Gorgeous Cottage House Tour

Here's another beautiful example of a period home that has been shaped to the taste of its owners. Yes, it's a beautiful old cottage and has charm oozing out of every but that's not necessarily what hits you as you look round. The house's period charms have been made to work for them, rather than to dominate each room....

The focus, instead, is on key pieces: painted furniture...

...the perfect accessories...

...and this stunning extension...

Soft colours make a soothing backdrop.

And did I mention the Modern Country Garden?

The Hallelujah chorus is ringing out!

Now let's talk some more about the journey to a perfect Modern Country living room...

Images via Country Homes and Interiors

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Are Period Homes Better?

If I had a penny for every time I've heard someone wishing for a period house, I'd be a gazillionaire. But let me tell you a story to comfort those of you yearning for older properties...

Just before we moved here, a good friend of mine also moved house nearby. While we moved to a Georgian property, she moved to a new build. 

We visited her six weeks after she moved in and, while our house was still in complete chaos from having to sort out years of other people's diy mistakes, hers was a picture of serenity. 

 

Not only that but this new house, because it had very little character of its own at first, almost instantly had the same feel as her old home, only this time it was more spacious!

Yes, it is always period properties have my heart but, let me tell you, they are by no means the easy option. The very same character that tweaks your heart strings, can also be trickier to work around initially.

It takes much longer to get to know an older house, with all its quirks and special ways. Why is there a blocked up window here? Why does that water pipe stop short there? And how am I meant to peel of ten layers of paint to get back to those original features!

I've often found, when I've worked on designing clients'  homes, that new builds are so much easier to stamp your own character onto because you don't have to fight so hard against the existing character of a house, making it bend to your will.

Yet this post isn't meant to sound like a big ol' grumble! Rather I just wanted to put it out there that it's uber-easy to imagine the grass is not only greener but longer, lusher and more perfect in every way, whereas, in actual fact, it just needs watering wherever you are, wherever you live.

This house is a fantastic example of a big space, full of its own character that has been beautifully moulded to make it the kind of home that its owners want it to be.

 

Please be inspired to enjoy putting your own stamp on your own house, whether it's brand spanking new or as old as time itself.

Now, back to stripping ten layers of paint...!!

Images via unknown

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Perfectly Neutral Georgian Home Tour

I've been thinking a lot, natch, about living rooms, because we're now in the process of having ours done (can you hear the bangings of the builders downstairs?) and how I want ours to look. This Georgian home I'm sharing here has some of the elements I'm after.

Yes, it's a location house, I believe, so you have to look past the slight blandness and lack of personality....

....but I love the way the entire house works together. The spaces aren't replicas of one another but there is a strong identity that runs from room to room to room.

I've been building up in my mind a vision of how I'd like our entire home to look when it's finished so that this room will fit perfectly into the cohesive whole. 

Obviously that's a big ask but it's so easy to dive right into a project like this, full of enthusiasm, but without thinking through the basics.

Without the right foundations in place, you can end up with a house full of very lovely but very disparate rooms, and that's not what I'm after.

Even as you continue upstairs in this house, the feeling of calm stays with you. Soft, chalky shades of greys and taupes run throughout, with reclaimed furniture and wooden accents.

It might not be exactly right for us and our family but it's pretty bally gorgeous, don't you agree?

Images via 1st Option

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Happy New Year!

What a year it has been for me here at Modern Country Style! 2015 has been a year of significant change, with so much going on behind the scenes with our house move but, come January, I'll be gearing up to reveal all! I can't wait....which is good because there's only ONE MORE DAY until the New Year!

Here's to a very happy, very Modern Country 2016!

Image via OwlCanada

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A Very Red Christmas House Tour!

Although there may be some new ideas that I'm trying out, having recently moved house, like the wreaths-on-windows shebang we spoke about last time, it has to be said that there are some absolute non-negotiables for me. And one of those is my favourite Christmas colour scheme. 

I'm a die-hard fan of red, green and gold at Christmas. 

It's traditional, it's warm and it's timeless.

Perfection.

Here's a Christmas house that takes that very same scheme of red, green and gold theme throughout the whole home.

Oooh, and look! A gorgeously festive Christmas garden! I love it!

Images via: Casa Tres Chic

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