There’s a romance developing in the world of interior design. We’re talking, of course, about Romantic Rural interior design.
For years now, various styles with “farmhouse” or “country” names have come in and out of style. Well, if any of those styles have intrigued you, you’re in luck.
Romantic Rural is the meet–cute of styles like English Cottage, French Country, Cottagecore, and Modern Farmhouse design. Basically, think of a design style with the word country or farmhouse, and it’s part of the inspiration for Romantic Rural design.
If you find that notion as romantic as its name, today we have a treat for you. We’ve gathered expert insights to simplify Romantic Rural interior design into one easy read.
For love of color.
Let’s kick things off on a soothing, colorful note. Now that you know the delicious layered design cake Romantic Rural interior design is, you won’t be surprised to learn that we’re not talking about an electric South Beach Miami kind of color palette.
Romantic Rural’s hues have a much more mellow, soothing intensity. As Keely Smith, lead interior design specialist at JD Elite Interiors, shares with The Spruce, “Think light shades like creams, blush tones, faded blues, and soft greens.”
Imagine the feeling of enjoying a quiet morning cup of tea while looking out at a thriving garden in full bloom. Those kinds of colors — muted, alive, and earthy. Designer Shannon Claire Smith explains the idea in Martha Stewart magazine, “These homes and spaces are meant to be lived-in and enjoyed, and the design aesthetic reflects that.”
Lived-in. Comfortably and softly. That’s the color of Romantic Rural.
For love of patterns.
Besides that lived-in feel, patterns are what’s most immediately recognizable in Romantic Rural design. Fittingly, patterns dance between traditional dressy vibes and a casual, unrestrained vibe. Almost like the puckish energy of kids playing dress up.
In upholstery fabrics, that dance centers around toile, stripes, florals, and chintz. And rooms often include canopied beds, grand curtains, and more. As interior designer Sara See tells House Beautiful, “…we want to create some tension in the space between kinds of casual and dressy, toile bridges that gap beautifully for us.”
Like its design inspirations, Romantic Rural’s patterns work best when used tastefully, as accents against a grounded foundation.
Take chintz, for instance. Overused, it can overwhelm and feel visually noisy. As Orlando Atty of Robert Kime Ltd puts it in House & Garden UK, “With chintz, it’s all about the application and the wider setting. As a fabric it has a unique quality, but the results don’t have to be ‘granny’.”
Your home gets to play dress up. Tastefully, intentionally, and romantically.
For love of vintage character.
Romantic Rural spaces feel like you. Feeding that vision, French Country design adds its poetic use of elegant patterns, frilly textures, and simple rustic elements, like rough hewn woods to the mix.
Vintage pieces, personally chosen and reimagined, bring that poetry into Romantic Rural. The result, Anita Joyce, author of French Accents: Farmhouse French Style For Today’s Home, tells Architectural Digest is quintessentially welcoming, “It just feels like a warm hug; I feel like your house should embrace you when you walk in, and this style does that.”
Cottagecore comes bearing gifts, too. Imagine Kate Winslet’s cozy, deeply personal home in The Holiday, and you’ve got the Cottagecore influence.
Designer Mikel Welch simplifies the how-to in Real Simple, “The trick is to blend patterns that share a common color palette to avoid overwhelming the eye. And pieces that “…show age and tell a story. Look for furniture and decor pieces with patina, such as weathered wood, tarnished brass, or faded upholstery.”
Reimagine what you love, and let your upholstery tell a story.
For love of layers.
The more we learn about Romantic Rural, here at the largest online upholstery fabric store, the more we’re (sincerely) romanced by it.
Like how building layers on clean, simple foundations allows the playful use of things like frilly, flowing curtains, skirted furniture accents, even trellises. Upholstery fabrics then offer a coziness in expected and unexpected places.
Designer Marynn Udvarhelyi tells Country Living, “The room should give you the same feeling you had when you were at your grandparents’ house, except everything is current and put together in a modern, relevant way.”
Fashion designer Veronica Swanson explains her soulful approach in her own home to Veranda, “I wanted our place to feel cozy and layered…a whimsical mix of patterns do just that. The bedroom windows are draped in a vibrant damask that repeats on the bed pelmet, canopy, and skirt.”
The best news about all those ideas is that our own go-to expert, Aimee from Artisan Upholstery Studio, has cooked up some DIYs to help you canopy your bed, frill-out your favorite chairs, and more.
For love of lived-in, naturally.
To bring Romantic Rural inside your home, look for inspiration outside, incorporating natural materials in ways both literal and figurative.
Cotswold-based designer Lauren Gilberthorpe tells Homes & Gardens (H&G), “It’s crucial to decorate with natural materials; think stone, wood, and woven textures that bring the outdoors in.” That includes woven fabrics like wool, linen, and cotton, and patterns like florals, stripes, and gingham.
Fabric designer Tori Murphy adds, “They add a feel that harks back to simpler days when function was important and form evolved from what was available. Nothing is too over designed but everything is fit for purpose, all the while creating a relaxed comfortable home.”
In Romantic Rural influences like English Cottage design, there’s a timeless feel. Better Homes & Gardens’ Caitlin Sole says it’s a “lived-in appearance. Furnishings evolve in order to gain a well-loved patina over the course of time.” And that’s freeing. Wear over time is an asset not a drawback.
Caitlin gives yet another shoutout to toile, “Lavishly use this pattern in cottage rooms—on walls, ceilings, and furniture.” (Sold.)
For love of the outdoors. (And kitchens?)
Now let’s bring the inside out. Because outdoor kitchens with the look and utility of indoor kitchens are having a moment.
Romantic Rural kitchens meet the moment with their distillation of styles landing both simple and full of kitschy, alluring comfort, like Modern Farmhouse and French Country.
In Dwell magazine, Christin Perry praises the calming simplicity of Modern Farmhouse kitchens, “A kitchen designed in a modern farmhouse style is functional, free of clutter, and always chic.”
Romantic Rural replies, Sure, but how about some French frilly romance, too?
Elle Decor agrees, sharing the benefits of adding a little French Country style to “make even the most urban house feel like it’s tucked away in a tiny French village.” Think of playful bits like “a skirted farm sink, and plenty of open shelving, it’s the kind of kitchen you want to spend all day in.” (Aimee has a DIY video to make your own creative cupboard curtains or statement skirt, too.)
Combine that with the durability and variety of today’s outdoor fabrics, and you’re ready to head outside to host your next dinner.
When you’re ready to romance your home’s design vibe, we’re here and we’d love to help.
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