utilitarian pieces that feature straight lines and little ornamentation. Elements like historic woven fabrics, hooked rugs and pillows, wall cupboards, large crocks, wall sconces, pewter candlesticks, and wrought iron or tin accents are common in this style. The Early American color palette includes cranberry reds, navy or indigo, mustard yellows, and black, historic colors that represent the natural dyes and pigments available at the time.

Farmhouse

If you love the unpretentiousbut stylish and put an emphasis on useful and aesthetically pleasing items, the Farmhouse Style is for you! This decorating style reflects a way of life that is intimately connected to the land and is representative of a lifestyle where necessity demanded that items be repurposed and reused, often by generations of farm families.

Achieve the FarmhouseStyle with a neutral color palette of clean, soothing whites or taupe and grey tones. Mix and match weathered or painted furniture, apron front sinks, open shelves, and farmhouse tables. Complete the look with grain sack, linen, or ticking stripe fabrics, farm and industrial accents, galvanized tin items, vintage signs, chalk paint, white ironstone, and mason jars.

Vintage

The Vintage Style is charming and fun, embracing a variety of sub-styles like rustic romance, vintage industrial, and country chic. This style is all about mixing design elements and adding a touch of the unexpected.Vintage decorating is all about combining new, found, and reclaimed treasures in a way that expresses your personality in a fun, light-hearted way.

Achieve the Vintage Stylewith a mix of vintage and antique items with aged or distressed furniture. Start with simple white walls, vintage wall-paper, or a soft color palette. Add weathered or painted furniture, a leather chair, or a metal table. Bring in some touches of color with patterned pillows, vinyl floor cloths, curtains, and table linens. Get creative when it comes to accessorizing in the Vintage Style. Whether it’s a vintage-style scale clock, vintage prints, a collection of bottles, doilies and lace, mercury glass candlesticks, or vintage glassware, accessorizing with vintage elements is all about using what appeals to your interests.

Country Primitive

The Country Primitive Style is modest and uncomplicated, but always warm and welcoming.A country primitive home focuses on necessities with an earthy, hand-made appearance. This look has its roots in a time period of early American history where people had to “make-do” with what they had on hand, which were often less sophisticated objects – the emphasis was on practicality rather than artistic form.

Achieve the Country PrimitiveStyleby incorporating anything that has been heavily distressed or aged, as well as reproduction items that reflect this primitive time period. Think punched tin lanterns, twig wreaths, treenware, wooden bowls and boxes, quilts, and collections of redware or salt-glazed pottery. Colors like black, cranberry red, golden mustard and other earth-tones are a natural complement to this style. Wood finishes are generally weathered, medium to dark stains, or painted black, red or mustard. Metal finishes are rusty, black, or dark aged. This style uses simple fabrics in homespun checks, plaids or burlap.

Classic Country

Classic Country Décor encompasses a range of sub-styles, so you may lean towards American Country, French Country, or Rustic Country, but the overall feeling is relaxed, lived-in, and comfortable. This style is easy to live with, features natural wood finishes, and an eclectic mix of antique and reproduction furniture.

Achieve the Country Style by incorporating antiques, wooden floors, braided rugs, and fabrics featuring plaids and checks into your home design. Objects that offer a sense of ancestry or a connection to family have inherent value & beauty and are central to your decor. Although country homes may use colors in a bright or vibrant spectrum, most country decor leans toward toned-down colors in muted shades of mustard, barn red, mossy green and navy – accented with black, brown, and cream.

Fill your home with the country style that best matches your personality! Still not sure which style is right for you? Take Piper Classics’ Country Style Quiz.