Modern cottage living
Country Modern effortlessly bridges the gap between traditional cottage charm and contemporary design and comfort. It stays true to the inviting warmth of cottage aesthetics while pushing away any outdated features. The result is a timeless appeal with countryside allure.
It’s no surprise that this style has captured the hearts of many suburban and city dwellers alike, who want to be connected to the country living aesthetic. By following these few steps in this guide, you'll be among those who love it too.
What is Country Modern design?
Country Modern is a contemporary take on traditional rural interior style.
It keeps the warmth of cottage interiors while ditching outdated elements, creating welcoming spaces that blend heritage charm, countryside appeal, and modern chic.
This style emphasises practicality, simplicity, and natural finishes. There is a perfect balance of light and airiness with the use of dark and light woods for a cosy, inviting atmosphere.
Infused within Country Modern’s charm are earth hues like warm terracottas, rustic greens, and calming blues, inspired by the countryside and creating a connection between indoors and outdoors.
Key style points of Country Modern
There are some core elements that create the inviting, wholesome and organic feel and look of Country Modern. Here’s what to look out for…
Mix dark and light woods
Everything doesn’t always have to match, especially when it comes to wood. A combination of dark and light wood tones used in furniture, flooring, and cabinetry brings a feel of mix-and-match furniture that you would see in a cottage setting. While light wood like oak or pine brightens spaces, dark woods like walnut or mahogany add depth and contrast.
Heritage charm
Incorporate traditional rural living elements such as exposed wooden beams, wrought iron fixtures, and antique furnishings. These details easily bring a sense of history and authenticity to the space.
Countryside views
The view from your window may not be that of rolling hills and meadows… Not to worry, decor pieces such as botanical/floral prints (both wallpaper or painted) and nature-inspired artwork can create that. If you’re looking to add an even more quintessentially country aesthetic, rabbits, badgers and foxes bring a touch of nature into your decor.
Cottagecore influence
This style is influenced by the Cottagecore trend, embracing some of the romanticised vision of rural living. There’s almost a shabby-chic edge that comes from a variety of potted plants and window boxes featured in the space, along with vintage-inspired pieces, floral motifs, and nature.
Natural finishes
A lot of interior styles talk of “natural materials” playing a significant role. With Country Modern, while natural materials are important, how they are finished to showcase the materials' natural look is key. For example, this involves wooden furniture with a finish that showcases the natural grain patterns or exposed stone work like brick or slate that bring an organic look.
Textural variety
Country Modern loves to bring texture by mixing materials such as rough-hewn wood, distressed metals, cosy fabrics like wool or linen, and tactile elements like wicker or rattan. All this adds depth and interest, creating a warm and inviting space.
Country Modern vs. Cottagecore design: what’s the difference?
You’ve probably heard of Cottagecore (beyond us mentioning it in the style points.) It’s best known for its shabby chic, colourful, whimsical and rustic romance aesthetic. When you think of it in this context, Country Modern stands apart from this in many ways.
In reality the only solid connection between the two designs is that they both fall in the “rural living” category. You’ll always find Country Modern as the rustic yet modern style, bringing together clean lines, neutral colours and functionality in furniture and accessories.
Organic and natural materials like wood and stone stand out against the more commonly reclaimed and vintage materials found in Cottagecore. That’s not to say there isn’t room for a bit of whimsy. By adding your own level of colour and floral flourishes, you can bring a hint of Cottagecore into your space your way.
Ultimately, choosing between these styles depends on whether you prefer a blended transitional meets modern and minimalistic feel, or a more nostalgic, romantic ambience in your living space.
Country Modern vs Modern Organic design: are they the same?
OK, you may be asking now, if Country Modern brings organic, natural and modern elements to the style, why not just follow the Modern Organic design? The clue is in the name of both of them on this one.
You can think about Country Modern as more of a “theme” to follow, with specific elements that make it feel cottage-inspired but brought into the 21st century. Whereas Modern Organic you can add many of its aesthetic elements to your own style to make it feel connected to nature.
How to style a Country Modern room
1. A neutral base colour scheme
Add a neutral colour scheme to the bedroom with soft white or light grey bedding, curtains, and walls. In the living room, choose upholstered furniture in creamy tones, such as beige or ecru.
Extend the neutral palette to the hallway and entrance by using light-coloured paint or wallpaper, combined with neutral-toned furniture or decor items.
2. Shiplap panelling
Shiplap wall panelling effortlessly combines cottage charm with contemporary aesthetics, offering a versatile design element for various areas of your home. In living spaces, a single shiplap-accent wall in soft, neutral tones creates an inviting backdrop. In bedrooms, it encourages a serene atmosphere when paired with muted colours such as willow green or dove.
Dining areas benefit from shiplap's timeless appeal, separating spaces while introducing texture and style. Hallways and entryways gain character without sacrificing space. Not forgetting the bathroom, where moisture-resistant shiplap, can get in on the coastal cottage vibes.
3. Wooden furniture
The bedroom can be adorned with coordinating wood textures from the bed frame and nightstands to the wardrobes and dresser. In the living room, consider a wooden media unit or bookshelves in alcoves.
Furniture pieces in the hallway and entrance can include consoles, benches, or coat racks, all adding to the warm and inviting atmosphere.
To add an extra layer of charm to your decor, consider incorporating glazed cabinets. These cabinets can be strategically placed throughout your home, offering both storage and an opportunity to showcase decorative items or cherished collectibles. Integrated lighting within the glazed cabinets adds even more of an elegant and sophisticated feeling.
4. Open shelving
Install open shelves in the bedroom, living room or hallways to display rustic decor items like vintage books, woven baskets, or potted plants. In the living room, open shelving can showcase family photos, vintage figurines, or decorative vases.
While in the hallway and entrance areas, open shelves can serve as functional storage for shoes, bags, or decorative baskets.
5. Find your farmhouse charm
Think farmhouse style, think classic farmhouse sink, right? Well, it goes beyond that when in the context of the Country Modern. It’s about enhancing rustic architectural features such as wooden ceiling beams or exposed wooden rafters. These instantly bring character into any space. For cabinetry in living areas or furniture in bedrooms, choose a shaker-style design in soft, muted colours like a dove, stone or dusty greens.
Accessorise with vintage homeware and kitchenware like enamelware pitchers and mason jar storage, which make the perfect finishing touches to country living style. For lighting explore pendant lights with Edison bulbs for ambient lighting and a contemporary flair. Gloss finishes and mirrors can also help to reflect more light into your interior.
Nothing says “farmhouse” like a cosy nook by a window. Explore this by incorporating a cosy window seat with a wooden or upholstered bench, or set up a farmhouse-style table by the window to create an inviting spot perfect for breakfast, morning coffee or casual meals.
6. Curate your floral patterns
There’s definitely a balance between floral chic and floral chintz. A general rule here is to think about floral patterns as an artistic interpretation rather than a direct reflection of the plants themselves; think of the classic design of Liberty London or William Morris.
Curating muted and vintage-inspired floral patterns in your decor can help you find the balance. This can be achieved through upholstery on furniture pieces like armchairs or sofas, floral wallpaper on accent walls or smaller rooms, or floral-themed artwork and prints.
Floral wallpapers with a subtle, rustic design can add a touch of whimsy and charm to the space without overwhelming it.
Accessorise sparingly with floral decor items such as throw pillows, curtains, and table linens to infuse subtle floral elements. Fresh flowers and greenery arrangements, as well as floral centrepieces, can bring a touch of nature indoors too.
7. Modern hardware, heating and lighting
With Modern in the name, it's essential to balance rustic charm with contemporary elements. While the overall decor has a warm, cosy feel to it, these fixtures bring a “harder” edged modern contrast.
You can do this through light fixtures, such as incorporating matte black or brushed nickel pendant lights with clean, geometric shapes.
When it comes to hardware, cabinet handles and drawer pulls in simple, streamlined designs. Brushed metal handles or leather tabs bring a contemporary feel while sticking to the cottage-style aesthetic.
Bringing the physical and aesthetic warmth of contemporary design with freestanding cast iron radiators also brings a traditional feature into the 21st century. Either make them match the colour of your walls, or mix the colour up to feature them as more of an accessory. Alternatively, you can’t go wrong with finding a place for a wood burner.
8. Create focal points
Dip into the “quiet luxury” trend and choose statement pieces that highlight the natural beauty and colour of the materials.
For example an accent rug can ground the space and add a cosy feel. Natural wool or jute are great places to start looking for inspiration.
These natural focal points not only celebrate the charm of rustic elements but also draw the eye, grounding the entire room in the organic essence of Country Modern design.
Country Modern made perfect with Sharps
The Country Modern style invites you to bring modern cottage-living into your home.
If you want to create this in your home, then this is the only guide you need. You’ll find out how to effortlessly transform any room into a countryside inspired space. From the best pieces of furniture to interior design inspiration, Country Modern is only a few steps away.
Every Design Visit is absolutely free, so if you need advice on how to achieve the Country Modern look, book your appointment today.
