Blening Old And New For Beautiful Interiors

  When you are


trying to decorate your home in the elegant country style it is a good idea to


try to keep to smart colours,   exchanging


those brighter colours which might be a home in a more modern property for more


subtle   tones like ivory, taupe and grey. Keep to clean


lines, no frills are allowed - on curtains, bedding or even cushions.   Classy shabby chic


items of furniture are perfect for this type of home, but   you


can give your country style residence a striking look by combining this look with


one or two carefully chosen more contemporary pieces. The key is to choose


furniture that fits in and doesn't jar with the country look - like a simple


leather sofa or streamlined oak table in the kitchen. Introduce a feature wall


to instantly give a room a modern feel - just pick a paper that complements


your scheme.   Use your imagination and try to get hold of some unusual


or one-off items of furniture or accessories, which really help stamp your


personality on any property. Antique shops, craft fairs and even car boot sales


can be a great source of materials and inspiration. Keep walls neutral and use


accent colours to add interest. As I work with colour all day, I like to be


able to switch off when I get home. Having consciously avoided making the house


too "beachy" because of its location, I wanted a scheme that could be


home to the many knick-knacks from the family's travels.    Concentrating on just a single colour or group of


colours can be a bit restricting. At the end of the day what I wanted to achieve


was a blend of stylish comfort and practicality.   That is just one of the reasons I like to use natural materials that


age well and look better when they're a bit   used, even distressed,


as   as I think they make for a more


relaxing ambiance. One good tactic to employ if you like this style is to visit architectural salvage marchants. You can vcertainly find them online but most major townms and citirs will have at leasdt one such business. They are a great source of unusual and distinctive itewms. These can range from reclaimed floor tiles - which may often be very old and suit perfectly an older style property, to more recent pieces of furniture, including items that may have been reclaimed from old offices, banks or even churches!   And one thing you should never overlook is the choice of accessories


for your new decorative scheme. Filling your home with things you love makes a


house a home. There is an abundance of choice. My favourite go-to items for accessorizing


are home fragrances – scented candles or maybe even a room spray or reed


diffuser. There are lots of good brands but I tend to stick with the ones I


know such as Yankee candles and True Grace candles. If you are not a fan of scented candles there are lots of other things you can do. For example, it is often overlooked, but few things freshen up the way a home looks and smells like a lovely vase of freshly cut flowers. Now, if there is an impressive list of candle scents out there, the same is most certainly true when it comes to fresh flowers. Pick your favourites - whether it is roses, daffodils or carnations, or perhaps something more exotic like an orchid -  and display them proudly!


























The author owns The Scented Candle Store, specialising in luxury scented candles including True Grace candles from England