There’s something about living in the countryside that appeals to all of us, even if we’re real urbanites. A great compromise is to live in a city suburb or busy market town so you have the amenities of a city without the pollution, stress and expense. It’s even better if the market town is in the country, too, so that you only need a short walk or drive to get out into fields.
This will certainly appeal to lots of buyers looking to escape to a more peaceful life, and if your home looks the part as well, then you could sell even faster. Here’s how to turn back time without defying physics.
Repaint with timeless colour schemes
Turn away from rose gold and turquoise and go traditional with royal blue and white or cream. You can use this on walls and floors, as well as soft furnishings and crockery.
You could also use earthy greens, yellows and browns in your home to enhance the rural feel.
Bring the outside in
This doesn’t mean muddy footprints! Instead, use wicker baskets to store logs, reclaimed barn doors to divide rooms and roughly-hewn planks as shelves, for example. Lots of greenery and maybe even a bit of indoor topiary will also help your cause.
Reclaim the florals
Florals aren’t chintzy anymore – you can have flowers of all different sizes blooming on your curtains and walls, as long as you team them with a gentler palette in the background so it’s not too busy.
Relaxation is the order of the day
Rural living is all about getting out of the city to relax and so it’s what lots of people dream of. Make their dreams come true by offering them a welcoming haven. Woollen throws, cosy nooks with comfortable chairs, candles, magazines in a rack, lots of gently-distressed accessories…you know the drill.
Let lots of light in
Older countrified homes tended to have dark, bulky furniture and rows upon rows of tiny trinkets, horse brasses and thimbles everywhere. These days, country living is more pareddown so you don’t have to worry about knocking over a treasured collection of porcelain miniature gnomes.
Think of white oak, ash and birch for your furniture rather than mahogany and darker oaks as these woods can be quite gloomy and oppressive, especially in larger items. Aim to create a light, airy, open space that people feel at liberty in.
