For those who like a rustic or country look in their home, there’s always the danger of descending into kitsch with smarmy signage, ceramic piglets and wallpaper borders stuffed with ducks. But these baubles and affectations aren’t the real thing, in part because they tend to clutter what is essentially a spare aesthetic, at least in its original forms.
Author and designer Terry John Woods knows firsthand that traditional rural living often involved simple homes and few belongings, and sometimes a cleaner look that unintentionally mimics modernist styles. In his book, “New Farmhouse Style” (Stewart, Tabori and Chang; $45), he walks readers through his 1820s Vermont farmhouse to show how classic and even contemporary a rustic look can be — given a little self-discipline and a discerning eye.
Like any decorative style, Woods’ “farmhouse” look is a deliberately cultivated style with certain signature elements, but he emphasizes first that it should result in a home that offers personalized comfort to its occupants. Family heirlooms and vintage furnishings make the short list, and storage comes via unfitted and sometimes re purposed objects such as baskets and clay pots, rather than built-ins or cabinetry.
Woods’ keeps his colour palette more limited than most, with various shades of white dominating much of the home’s interior. Colour accents are mostly small or intense focal points provided by flowers, folk art or fabrics. This is part of what gives his place its clean contemporary look. That and the conspicuous lack of clutter.
Like many designers, Woods embraces few hard-and-fast rules, a handful of intuitive guidelines and a trove of personal preferences. The book weaves images with his descriptions to explain some favourite strategies. Surround yourself with objects of your affection. Furnishings and artefacts with a personal connection always trump the merely stylish. Themed collections are ok, but opt for informal small-scale displays so as not to overwhelm the rest of the space. And don’t worry about matching everything; the personal meaning behind an object can often be more important than its scale or colour.
Embrace all the qualities of colour. Hue and intensity are among the most prominent qualities of colour, but other, more subtle factors also figure in design equations. Colours have varying levels of energy, and their reflections change when the sheen is glossy rather than matte. Multiple coats of paint on distressed or old furniture creates a layered look as scuffs and normal wear reveal previous colours peeking through. Woods keeps things tame with paint colours, grouping various shades of the same tones on walls and ceilings, and adds more vibrant “pops” of colour with flowers and other accents.
Use plenty of texture. Texture is an often overlooked and underused element in interior decor, but it always belongs in rustic decor. Heavy textures are often an indication of handmade rather than manufactured items, and nature provides a wide variety in the form of stone, wood and plants. The author’s texture choices range from simple linen curtains to peeling paint finishes and a collection of antique children’s shoes with their cracked and dappled leather surfaces.
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