There’s a romance developing in the world of interior design. We\u2019re talking, of course, about Romantic Rural interior design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For years now, various styles with \u201cfarmhouse\u201d or \u201ccountry\u201d names have come in and out of style. Well, if any of those styles have intrigued you, you\u2019re in luck. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Romantic Rural is the meet\u2013cute 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you find that notion as romantic as its name, today we have a treat for you. We\u2019ve gathered expert insights to simplify Romantic Rural interior design into one easy read. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s kick things off on a soothing, colorful note. Now that you know the delicious layered design cake Romantic Rural interior design is, you won\u2019t be surprised to learn that we\u2019re not talking about an electric South Beach Miami kind of color palette.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Romantic Rural\u2019s hues have a much more mellow, soothing intensity. As Keely Smith, lead interior design specialist at JD Elite Interiors, shares with The Spruce<\/em><\/a>, \u201cThink light shades like creams, blush tones, faded blues, and soft greens.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n 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 \u2014 muted, alive, and earthy. Designer Shannon Claire Smith explains the idea in Martha Stewart<\/em><\/a> magazine, “These homes and spaces are meant to be lived-in and enjoyed, and the design aesthetic reflects that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lived-in. Comfortably and softly. That\u2019s the color of Romantic Rural.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides that lived-in feel, patterns are what\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In upholstery fabrics, that dance centers around toile, stripes, florals<\/a>, and chintz. And rooms often include canopied beds, grand curtains, and more. As interior designer Sara See tells House Beautiful<\/em><\/a>,<\/em> \u201c\u2026we want to create some tension in the space between kinds of casual and dressy, toile bridges that gap beautifully for us.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Like its design inspirations, Romantic Rural\u2019s patterns work best when used tastefully, as accents against a grounded foundation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Take chintz<\/a>, for instance. Overused, it can overwhelm and feel visually noisy. As Orlando Atty of Robert Kime Ltd puts it in House & Garden UK<\/em><\/a>, \u201cWith chintz, it\u2019s all about the application and the wider setting. As a fabric it has a unique quality, but the results don\u2019t have to be \u2018granny\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your home gets to play dress up. Tastefully, intentionally, and romantically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Romantic Rural spaces feel like you<\/em>. Feeding that vision, French Country<\/a> design adds its poetic use of elegant patterns, frilly textures, and simple rustic elements, like rough hewn woods to the mix. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 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<\/em>, tells Architectural Digest<\/em><\/a> is quintessentially welcoming, \u201cIt just feels like a warm hug; I feel like your house should embrace you when you walk in, and this style does that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cottagecore comes bearing gifts, too. Imagine Kate Winslet\u2019s cozy, deeply personal home in The Holiday<\/em><\/a>, and you\u2019ve got the Cottagecore influence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Designer Mikel Welch simplifies the how-to in Real Simple<\/em><\/a>, “The trick is to blend patterns that share a common color palette to avoid overwhelming the eye. And pieces that \u201c\u2026show age and tell a story. Look for furniture and decor pieces with patina, such as weathered wood, tarnished brass, or faded upholstery.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n Reimagine<\/a> what you love, and let your upholstery tell a story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The more we learn about Romantic Rural, here at the largest<\/a> online upholstery fabric store, the more we\u2019re (sincerely) romanced by it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Designer Marynn Udvarhelyi tells Country Living<\/em><\/a>, “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.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fashion designer Veronica Swanson explains her soulful approach in her own home to Veranda<\/em><\/a>, \u201cI wanted our place to feel cozy and layered\u2026a 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best news about all those ideas is that our own go-to expert, Aimee from Artisan Upholstery Studio<\/em>, has cooked up some DIYs to help you canopy<\/a> your bed, frill-out<\/a> your favorite chairs, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To bring Romantic Rural inside<\/em> your home, look for inspiration outside<\/em>, incorporating natural materials in ways both literal and figurative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cotswold-based designer Lauren Gilberthorpe tells Homes & Gardens<\/em><\/a> (H&G)<\/em>, \u201cIt’s crucial to decorate with natural materials; think stone, wood, and woven textures that bring the outdoors in.\u201d That includes woven fabrics like wool, linen, and cotton, and patterns like florals, stripes<\/a>, and gingham<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fabric designer Tori Murphy adds, \u201cThey 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Romantic Rural influences like English Cottage design, there\u2019s a timeless feel. Better Homes & Gardens<\/em><\/a>\u2019 Caitlin Sole says it\u2019s a \u201clived-in appearance. Furnishings evolve in order to gain a well-loved patina over the course of time.\u201d And that\u2019s freeing<\/em>. Wear over time is an asset not a drawback. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Caitlin gives yet another shoutout to toile<\/a>, \u201cLavishly use this pattern in cottage rooms\u2014on walls, ceilings, and furniture.\u201d (Sold.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now let\u2019s bring the inside out. Because outdoor kitchens<\/a> with the look and utility of indoor kitchens are having a moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Dwell<\/em><\/a> magazine, Christin Perry praises the calming simplicity of Modern Farmhouse kitchens, \u201cA kitchen designed in a modern farmhouse style is functional, free of clutter, and always chic.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Romantic Rural replies, Sure, but how about some French frilly romance, too?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Elle Decor<\/em><\/a> agrees, sharing the benefits of adding a little French Country style to \u201cmake even the most urban house feel like it’s tucked away in a tiny French village.\u201d Think of playful bits like \u201ca skirted farm sink, and plenty of open shelving, it’s the kind of kitchen you want to spend all day in.\u201d (Aimee has a DIY video to make your own creative cupboard curtains <\/a>or statement skirt, too.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Combine that with the durability and variety of today\u2019s outdoor<\/a> fabrics, and you\u2019re ready to head outside to host your next dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re ready to romance your home\u2019s design vibe, we\u2019re here<\/a> and we\u2019d love to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFor love of patterns.<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For love of vintage character.<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For love of layers.<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For love of lived-in, naturally.<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For love of the outdoors. (And kitchens?)<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n