If you don’t quite get certain design styles, or you’d just like to know more, you’re not alone. Most people have to do a little research before they can distinguish one from another, especially when certain styles tend to overlap, such as Country, French Country, and Cottage or English Garden.
Here are some of the fundamental elements included in these popular design styles:
Country
Country style often includes a mix of mint condition antiques beside “distressed” pieces, which in the past were crafted from weathered wood, leftover from things like building barns and outbuildings. Country also includes handmade cotton items such as hand-sewn quilts, blankets and curtains, made from leftover scraps of fabric. Country decor is based on a time when home furnishings and accessories were a matter of necessity and availability rather than taste. Today, gorgeous quilts, furnishings, and accessories are styled to mimic the rougher homemade items of the past, although older pieces may also be included. The color schemes were derived from available items, such as whitewash thinned down to a barely there consistency, and paints colored by natural elements. The favored colors in Country decor include white, off white (at the time due to aging), reds, blues and greens, and a combination of blue and green. This may be where more recent shades of country blue began, and rosy pinks came from reds mixed with additional white. Country style is all about comfort. It is a way to mix old and new and to create a charming, cozy, casual environment without worrying too much about strict design rules.
French Country
French Country incorporates some of the same elements as Country decor but goes further. Weathered outdoor pieces find their way inside. Pastels, such as blue, pink, yellow, lavender, and green are often found in French Country decor. Black and other dark shades are also included, and are generally found in fabric treatments such as curtains made of Toile. Floral fabrics are also popular as are flower arrangements. French Country is cozy, but more elegant that Country. It borders on Shabby Chic, but with a French flair. This style is comfortable but tends to be more dramatic than similar styles.
Cottage and English Garden
These styles take elements from Country Decor but bring more of the outside in. Also using weathered outdoor pieces like French Country, but including pieces that are a bit more rustic as well. Furnishings are lighter than typical styles and often include wicker pieces with fluffy cushions. Architectural elements such as a picket fence gate or a wrought iron piece may be used as a focal point in a Cottage or English Garden space. Floral patterns in pretty pastels and fresh flowers are also key elements. Lace often adorns fabrics, and window treatments are usually sheer and wispy to allow sunshine and breezes to flood inside. Cottage and Garden color schemes include lots of white and soft colors found in flower gardens such as pale blue, purple, green, pink, yellow, and peach. Cottage or Garden styles create a light, fresh airy feel, and are all about charm.
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