How To Create Belgian Style

Well, hello there. It's YOU! Hurrah!

You're just in time for Part 3 of Inspiration Week: Belgian Style Interiors.

Eeeek! One more day until the Inspiration Journey Linky Party. Are you ready?

I hope this week I've showed you that it's fine to link up ANY kind of inspiration post. Interiors, gardens, clothes, crafts... 

Two questions.

What to wear? Now, I'm thinking this would be a good look. Very in-keeping with today's post, don't you think?

{That dress'll be all dirty when you stand up, mark my words, young lady.}

And do you have your party button?

It's here if you need it:

<a href="http://moderncountrystyle.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Modern Country Style" src="http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd436/Sarplowman/Inspire20me.jpg"/></a>

Now that we have the details sorted, let's get on with the show...

First up, what is Belgian Style? My definition would be that it's about combining extreme visual restraint and rustic warmth to create elegant, pared-down rooms with a strong nod to an industrial past.

I've only drawn on the elements that I love from this style. I looked at huge numbers of pictures of this style, discarded what I don't like and have tried to make it my own. See what you think.

The elements I've chosen to focus on create a more restricted version of Modern Country.

Looking at my Belgian Style Inspiration Images (and these are just the tip of the iceberg of the ones I've squirrelled away), I've put together a list of things that I'd consider to be my Top 5 Belgian Style essentials.

Shall I share?

Is a cucumber cool?

Bare wood: almost always unfinished, perhaps waxed at most, which helps to create that essential rustic atmosphere.

A restricted muted palette: The colours used (though colours seems a rather flighty word to use in this slightly sombre context) are restrained greys, taupes, soft browns and off-whites in order to draw your eye to the gorgeousness of what lies within the rooms.

{Hot pink walls might not allow an antique factory cart to speak for itself, y'see. }

A touch of Soft Industrial: By that I mean repurposing beautifully-made objects that have some kind of mechanical past.

Used Furniture: There's nothing new and sparkly about the furniture used in these rooms. The pieces all have a rather battered beauty.

A mix of textures: the colour palette is so restricted and muted, but that's not to say that the rooms need to be visually unappealing. Quite the opposite, in fact. The visual interest springs from an array of different textures. Belgian linen is beautifully nubby and, when mixed with cottons, velvet, weathered wood and wicker, plus wool and cashmere in the colder months, creates the perfect backdrop to highlight beautiful possessions.

{Synthetic is so over, baby. ;-) }

Are you ready for Friday's party? I sooooooooo am. I'm really excited to see what floats your boat.

Or should I say, rather seasonally, what flips your pancake?

Aaah, it was a lovely Pancake Day on Tuesday. We had family over for teatime and made lots and lots and lots of batter and flipped lots and lots and lots of pancakes. Scrumpdiddlyumptious.

{And a very full tummy.}

See you tomorrow, butter beans.

Images via: Cote De Texas, SangMaestro, House Beautiful, Pieter Vandenhout, House Beautiful, Arcobaleno, Unknown, At Ease Interiors, Broc Clark, Belgian Pearls, Anthracite