If you’re used to the cold, contemporary urban interiors, which are all shiny steel and glass, then a stay at a rural cottage, hotel or bed and breakfast might provide your renovation plans with a little bit of inspiration. Wouldn’t it be great if we could take that countryside charm and inject a little bit of it back into our homes?

Thankfully, there are numerous ways of doing so – and you don’t need to go installing thatched roofs and enormous fireplaces, either. Let’s examine a few simple methods of introducing that quintessential rustic appeal into your home.

Change the Colours

Re-painting a given space can enormously affect its look. For that country farm aesthetic, it’s best to opt for neutral, muted tones rather than bold, brash ones. You might even consider using paints to refresh an ailing piece of furniture; a coat of something suitably low-key can help to revitalise that old coffee table. On the other hand, you might prefer to simply replace the piece in question entirely.

Change the Textures

When everything is smooth and glossy, you can’t help but feel that you’re close to the centre of civilisation. For that more timeworn look, you’ll want to rough things up a little. That means hand-woven rugs and curtains, where every seam is visible. Hard-wood floor works nicely, but not if every plank is perfectly flat and aligned. Plaid-throw blankets are a great way to inject a little warmth and to disguise any shabby-looking pieces of upholstery.

Change the Furniture

When it comes to the stuff in your home, it’s best to go with more traditional materials than modern metals and plastics. Solid timber furniture looks great; black iron flourishes help complete the look.

You needn’t make sweeping changes when it comes to furniture. A single key item might provide exactly the influence you’re looking for, and if the rest of your furniture is suitably neutral, it’ll slot in nicely. Your local furniture shop should provide plenty of inspiration, here: just bear in mind that your new piece will need to look good when it’s in context, so be sure of your decision before you elect to pay for shipping.

Change the Lighting

In the evening, your choice of lighting will have an enormous influence on the overall look of your living spaces. Cold, sterile LEDs are efficient and they look pleasingly high-tech, but they aren’t exactly brimming with that countryside appeal we talked about. Thankfully, you needn’t sacrifice your green credentials to warm things up: just look for a bulb that’s suitably orange.

Light temperature is measured in Kelvin, on a scale between 1,000 and 10,000. Take a look at this colour chart from Philips and you can see what a dramatic difference a change of lighting makes. You’ll be able to pick up suitable bulbs from your local hardware shop.

*Collaborative post