Ideas to create a Rural Farmhouse

weblog

If you think a natural palette is dull, think again! Guys, earthy textures, woven accents, extensive and subtle pops of blue and green are full of life.

"I start off with white to make each room as light as possible, then I bring in textures to add dimension," Ingrid explains. In her living room, for example, wool blankets and fluffy flokati throws in creamy off-white shades add softness, while rustic wood accents—a round mirror, the three-legged stool—and a stone fireplace ground the space with earthy elements.

Start with white to make each room as light as possible, then bring in textures to add dimension.

Patterned textiles (many of them vintage) also add dimension to the light, bright spaces, like the master bedroom's mélange of blue-and-white prints. Although she mixed multiple patterns—windowpane plaid, vertical and horizontal stripes—the effect is still subdued, thanks to the consistent palette. "I like to stick to either one color or one motif," says Ingrid. "I think it's safe to say there's a stripe of some sort in every room."

Vintage textiles also add dimension to the light. Mix multiple patterns-windowpane plaid and add a different effect to your home.

The designer's home is filled with subtle pops of green and blue, like the indigo print breakfast nook pillows in her kitchen, which the couple remodeled in 2010. As part of the overhaul, she took down a wall that divided it from the adjacent dining room, added windows, and installed lots of reclaimed wood shelves. By the sink, she keeps dishware, bread boards, and potted herbs in view and within reach; on each side of her breakfast nook, she displays her collection of blue and green demijohn bottles.

On each side of her breakfast nook, she displays her collection of blue and green demijohn bottles.

Even many of Ingrid's accessories are white, such as her vast collection of pottery on display in the living room. "As a ceramics major in college, I started collecting white pottery," she says. "The wall with the collection is more dynamic than it might seem, thanks to the pieces' different shapes, shades, and eras."

Even many of Ingrid’s accessories are white, such as her vast collection of pottery on display in the living room.

Pepe Calderin's Majestic Million Dollar Penthouse in Miami