Bringing Australian Country Style Into Your Home

Bringing Australian Country Style Into Your Home

Before writing this article, the team at Pieces of Joy brainstormed the ways we would describe Australian Country Style before agreeing on these essential elements: -

Australian Country Style is…

Practical

At the heart of any country inspired style is a practical and functional approach to furniture and décor. For Australian Country Style, this means carefully selecting furniture pieces made to last from quality or reclaimed materials or made from repurposed items injected with new life.

Simple

Complicated and glitzy have no place in a country aesthetic. Australian Country styling also keeps things simple, allowing individual pieces to shine and draw focus rather than adding too much clutter or detail. The key is choosing patterns in simplified colourways that add tone but don’t overwhelm the senses.

Natural

All natural materials, fibres, textures, and colours are at the heart of successful Australian Country looks. Our beautiful landscape offers so many muted blue, green, terracotta and ochre tones to inspire our scheme and beautifully accentuate wool, linen and wood textures.

Eclectic

Australian Country style furnishings should be selected for their function, and decorator items should be chosen sparingly but deliberately to inject character into spaces. This style is not about systematically matching the same things. It’s about pairing unique items with a story or a hidden quirkiness that begs explanation.

Sophisticated

It’s possible to elicit cosy charm while being sophisticated if you limit your colour palette and focus on layering texture. Natural materials are wonderfully tactile, and when combined with a simple, cohesive colour palette, the laying of textures elevates the overall result.

Nostalgic

When discussing the charm of found items, we suggest focusing on treasures from your family and history rather than looking for second-hand or salvaged things. We stand by the mantra that it’s right for your space if you like it. But, if you like it and it has a personal backstory, it can be a focal point of your room.

Australian Country Design Hallmarks

Monochromatic or natural colours

Starting with your colour selection is the best way to build your space from the ground up. When creating an Australian Country space, your colour choices should take inspiration from the Australian landscape, supplemented with black, white, and grey monochrome highlights. Building this foundation allows wooden furniture items to add extra warmth and texture and for natural greenery to enhance the space further.  

When considering your walls, choose light and airy colours that will help to make your home feel more spacious and brighter. Incorporating whitewashed woods, subtle shades of cream and beige, grey floorboards, and pale or white paint on the walls create a neutral, contemporary backdrop to showcase more traditional furniture pieces and accessories.

When adding an accent colour, remember tone is everything in an Australian Country scheme – the more subtle, the better.

• When it comes to green tones, think sage and eucalyptus, not emerald and forest
• In blues, move toward tones like denim and slate and away from cobalt and sky blue
• In yellow tones, consider ochre and fawn over lemon or beige
• In orange accents, think of tones like rust and terracotta rather than the brighter hues

Whitewashed Woods & rustic timber

There’s a big emphasis on natural and reclaimed materials in Australian Country styling, with wooden furniture, exposed timber beams, shiplap, and timber accents indicative of this style. A reclaimed or distressed wooden dining table makes a beautiful focal point of a dining room, especially when paired with mismatched wooden chairs.

Minimal metallic accents, usually in a brushed finish

If Hollywood Glamour is all about gold and silver bling, Australian Country is all about brushed nickel, pewter, and brass. Forget high shine and smooth, sleek lines, and instead opt for brush, dull metal with aged patina and even the odd ding or two.

Earthy textures

Natural textures and materials like leather, jute, hemp fabrications and finishes, and linen are critical to the Australian Country look, complimenting wood, metal or stone foundations and fittings. Whichever materials you choose, it’s all about combining tactile and visual textures.

As Australian Country interior design is all about ease and simplicity, you should avoid soft furnishings using materials you’d see in luxe city apartments. Specifically, avoid plastic, resin, lucite, and other unnatural or artificial materials when selecting key pieces, as they are inauthentic.

Also, avoid velvet and faux fur fabrics in soft furnishings as they are more akin to other decorating styles. Instead, adorn beds and sofas with cushions and throws using materials like pure linen, cotton, wool, or anything that feels organic.

Using patterns

An Australian Country home should feature playful patterns to bring energy into the space. If you like floral patterns, we suggest you find an interesting way to reimagine them. Resizing a smaller print into an enlarged format can make it look more contemporary, or perhaps choose to have a monochrome pattern palette rather than bright colours. Selecting Australian native patterns, even modern adaptations, will also add freshness and authenticity to your overall look.

Geometric prints are a country-style staple and can feature on walls, floors or even in décor items. Rather than the traditional country-style gingham, opt for large-scale tartan or check prints in earthy tones. Maybe consider draping a check blanket across the arm of your couch for instant chic.

Floor rugs, cushions, throws and bedroom linen are easy ways to add pattern to your space and monochrome foundations. And patterned upholstery on armchairs and sofas or carefully selected wallpaper can be a game changer.

Celebrating imperfection

Interesting, rough, and organic textures are a fundamental element of the Australian country look. Scratches and scrapes, bumps and dents in building materials are all signs of age celebrated in this interior design style. The informality of imperfection gives furniture a softened and well-loved appearance reminiscent of a growing family and entertaining close friends, which is at the heart of this look.

Reclaimed materials

In Modern Country style, bare plaster, concrete floors and exposed brick look very effective. However, these techniques can result in a look that is slightly industrial if other accents do not soften them. Our version of Australian Country suggests pairing reclaimed surfaces with softer, faded natural fabrics on couches, slipcovers, and chair pads rather than adding plain, hard wooden furniture.

Unique Fixtures

Another area where you can add a lot of charm and impact is the choice of your fixtures and fittings. For some design inspiration, head to www.thesocietyinc.com.au - Sibella Court’s exquisite range of homewares and hardware, where you can see for yourself how thinking about the finer details can create a unique charm that is as individual as you are.

A wide range of fixtures can be used in Australian Country styling, from oversized pendant lights to cabinet handles, to weathered faucets. We suggest introducing rustic light fixtures and sconces for a sophisticated and dramatic effect or updating your cabinet and drawer facades with new, farmhouse-inspired hardware and pulls.

Found Objects

Because Australian Country décor is about mixing history with a little country and a touch of contemporary, celebrating irregular and imperfect unique one-offs will add charm and personality to any room in your home.

Unlike flashy styles like Hollywood Glamour, it’s a minimal approach to decorating - a cleaner aesthetic that allows your few chosen display items to shine. They can be passed-down souvenirs, keepsakes, or handmade items from small businesses on Etsy. The cost and place you buy from are less important than the colour and finish, and you should look for a handmade feel to the pieces, even if they’re not handmade. Speckled pottery is perfect. Aged brass ornaments work well, or iron candlesticks; almost anything with imperfections in shape or finish will work.

People often make a mistake trying to create this style by going to an Op Shop or Flea Market to collect other people’s memories and treasures because they look ‘old.’ Instead of salvaging (which is very ‘shabby chic’), finding new items that you love that look aged is a better option.

Bringing the outdoors in

Whether you live in the countryside or the middle of a bustling city, bringing nature into your home will add to an authentic Australian Country feel. Pops of greenery help to bring character and personality to your home and potted plants and kitchen herbs are a quick way to add instant warmth to a space.

If you’re not to be trusted to look after living plants, then botanical prints and artificial plants are equally good! Again, to maximise authenticity, we suggest you take inspiration from the Australian landscape first and consider native flora and foliage as fantastic décor options.
 

We hope this article has helped inspire you to revisit your home décor and make it a little more Australian Country. If you’re looking for further inspiration for creating this aesthetic in your home, we suggest you grab a copy of Australian Country Style magazine or pop in to see us!