European Country Decorating Ideas

Country decorating ideas warm up your home with the handcrafted look of attractive imperfection.  On this page:

Browse country interior decorating ideas, from rustic kitchen design to European country cottage style furniture. Get inspired with DIY country decorating ideas, from rustic window treatments to homemade Christmas tree decorations!

Rustic Decorating Ideas:
The Basics

European
Country Ideas

• Country Decorating 101: What makes it 'Country'?

• Rustic Country Style Decor: Easy-to-copy European rustic decorating ideas

• Country Style Decorating: How to get the look (even in a city pad!)

• Interior Rustic Pictures: Historic mountain cabin decorating - 19th-century life in a Swiss Alpine cabin.

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Country Decorating Ideas
By Country

Tuscan Country
Bedroom

Check out these authentic European rustic decorating ideas and original country cottage decorating photos.

The style of French country decorating depends very much on the location inside France - Provence Interiors, for example, are all about using local materials and dealing with the intense summer heat of Southern France.

Take a virtual French Provincial House Tour for some inspiration!

A 'cousin' of French country decorating, "Gustavian" interior design is actually a Swedish adaptation of 18th-century French château style.

It is much loved in Sweden, France ... and everywhere else, for that matter.

Scandinavian country decorating comes in many styles - yet all of them are about space, clean lines and a light touch.

Swiss Country
Decorating

Country decorating ideas from the Alps all share a similar style of rustic interior design - many French cabin interiors look pretty much like warm and inviting Swiss country homes.

Italian country decor, too, has quite a bit of regional variety. The most well-known Italian decorating style is Tuscan decor - from the palazzi to humble farm houses, Tuscan decorating is inspiring and quietly gorgeous.

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Country Decorating Ideas
By Room

Country French
Bedroom

1. Rustic Bedroom Furniture & Design:

You'll find inspiring country home decorating ideas for Country Style Bedroom Furniture in every culture, and mixing them is where the fun really starts!

Have a look at elegant and quirky Country French bedrooms, get inspired by Traditional Tuscan or Contemporary Tuscan bedrooms ... and whilst you're at it, check out some Bedroom Color schemes, too. Color is the secret ingredient that turns country home decorating ideas into reality!

2. Country Style Living Room Ideas:

There are few rules for country style Living Room furniture:  natural materials, layered & low-key color and a 'well-loved' look pretty much sums it up.   A country style Country Style Sofa, in turn, needs fit into the country style decor of the room and - most importantly - be really, really comfortable.

Check out the country living room of a Log Cabin in Canada, and find ideas for Country Floral home decor, 'Out-of-Africa' style, in a white modern living room space in Germany.

Tuscan Kitchen

3. Country Kitchen Design:

French Country Kitchen Design provides an inspiring blueprint for other European rustic kitchen design ideas, with its nonchalant mix of raw simplicity and sophisticated decorating detail.   (For a 'lite' makeover in the style of French rustic country kitchens, check out the tips and tricks on the French Country Kitchens page).

For another source of country decorating ideas, try Tuscan Kitchen Design.  It's less ornate than many people think, and with the right accessories you can transform most rustic country kitchens into very convincing Tuscany Style Kitchens.

French Country
Bathroom

4. Rustic Bathrooms:

For country bathroom decor, have a look at the page about French Country Bathrooms - these ideas can easily be transferred both to cabin bathroom decor and Mediterranean-style country bathroom designs.

For a beautifully creative approach to Italian rustic bathrooms, see Elisabetta's Tuscan Country Bathroom Decor pages (Parts 1 & 2).

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Country Decorating Ideas
For Rustic Window Treatments

Rustic Window
Treatment

Rustic shutters:

• Exterior Window Treatments from Tuscany & Northern Italy, as well as
• Swiss and French Country Window Treatments.

Rustic curtains:

• French Country Curtains &
• Tuscan Window Treatments.

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Country Decorating Ideas
On A Shoestring

Country On A
Shoestring

Cheap Country Style Home Decor is a fun, creative challenge - an old garden bench here, a platform bed (with a piece of old fencing for a headboard) there, plus the right colors mixed with a few simple textiles - the options of frugal rustic interior design are as limitless as they're easy to "do"!

Make sure you visit the 'French Country Style On A Shoestring' article, too, as well as the page about Cheap Home Decor Ideas (contains links to all  inexpensive country home decorating ideas on this site)!

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Country Decorating Ideas For Christmas:
Easy To Make Christmas Decorations

Rustic Christmas
Ornaments

1. Christmas Tree  Ideas:

• Homemade Christmas Tree Decorations - get the festive look of European rustic country style decor.

2. Mantel  Christmas Decorations & Ideas:

• Paper House Lanterns (makes a great gift that's easy to send by mail!)
• Country style Christmas Lights & Decorations
• Rustic decorating ideas with Christmas Candles

Country Style
Christmas Decor

3. Edible  Christmas Crafts:

• Christmas Table Centerpieces (frosted fruit, pyramids, and German style Rum Balls)

4. Printable  Christmas Decorations, Cards & Tags:

• Print & create Personalized Christmas Cards, country style invitations, menus, and thank-you notes.
• Paper Christmas Ornaments for simple and very effective Christmas country decorating ideas, including gift tags.
• Paper Snowflake patterns - printable Christmas paper craft for rustic country cottage decorating with your kids.

Finally, check out the books below for more  country decorating ideas!
You'll find a treasure trove of European and American rustic decorating ideas to copy and/or be inspired by. I've only included books that continue to receive excellent reader feedback:

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