English Country Style
Timeless cottages, garden charm, and the cozy elegance of rural England.
In the English countryside, pretty villages dot rolling hills and cobblestones line narrow medieval streets. Come in through the garden gate, and you'll find a steep thatched roof overhanging ancient leaded glass windows. Old garden roses creep around the carved oak door, and lavender spills gently along the stone path.
The grounds, whether a picturesque cottage garden or the rolling parkland of the local manor house, are lovingly cared for. Everything feels fresh, tidy, and welcoming — not grand in an imposing way, but comfortable, familiar, and quietly full of charm. English Country style is rooted in tradition, shaped by nature, and softened by time.
On country walks one passes by charming brick walled and slate roofed homes surrounded by welcoming gardens.
Rural England is best seen on foot or bicycle, the better to appreciate ancient towns, medieval chapels, hills full of wildflowers, and enjoyable local traditions. The pace of life is slow, the rural environment unspoiled. Some tiny hamlets seem almost to have escaped modernity altogether.
In these villages, community life still revolves around the simple pleasures of the seasons: the summertime fete, the cricket field, and the local rugby team provide a traditional focus for gatherings both festive and familiar. The atmosphere is warm and human in scale — a reminder that beauty often comes from everyday rituals.
In the summertime, the all-important cottage garden serves as an "outdoor room" where tea and lunch can be served. The lawn or stone courtyard is surrounded by clipped hedges, climbing roses, forget-me-nots, and bluebells. An old well cover, a low stone wall, or perhaps an arch clothed by clematis adds architectural interest.
Ever-practical, the English cottager includes vegetables in the landscape: a cucumber frame, a fruit cage for red currants and gooseberries, and herbs tucked close to the kitchen door. This blend of usefulness and romance is central to the English Country spirit.
Regional stones are used to construct the walls of many country cottages. While thatched roofs create cozy character.
In ancient towns in the Cotswolds or the Lake District, public space is built on a welcoming, human scale. Honey-colored stone shop fronts form a pleasing corridor along busy sidewalks. Charming architectural detail, whether medieval or Victorian, is still carefully maintained.
Slate roofs, thatched cottages, wood beam ceilings, and flagstone floors evoke scenes from Dickens or Hardy. Interiors are layered rather than polished — filled with antiques, books, worn textiles, and the gentle sense that history is still alive in the home.
Local pub - great for a pint - go for the Bangers and Mash, or Fish and chips!
The local pub is homey, with low ceilings, cozy rugs, and dark wood bathed in warm yellow lamplight. Stories, gossip, and local politics are traded here over pints of local ale. For the weary traveler, a bed and breakfast offers rustic charm — time-darkened wood wainscoting, low-hanging leaded windows, and the comfort of a room that feels quietly timeless.
English Country Interiors
English Country style truly comes to life indoors, where comfort and tradition share the same room. The goal is simple: create spaces that feel lived-in, collected over time, and ready to welcome guests at a moment’s notice. A few honest materials — wood, stone, iron, linen — do most of the work, and gentle color ties everything together.
Country Kitchens
The English Country kitchen is the heart of the home. Painted cabinetry in soft creams, sage greens, or muted blues sits comfortably beside butcher block, stone counters, or a worn farmhouse table that can handle anything. Open shelving displays everyday pottery, copper pans hang within reach, and a deep sink feels made for rinsing garden herbs.
Floors are practical — flagstone, brick, wide-plank wood — and lighting is warm and intimate. Add gingham curtains, a basket of apples, and a vase of hedgerow flowers and the room feels instantly welcoming.
Manor Libraries & Sitting Rooms
Libraries and sitting rooms carry the quiet romance of English Country life: dark wood, layered textiles, and soft lamplight glinting off brass and iron. Built-in shelves, a carved mantel, and an upholstered armchair near the fire create a space meant for reading, conversation, and rainy afternoons.
Patterns are traditional — florals, plaids, and small-scale repeats — and they’re mixed with confidence. A Persian-style rug, framed landscapes, and well-loved books make the room feel personal rather than staged.
Bedrooms & Guest Rooms
English Country bedrooms are calm, soft, and slightly nostalgic. Think painted bedsteads, quilted coverlets, crisp linens, and floral prints in gentle, faded tones. Window treatments are simple but charming — linen panels, patterned Roman shades, or small florals that echo the garden outside.
A bedside table with a ceramic lamp, a small bowl for trinkets, and a few vintage pieces (a mirror, a chair, a chest of drawers) complete the feeling of an easy country retreat.
Special Feature
Painted Inlay Floor Border
This process imitates the appearance of individual pieces of wood inlayed as a border to a wooden floor. A variety of patterns can be created, often imitating an assortment of wood types such as mahogany, oak, pine, ebony and maple. I’ve found this treatment to be a successful method of creating a period feel within a range of styles. And since there are very few design limitations you can create wonderfully unique floors to fit your style.
Special Feature
Limewash Walls
Nothing says “old English cottage” quite like the soft, chalky depth of a limewashed wall. The finish has a natural, breathable look with gentle movement and subtle tonal variation — perfect for creating rooms that feel calm, historic, and comfortably imperfect.
Limewash is ideal for pairing with stone, timber beams, and traditional woodwork. Use it in entry halls, kitchens, bedrooms, and sitting rooms to create a relaxed backdrop that lets fabrics, antiques, and craftsmanship take center stage.
Craftsmanship is important in English Country style: carved wood and stone, wrought iron, and the simple yet imposing lines of a classic stone manor house.
English Country colors are natural and subtle: dark wood, gray or beige stone, warm ivory walls, perhaps a deep red or green accent wall. Furniture and wainscoting are often richly detailed, with Victorian curves and time-worn finishes.
Lamps are key, with wall sconces or perhaps a rustic iron chandelier creating intimate pools of light and making hand-rubbed wood carvings gleam. A nineteenth-century floral rug can add softness, while baskets of dried wildflowers bring the countryside indoors.
Most rural towns / villages have their own summer 'fete', bringing together the local community to celebrate with old fashioned fun. Colorful tents line the village green, with car boot sales, homemade cakes, local crafts, games for children, and even vintage tractor rides rolling by at an easy pace. Neighbors stop to chat, old traditions are happily preserved, and the whole afternoon feels like a step back in time.
No visit to the English countryside would be complete without a visit to the cricket field, where spectators lounge in folding chairs with tea and sandwiches, or a cheerful stomp in the mud watching a local rugby team battle it out beneath gray skies. These small rituals of country life are at the heart of English Country style — warm, familiar, and rooted in community.
Elements of English Country Style
Soft earth tones and historic warmth
English Country interiors rely on gentle, natural color: parchment whites, warm stone, mossy greens, muted reds, and the deep glow of aged wood. These hues feel calm and timeless, especially when layered with natural light and warm lamplight.
Classic patterns, mixed with ease
Florals, plaids, stripes, and small repeats create that unmistakable “country house” feeling. The trick is balance: keep the palette harmonious and let patterns vary in scale so the room feels layered, not busy.
Honest materials and visible craftsmanship
Stone, timber, iron, and carved wood details give the style its authenticity. Look for paneled walls, exposed beams, hand-forged hardware, and solid furniture with time-softened edges.
Warm lighting and intimate corners
English Country rooms are rarely lit by one bright overhead fixture. Use table lamps, wall sconces, and shaded pendants to create pools of light that make rooms feel cozy and inviting.
Decorative finishes with old-world charm
Subtle glazes, colorwashing, limewash, and gently aged wall effects evoke the mood of centuries-old cottages and manor house corridors — perfect for adding atmosphere without overpowering the room.
Feature tutorial.
The Parchment colorwash. Creating the impression of aged walls, the Parchment finish evokes a feeling of history and old world charm. The color density varies over the finished surface and creates appearances of lightly mottled parchment. A soft and airy finish, the Parchment glaze is an ideal way to create mood and character in any room. I’ve found it to be an ideal solution for finishing irregular or textured wall surfaces.
English Country Style Inspirations
Uncluttered stone walkways and arches.
This ancient slate roof offers protection from the English elements.
Small leaded window panes are opened allowing fresh air to enter.
Side entrance to a chapel rectory "Feed my lambs" carved over the entrance.
An old iron knocker and door handle announce neighbors coming for tea.
Pre-mixed Glazes
Ready, set, GO!
Getting going with these premixed glazes. Select one of our pre-mixed glaze colors or create your own. We custom mix any color from all major paint manufacturers. Just pick your own color from any swatch book and let us know the paint name and number and we'll send you the right glaze - interior or exterior - custom matched to your liking.
Create classic effects such as colorwashing, dragging, striee, antiquing effects, furniture effects and much more!
Early American Style
Colonial Amercians drew inspriation from their European heritage. Curent design styles would filter across the ocean and become reinventedin early America. Proportion and scale took reign over ornementation, A neutral color palette of grey blue, greens and rose pinks is readily apparent.
Stucco Rustico - Aged Plaster
Stucco Rustico is a Traditional interior and exterior textured plaster that epitomizes the rustic old world charm commonly associated with Tuscan environments. I love this treatment for its ease of application and the natural, organic glazed appearance that results when using mineral based plasters and glazes. Whether a rough application or a smooth finish, this treatment holds true to the test of time and, in fact, feels as if time itself stopped to wash the walls personally.
The Rustic Color Palette
The Rustic Style color palette falls within a distinct range of color tones and is essential in creating a successful Rustic interior. By using the appropriate color tones you can create a variety of design styles ranging from Period and Historic, regional or thematic. Color helps define our experiences within an interior and exterior environment. It affects us on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level and can be calming and passive, expressive and vital.
Painted Floral Details
Floral patterns used as accents in fabrics and furniture are common place details in the English Country home. These graceful and organic patterns complement the cozy interior of this style and work particularly well with lace window treatments, an heirloom tea service set and the natural and rustic charm of wooden ceiling beams and slightly irregularly textured walls.