Tips for Decorating in a Country Style

Decorating a kitchen in a country style can give it a warm and cozy feel. Country style decorating is a mix of natural and vintage materials and styles which highlights the casual and easy going feeling of country. You want items that have that used feeling, not sterile modern pieces. And you may find that collecting the necessary things to create that country atmosphere in your kitchen can be as much fun as the finished kitchen.

The best way to find things to use in your country kitchen is to pick a weekend and go flea marketing. Pick another weekend to spend going to yard sales and estate sales. Look for items that make you think country or ones that bring a smile to your face. Don't be afraid to buy that scratched and banged up old cupboard because you think you will have to spend hours redoing it. You won't. It will look fine just the way it is. Okay, you may have to actually clean it or scrape loose paint off, but the more used it looks, the better.

Other items to keep an eye out for are unusual baskets, old butter urns, old wooden crates, and old ceramic plates or knick knacks with fruit on them, especially apples. Roosters also are a big hit in country style kitchens. No, not live ones. Keep your eyes open and let your imagination run wild when you see anything that seems country to you. Ask yourself if and how you could use it. Don't just visualize on the obvious use for the item; think of creative ways you can use it. For example, that old butter urn will definitely not be used to churn butter in your kitchen, but it would look great sitting beside the back door, holding umbrellas. Or it could even be used as a storage bin for potatoes or onions. The possibilities are endless.

These are only a few suggestions of things to look for. You will see many more items as you start searching. Some things may not catch your eye right away, but try to imagine the different uses for each item. You'll be surprised at how creative you can be. Let's say you see an old wooden gate that's only thirty inches tall and three feet wide that's painted a bright red. What uses could you have for it in a kitchen?

Well, that bright red gate could be cut in half, hinges put on both outside ends and hung between the kitchen and dining room as cafe type swinging doors. You could hang it on the wall as the back board for a shelf. If you have an island or space over your stove, you could cut it down to the same width and hang it from chains to use as a shelf or even screw hooks into it for utensils to hang from. It could even make great shutters for the window over the sink. There are so many uses for most things.

Now that you've got a general idea of things to look for and how to imagine their uses, let's move on to decorating the room. You may not want to change the color of your walls. That's fine if the walls are a neutral color or a color that's associated with country colors. Pale blues, most greens, and especially apple green, and yellows are common colors for country kitchens.

Red makes a great accent color for any country kitchen. Try filling a basket with red apples and setting it out on the counter or table. Checked or striped material or even fruit designs make great curtains and seat cushion covers.

Remove some of your upper cabinet doors and display brightly colored dishes or baskets. Show off some of your flea market finds, like those ceramic roosters.

These tips and suggestions are only a guide to help get you started. As you search through your flea market and yard sale treasures I'm sure you will come up with many more ideas to help give your kitchen that tried and true country look.