If you’ve been dreaming of a cosy stone cottage in the countryside, where you can release your inner Jane Eyre and define a new pace of life, this article is for you. A lot of people dream of leaving behind the grey urban landscape of the town to start a fresh and slow-paced life in the countryside. Unfortunately, for many, the dream never comes true. Admittedly, not every career lets you choose a peaceful lifestyle where you can open the curtains in the morning to watch the birds flying from branch to branch in your garden. But, if you can indeed leave the crowded and polluted city air for the countryside, you need some guidance to build the perfect rustic cottage lifestyle.
#1. The long and winding hunt
First things first, you need to be realistic. Most people spend years exploring the real estate market before discovering their future home sweet home. So, hunting for the perfect home can take some time, and it’s something you need to be prepared for. Even though it can be easy to describe homeownership as a love story, in reality, if you want to find the right property for your needs you need to pragmatic about it. Take your feelings out of the hunt; it’s the best way to succeed! For a start, needless to say, that there is a big difference between browsing the market and looking with intent to buy. You need to be in a position to make an offer when you find your gem. Otherwise, nobody is going to take you seriously.
#2. The necessary improvements
Most countryside properties are likely to be old. So the first thing you need to know when you visit your future home is where renovation work is required and how much it is likely to cost you. You should at least organise two viewings of the property, and one of these should be recorded for future analysis. This will be your starting point to define the kind of renovation you want to do and whether the house is worth your efforts. Most old homes will need rewiring, replacing the central heating, the roof and eventual leaks in the structure as a basic rule. Then other costs come on top, such as repairing the original features or replacing them and finally considering extensions and structural changes.
#3. A touch of old grandeur
The best part of making your countryside property a true rustic place is to create the decor that works for you. Here’s a hint: If you’ve only lived in modern urban flats, it’s time to check paintings of the Victorian and Edwardian periods. You can leave your beloved IKEA furniture behind when you move in; you will need items that bring back the grandeur of the past. Check The Chair People for the ultimate dining experience, with exquisite upholstered chairs that seem to come out of a painting. You can enhance the feeling with a real wood table – it’s there’s any antique fair in your area, that’s where you want to start! Finally, add the last touch with rustic paint colours. Deep and warm red and mossy green are great choices for a living room, for instance.
#4. The quintessential Victorian garden
An old house deserves a quirky and elegant garden. If you’re working with a small garden area, the typical cottage garden with kitchen herbs, fragrant flowers and the romantic bench to drink your afternoon tea can do the trick. But for large surfaces, you should give a go a recreating a Victorian landscape, which is ultimately a glorified version of the small cottage decor. The lawn is an essential element of your garden and serves, with trees, to divide the space. You will need to shape adult trees in pleasing designs, preferably maximising the passage of the direct light. Flowers and plants are organised along the paths, the window boxes, and even the water if you can install a pond.
#5. Not everything has to be rustic
Finally, last but not least piece of advice, a rustic home doesn’t mean that everything inside has to be old. In fact, while you can play with antique furniture, you also need to look for modern appliances and comfort. The kitchen area, for instance, needs to provide the necessary control and usability of modern kitchens, even if you choose to maintain a rustic decor. If you worry about the clash of styles, you can turn to fake vintage appliances, such as Smeg fridges for instance.
Your rustic countryside home is the perfect combination of smart modern strategies and comfort with the charm of old values and historic past.
