Durath Tommy - Country style: home décor and rustic crafts from chandeliers to coffee tables, bedcovers to bulletin boards: bohemian, industial, elegant, shabby chic

Copyright 2011 by Anna rnberg

English Translation 2014 by Skyhorse Publishing

Photography by Tommy Durath

Design by Monica Sundberg

First published in 2011 as Inred lantligt p
ditt eget stt by Anna rnberg, Bokfrlaget
Semic, Sundbyberg, Sweden

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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication
Data is available on file.

ISBN: 978-1-62873-643-4
eISBN: 978-1-62914-001-8

Printed in China

A big thank you to everyone who welcomed photographer Tommy and me into their homes. Sometimes we took photos of other peoples inspiring homes and other times we used the space to show off the things I created.

Josefine & Andreas | Malin & Johan | Lena & Per

Malin & Niclas | Stina & Per | Marie & rjan

Marie & Marcus | Kicki & Fredrik | Pernilla & Peter

Paula & Tommy | Mia & Ulf | Camilla & Jan

Systrarna i Fllorna

And a huge thank you to the Swedish stores

Panduro

Lundens Greenhouse

Sljd-Detaljer

Margaretas Interiors & Presents

for props and material, as well as advice and help. What would we have done without you?

Contents

Country Style

what is it?

Defining country style is not easy, as it encompasses so much, and everyone can interpret the style in their own way.

One thing that characterizes country style is its love of the tarnished look or patinaoh how we adore anything that looks worn, rubbed, corroded, oxidized, rusty, or stamped by the hallmark of time!

An old cupboard with worn and chipped paint makes our heart leap. For the cupboard to satisfy an antiques expert, it has to be an original from the eighteenth century. A countryphile, however, is just as happy with a newer cupboard that has been tarnished to look old. Some of us even like the cupboard better if its a half-decent piece from the 40s that we picked up at the thrift store and then painted and patinated.

We also love things that are pleasingly aged, and we love to find such things at thrift shops and antique stores. We go all gooey over simple, old items and strange curios, dented with worn edges and flaking paint.

You could even go so far as to say that those of us who are obsessed with country style dont judge the value of our interiors by how much they cost, and instead measure them by the ambience that these items create. We randomly mix expensive and cheap, old and new, fresh and funky with worn and torn, and we like it that way!

What does it look like?

Mixing it up is key; you dont want to live in a junk store, so your aim is to not make your home a mixed collection of worn and scuffed items. Instead, you should contrast items in order to enhance the charm of the old and worn, rather than let it be overpowering. So let nice clean surfaces, fresh paint, and the shiny and glossy meet the dented, rusty, scratched, and worn.

To mix country with other styles is no more strange than introducing a new word into a language. Country style comes in many guises: it can be tough with an industrial edge, romantic and elegantly stylish, or have a playfully colorful bohemian twistjust like one language might have many dialects.

I have visited many country-inspired homes with my photographer Tommy; for many of them white is the dominant decorating color. It makes for a light and airy environment that is easy to adapt, much like a painters canvas! Play with contrasting colors, change curtains, hang a new lamp, and suddenly your room takes on a whole new look. Fresh paint on the walls can make magical changes, and a white home, with white furniture in white rooms, gets a dramatic makeover with a wide variety of accent colors. White furniture works with just about everything.

I personally like country style for the fact that it has a strong DIY component. I love the challenge of changing slightly dull furniture using color and detailing. My favorite thing is to find new ways to use old items and to recycle and change the mundane into the extraordinary. My husband often sighs and wonders if I even realize that there are stores selling new things out there. Sure I do, I just dont think theyre as much fun and not at all as satisfying as when I do my own hammering, painting, or sewing. I also feel better when I recycle instead of just throwing things away and buying new. Im happy when I see the results! Its a passion that I am happy to share and I hope that you find this book both inspiring and informative. Make good use of it when you decorate and fix your own home.

Enjoy!Anna

Casual Country Romance

The philosophy of decorating in the country style is all about enjoying your daily life and taking pleasure in the simple thingsadding an edge to everyday activity and seeing the beauty in whats normal.

So what makes the heart race for those who love country style? Designer furniture, expensive art, or the latest media technology? Hardly! More like old kitchen towels, wire art, or rose-patterned tea cups are the things that might be high on the wish list. Everyday objects and ordinary items become beloved decorative items in homes with a country style. We might use modern washing machines, but an old washboard can be still hung on the wall. Visit your nearest thrift store and get some beautiful bargains for a small sum or simply look around you... what do you have in your vicinity that deserves pride of place in your home?