Gwyneth Paltrow's Style Evolution

It's easy to look at images of super-styled images of celebrities {hello, luscious Gwynnie!} and feel intimidated, isn't it? Stop right there! That is sooooo not in the realm of Modern Country Style living. The last thing I want is to make anyone feel less than thrilled with themselves. so I thought we'd have a 'keeping it real' post.

It turns out that Gwyneth is real and human. Who'd have thought?! Beautiful, yes, but she has flaws too.

However, nor is this a point-and-laugh post. You'll never find those on Modern Country Style. Mummies have got a hard enough job as it is without added pressure from that kind of exposure. 

Gwyneth Paltrow is a gorgeous yummy mummy, to be sure, but she's learnt to make the very most of her good points and carefully conceals her not-so-good ones and that's something we can all learn from, no?

You can see from these images how Gwyneth Paltrow's style has evolved. Her fashion-sense has been honed over the years.

From student-chic, through minimalist and pregnancies... 

...and ending firmly where I love it best....

Modern Country Style!

Casual, cool, relaxed pieces teamed with Modern-luxe and on-trend accessories...it's easy, it's low-maintenance, it's a no-brainer! 

Modern Country fashion is here to stay!

Images via Huffington Post, US magazine and Caren Fashion

Gwyneth Paltrow - the most beautiful girl in the world?

People magazine have decided that Gwyneth Paltrow is the most beautiful woman in the entire, enormous universe. And, though I don't agree (that would be my daughters, natch), I can kinda see where they are coming from.

Remember these posts on Gwyneth Paltrow's Modern Country loves.? We loved her macs, scarves, boots, oh, and her house is utterly stunning too...

Yup, lucky ol' Gwynnie got pretty near the front when the Good Life pills were handed out!

Image via Huffington post

Delicious Dining Room With A Modern Country Colour Scheme

Hey peeps,

How was your weekend? We had the most marvellous weather on Sunday afternoon, here in the Cotswolds, and I was able to make the very most of it by whiling away a few hours at a friend's beautiful garden. We swapped plants, tips, design ideas and generally had a very lovely time indeed.

How's this for a stunningly put-together Modern Country Dining Room?

I love the wall colour - I suspect Farrow and Ball's Lamp Room Gray, or Benjamin Moore's Gray Horse have been involved somewhere here.

Doesn't the grey look crisp and fresh in contrast with the woodwork and ceiling in pure white? I love the clever mix of brown's...the light, wardrobe, table blinds and that fake bird cage....

Yes, I said 'fake', 'bird' and 'cage'. Together. In a row. Never thought I'd get the chance to say that out loud. ;-)

This is another marvellous example of how a really simple colour palette - grey, white and brown; the classic Modern Country colour scheme - can make a room absolutely sing.

{Have you tried it yet?}

All images via House Beautiful

Pinning It Forward With Pinterest: Modern Country Style

I was thrilled when Pinterest got in touch to ask me to take part in their #PinItForwardUK campaign to launch Pinterest officially in the UK. It's no secret that I lurrrrve using Pinterest as a super-speedy way of saving inspiring images, which automatically link back to where I found them, so, chomping at the bit, I said I'd be honoured to take part!

In case some of you aren't familiar with Pinterest, it acts as a brilliant tool to organise your most-loved images onto Boards so that you don't have a huge jumble of chaotic gorgeousness on your hard-drive  And it's other equally awesome use, is to allow you to 'follow' other people's Boards, like this one from Design Hunter, which feeds any updates onto your Pinterest homepage. If that sounds complicated, then let me assure you it's as easy as pie....although I should warn you it can be thoroughly and deliciously addictive! 

Come on over and see what I mean. To take a look at Modern Country Style on Pinterest, just click on the links below to be magically whisked to some of my favourite Pinterest Boards:

Modern Country Interiors

Modern Country Fashion

Modern Country Crafts

Modern Country Gardening

If you haven't yet joined Pinterest, you're in for a treat! For more Modern Country yumminess, follow this link to register. Hope to see you there!

The Holiday: Rosehill Cottage...and Paint Colours!

Do you recognise this house? It's Rosehill Cottage from The Holiday! 

I LOVED sharing the Modern versus Country: The Holiday series {you can see it here...}where we looked at different aspects of Iris' gorgeous Country cottage compared to Amanda's beautiful Modern home. Despite Amanda's being bigger and better in almost every way, Rosehill Cottage's quintessential English charm won the day with nearly all of you.

Now, if your home looks like this, or you'd like it too, then come over to the Relics of Witney blog to chat over the very best exterior paint colours to enhance the Cotswold stone look.

Yummy!

Magazine Round-Up: May

Welcome, welcome to May's Modern Country Magazine Round-Up.. Pull up a comfy chair and gather round.

{I'm frequently asked which magazines I recommend for Modern Country Lovers like you, and, in response, have started a new monthly feature where you can see where to find the very best articles, the loveliest pictures and the fabbest of fab freebies....}

 For May's magazine offerings, you really are spoilt. Let's start off with the very gorgeous Period Ideas. 

Period Ideas is jam-packed full of exactly that....ideas. And really fantastic ones; page after page of them.

If you are renovating any kind of older home then may I suggest you start by getting hold of Period Ideas and reading from start to finish.

So many suggestions of where to buy must-have items left my head pleasantly spinning.

A lovely blend of Readers Homes.....

 as well as providing realistic advice about what you can do to make your home that bit better...

 Period Ideas makes you want to go and pick up a paintbrush right now!

Home Comforts: The Timeless Charm Of A Rustic Kitchen, is my absolute favourite  I never can resist the gentle charms of a homely country-style kitchen.

25 Beautiful Homes is next on my Hit List. There are some gorgeous Modern Country interiors featured this month. They'll have you a-drooling!

It really is quite extraordinary the way they manage to find so much gorgeous variation. From teeny terraces to palace-sized pads, there's always something to help you envisage your own home at its best, whatever it may be.

In 25 Beautiful Homes, there's an excellent balance of ideas for both inside and out. This month seems to be gorgeous gardens a-gogo, with nearly every house featured showing some kind of delicious outside space.

Each home comes with its own pointers for wall colours ideas and where specific pieces of furniture are from. 

Isn't this dining space lovely? Just what we were talking about last month, with its free-flowing feel.

Probably my favourite home in May's issue is Style With A Smile.

This home is like nothing you've seen before. It's absolutely chockablock with interest and originality. That face on the wall gets me grinning every time!

 The English Garden is my favourite gardening magazine.

This magazine isn't just a pretty face. 

It has pages of practical advice like this brilliant article on allure the of alliums

and awe-inspiring examples from around England to help you take your garden to the next level...

Offer of the Month Award most certainly goes to The English Garden for this great free Wisteria offer....

This excellent combination of advice and inspiration is thrust delightfully at you on every page making The English Garden a May Must-Have....

And how could I leave out Country Homes And Interiors?

This is a magazine that rarely fails to deliver a thrilling shot of Modern Country Style. From beautiful buildings...

...with heavenly gardens...

to lovely homes...

and buys to tempt at every corner...

{where can I buy that Union Jack throw?}

It also includes thrillingly thrifty crafts if you're feeling the squeeze, like this awesome feature on using old shirts to create perfect prettiness....

Country Homes and Interiors is last but definitely not least in May's Modern Country Magazine Round-Up.

 Which of these grabs your eye?