You don’t have to have a country cottage to get the country look. Gabrielle Fagan explains how this classic style can be reinterpreted in newer homes SAY the words “country home” and you evoke an image of a cosy sanctuary with roaring log fires and a chance to connect with nature. But you don’t have to live in the country to create that country look, or even have an older property. Instead that romantic style – albeit interpreted in a chic new way – is being recreated in modern homes just as much as it is in stately homes or cottages in rural surroundings. Quite simply, country is cool and no-one knows that better than mother of three and stylist, Liz Bauwens, who decided nine years ago that living in London – where even a park was nearly a mile away – wasn’t going to prevent her and her family from having the “country house” of her dreams. Outside it’s a Victorian semi on a busy street. But sitting in her white painted kitchen, with stripped floorboards, a subtle smattering of colour from well-worn floral fabrics, and sunlight flooding in through the patio door, it’s hard to believe the fields and hillsides she so hankers for aren’t surrounding us outside. Liz, whose work features in interior magazines, says: “I never wanted the slightly cliched, sickly sweet look of the chocolate box-pretty, country cottage. What I wanted was to capture the essence of a country home – its uncluttered unpretentiousness. A place where you walk in, feel instantly relaxed, and just kick off your shoes and flop into a squashy sofa.” A cluster of wellies and shoes by the back door demonstrate that everyone does just that. Friends and family enjoy meals around her own bang-up-to-date alternative to a predictable scrubbed pine table – she has a sleek white formica one on trestles – and the chairs, although wooden and cottagey in style, are painted in a mix of vibrant, punchy colours. From small domestic acorns a trend has grown, and now Liz and her friend, Alexandra Campbell, have gathered together all their hints, tips and guidance on how to create the “New Country look” in a book, Simply Country, which bursts with inspiring photographs. Liz, 48, says with a smile: “What’s wonderful about this look is that everyone can achieve it, because by decorating in this way you spend time, rather than money, creating a home that is stylish, comfortable and in touch with a new direction in fashion.” WHAT IS NEW COUNTRY? Liz says: “It’s a simple, uncluttered look where pieces that you love can be shown off. A mix of old and new, family and formal, top quality and everyday usage, gives this look its character and its depth.” The classic country house look has always been associated with chintzes and frills, but in fact the real key to this look is re-using as much furniture, and pieces like china, as possible.” She explains the spirit of the style: “A treasured scrap of vintage fabric, maybe fresh blue and white striped pottery from the 20th century, an old wicker chair in use again, even a house’s fixtures and fittings repainted or reworked until they become part of a patchwork of memories. It’s about conjuring a home that’s truly yours and your family’s.” COLOUR Neutral shades, whites and creams work well as background colours for walls and floors, and bring harmony and a sense of peace in rooms which may feature a variety of styles of furniture. Bring in soft colour in fabrics and collections. If you still hanker after more colour, Liz suggests a limited palette of soft blues and greens – highly fashionable this year – to evoke nature’s shades. | 
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