How To Create A Classic Country Bedroom

Blooms, butterflies and a little sunshine… create a classic country bedroom scheme in your home.

We thought we’d refresh the photography of our Fargo Bed in Ivory White by Little Folks Furniture and see if we could create a pretty country garden vibe for a perfectly serene, calming bedroom for girls.

You needn’t live in a quaint, traditional cottage with original architectural detailing to get this look.

Here’s how Fiona Campos, Stylist at Little Folks Furniture, introduced a touch of country style to this bedroom.

Paint

Firstly she selected the colour palette.

“We love all things pink here at Little Folks, but for this collection which is slightly more grown up than some of our other ranges, we wanted to pair warm greens with soft blush tones.

Luckily for us, Dulux Colour of the Year for 2020 happens to be a wonderful, gentle green hue bordering on Eau de Nil. It’s called Tranquil Dawn and proved to be the perfect pairing to help achieve this look.  

What we particularly love about Tranquil Dawn, is just how versatile it is. Suitable for both boys’ and girls’ bedrooms, as well as kitchens, bathrooms and living spaces. We can see it working throughout the home as a continuous thread of colour to tie all interior schemes together”.

Panelling

For the walls, Fi introduced some country-style, architectural detailing. The classic Tongue & Groove panelling with a picture rail at the top helped to pull the look together. By creating the rail with more depth, it also doubled up as a handy shelf for various trinkets and toys. She painted the panelling Tranquil Dawn and included the picture rail too, to give a cosy feel to the bedroom. Above the picture rail, the panelling was painted white to give a sense of space. This design approach allows the top of the wall to blend into the ceiling, creating a feeling of height and scale. 

Features

Fi made 3D paper butterflies using tester pot paints – a quick, easy and very effective way of producing wall art to layer on top and add further interest. 

Create your own paper butterflies by following these simple steps:

1. Choose a selection of tester pot paints to create a palette that will tie in with your interior. Fi used a variety of soft and subtle pinks and greens for her set of butterflies. 

2. Using off cuts of card or thick paper, apply the paint to the card using a variety of brushes. This is where mark-making can create some really interesting effects. Try not to be too perfect with the marks. Children can have some fun joining in with this task too! Dry brushing, stippling, rollering and dabbing in the same colours will help to create unique prints that tie in with the individual and distinctive wings of a butterfly. 

3. Once the card has been covered in paint, leave it to dry.

4. Once dry, repeat the process on the reverse of the card. Fi painted using mainly pinks on one side of the card, and then greens on the other, so that when the card was folded, it gave a more 3-dimensional look to the wall. 

5. Once both sides of the card have been covered in paint effects, fold the card in half down the centre. Ensure that some of the card is folded with alternate colours facing inwards and outwards. This provides variety when it comes to mounting the butterflies onto the wall. 

6. With the card folded in half, carefully draw on simple butterfly silhouettes in varying sizes and shapes. You can easily find butterfly templates online. Once drawn on, start cutting! We advise that adults do all the cutting here as the layers could be quite thick and tricky to get through. By the time you’ve cut out all of your folded butterflies, it’s then time to plan the layout on the wall! 

For this layout, she planned it first by moving the butterflies around in various positions on the floor. Lots of phone snaps were taken to decide on the final solution, and then the design was carefully transferred to the wall. Spray mount was used to stick the card butterflies onto the wall. Remember to keep the butterflies folded and just stick one side, so that their free wing looks like they’re flying off! You could also try mounting the butterflies within a photo frame if you’d rather not stick them directly onto the wall. 

Floor

An off-white wool carpet was chosen for the floors to give a feeling of comfort, warmth and relaxation. If your child’s bedroom has hardwood floors, be sure to add some lovely fluffy rugs, as little feet do like soft landings!

Bedding

For the bedding, Fi sourced a vintage style bedspread with a floral country rose design to tie in with the theme. This was layered up with a soft, blush coloured blanket and a variety of subtle pink and eau de nil scatter cushions.

Curtains

The windows were dressed with white linen voile style curtains with a red stripe. If you are using curtains made of thinner fabric, then remember that the colour will always appear more diluted, especially during the day when light is streaming through. This means that when it comes to coloured voiles, you can usually go a tone or two darker than everything else in the room . 

Furniture

The Fargo Bed in Ivory White with its classic detailing on the head and foot boards was the perfect furniture to use in this design. If you are being true to the classic look then it’s best to stick with furniture that echoes traditional carpentry methods and details, such as beading and finials, as this will give a more authentic feel. 

Happy styling!