What are the Different Types of Country Home Decor?

Country home decor is a popular home design style and has evolved into various forms. The goose plaques, pig potholders, and cow place mats have mostly become a thing of the past, and fresh refinements in home country decor have emerged. American and French country styles remain popular, and some other styles that have developed are country cottage and country western. No matter which style is chosen for country home decor, the intent is always to provide a warm, inviting retreat for those who live there and their guests.

American country home decor is influenced by history and imitates the style of homes in the early days of the United States (US). Handmade items were common on the American frontier, so rustic wooden furniture and antiques or reproductions are usually found in a home decorated in American country style. Natural elements drawn from the great outdoors will often be on display. Dried or fresh flowers in an old milk jug set on a Shaker style sideboard may set the scene in a dining room or kitchen. Grapevine wreaths, wooden plaques, and weather vanes are popular items in this style, which is unique to the US.

A home featuring French country home decor will have an old world ambiance. Any variety of colors may be used with black and gray contrasts. Rusted metal lighting fixtures and distressed metal furniture accented by bright colors are typical of the French country home, which usually features a stone fireplace topped off with a rustic mantle made from a hefty wooden beam.

Country cottage is more eclectic than the more traditional American and French styles of country home decor. The colors blue, red, green, and yellow are most often used to decorate in the country cottage style, and bead board is a common design element. Painted or distressed furniture with simple lines may be used alongside pieces stained in the warm tones of natural wood, and knickknacks are popular. As in American country style, fresh or dried flowers are often seen in a country cottage home.

The interior of a home decorated in country western style will have lots of wood. Walls, floors, and even ceilings may be made of bare, unpainted wood, with unpainted furniture to give the home a rustic look. The color scheme of western country home decor is usually made up of different shades of brown that can range from tan to chocolate, accented with dark reds, yellow, and burnt orange.