Here’s How You Achieve a Modern Country Interior Design Style in 2024

Updated for 2024.

If you watched Aussie TV series The Block in 2022, you’ll know all too well the struggle people faced pulling off the modern country interior design style.

And I totally get it. The blend of new and old is one thing, but avoiding all of those typical country cliches is another altogether. How modern do you go? How do you make it feel country but not themed? It’s overwhelming, I hear you.

Thankfully I’ve recently completed a modern country design for a client of ours here at TLC Interiors, so I want to show you inside how we pulled it off, so you can steal some style ideas for your own place.

The Modern Country Colour Palette is Neutral

What makes a country home so amazing is its surroundings. There’s nothing better than being in one looking outside to rolling hills, gorgeous gardens and clear blue skies. That’s why when you decorate inside the home the aim is to celebrate the view, not detract from it.

The interior design choices you make should be the supporting player to the vista. That’s not to say the inside should be dull (far from it), but you want to channel that sense of calm and serenity. You want to walk into the room and feel peaceful, at ease.

This is why the colour palette of your modern country home should be neutral. Think white, cream, beige, brown, and grey, for the most part, with some black accents here and there. You want to explore all of the tones of each of those colours too, not just one.

Include Accent Colours You’d See Outside

It can’t all be neutral, of course. The modern country interior design style is calm and serene, but it does have accent colours going on to lift rooms and add interest.

The accent colours you show in decorative pieces, artwork and soft furnishings should be reflective of what you’d see when you wander outside the home. Go for a walk in the bush and you’ll see them right away. For a modern country vibe, accent colours like green, blue, orange and yellow work well.

That said, the colours you use in your space of top of the neutral base palette come with a warning…

Tone is Everything Though!

Get the tone of your green, blue, red and yellow accent colours wrong and it’s all over, red rover! This can honestly make or break the whole scheme. Remember, you want to evoke calm and serenity when rocking a modern country look, not high-drama or anything too visually stimulating.

• When it comes to green tones, think sage and eucalyptus
• In blues, move toward tones like denim and slate
• In yellow tones, consider a little ochre and fawn
• In orange accents, think tones like rust and terracotta

Embrace Timber Furniture, But Choose Wisely

Timbers are an important inclusion in the modern country interior design style. But here’s the thing: you want to ensure you have the colour of the wood correct.

For example, you want to embrace options like bayur wood and elm wood in pieces of furniture, over the more common blonde timbers or dark walnuts. This will mean you have to hunt a little more, because those timbers aren’t as common, but I promise you it’s worth it.

The rookie mistake people make is buying furniture in either quite yellow tones, which takes you in a coastal direction. Or, they buy dark wood furniture that’s too rustic. It ends up weighing down the room and making the space feel gloomy as opposed to calm.

Explore Some Unexpected Stone Moments

The colour palette is neutral with soothing accents, which is great. And we have the right timber tone going on, which we love. But for a modern country interior design vibe, you want to ensure some stone is in the mix too.

A medley of textures is the key to getting any room right, after all. And in for a contemporary country aesthetic, stone is key. You do want to avoid super cold stones though, like lots of marble. A little is fine, but try other more earthy stones.

Travertine is a divine option and brings with it more warmth, while concrete side tables or decorative accessories will give you a nod to the industrial while still feeling refined. Limestone is another fabulous option you’d be wise to consider here.

Avoid Traditional Shapes in Furniture

Less is always more when executing a modern country interior design style. Yes, you want pieces to feel handcrafted and earthy/organic, but the shapes don’t need to be overdone and elaborate. Again, you want to reduce the visual chaos. You want the space to feel easy and harmonious.

With this in mind, you don’t need to go for the expected tufted-button headboard with lots of curves in the profile. You don’t need to have Queen Anne legs present either. You can keep the bed in a cleaner, contemporary style and bring interest into the space with timber bedsides.

In sofas, avoid large rolled arms. It’s too old-school. In armchairs, it doesn’t have to be a large wingback option. Instead, opt for a simpler profile with a linen slipcover (as seen in the mood board further down) and you’ll have created a timeless design instead of a theme.

Think Easy and Organic with Soft Materials

I know it sounds weird to say that some textiles read as more ‘country’ and some read as more ‘city’. It does hold some truth though, or more accurately, some materials read as more organic and earthy, while others read and more luxe and opulent.

As the modern country interior design style is all about ease and simplicity, you want to avoid soft furnishings in materials that you’d see in luxe apartments in the city. Avoid fabrics like velvet in cushions and faux fur in throws. It’ll take you somewhere that’s not country.

Instead, adorn beds and sofas with cushions and throws in materials like pure linen, cotton, wool; anything that feels organic to the touch. If any of these have tactile embellishments like tassels or fringing it’s going to create and even better look in the space.

Metallics Should Be Brushed, Not Pure

Another element that completely takes you out of the country is pure metallics. Now don’t get me wrong, I love the pure look of chrome and brass tapware. But when you’re creating a nostalgic nod to an aesthetic like country, it’s nice to have some elements feel worn over time.

With that in mind, go for more aged and brushed finishes on metallics in not only tapware, but in door hardware and on the legs of your furniture. It will bring with it an inherent sense of character and make the scheme feel like it’s grown over time.

The best part of a modern country vibe is this feeling that things are a little less mass-produced, and the patina you get on a brushed or aged brass or nickel really helps on this front.

Of course, matte black also works in things like tapware and door hardware if things like brass, chrome, nickel or copper aren’t your thing.

Embrace Art that Gives a Nod to Nature

The key word here is ‘nod’ to nature. Just because we’re in a modern country home does not mean the art needs to feature flowers, horses, sheep, or a tractor. At every stage of the design you want to avoid anything cliched or on-the-nose like this. Subtle, not expected.

Abstract art in the accent tones mentioned earlier works really well. It’s even better though when the art resembles a landscape or country scene, but in an obscure way. It’s not literally a painting of rolling hills, but it gives you a hint of that through its colour and composition.

Now, art is very personal, and by all means you want it to reflect you. But I’d avoid adorning all your walls with random, bright artworks that command attention. Perhaps one or two statements across the home is OK, but I’d keep a close watch on this.

Here’s where we get affordable art online if you need some great ideas.

A Few Handmade, Vintage Items Inject Character

One of the things some of the teams on The Block 2022 have gotten wrong is this idea that because the home is country, accessories should be from a salvage store. I don’t know where this idea came from, but it’s honestly best avoided.

Sure, you want vignettes in your home to feature some age and character, but they don’t have to be second hand or vintage. They can be passed-down mementoes and keepsakes. They can be handmade items brought from small businesses on Etsy. It’s the colour and finish that’s important.

You want a handmade feel to the pieces, even if they’re not handmade. Speckled pottery is nice. Aged brass ornaments work well. An iron candlestick does too. Anything with imperfections in shape or finish are lovely as well.

You don’t have to spend loads either. Remember when I told you how to buy cheaper decor without it looking cheap? Follow the same rules here and you can’t go wrong.

Keep Patterns Nostalgic, Not Cliched

Last but not least when it comes to getting the modern country interior design style right is pattern. It’s really important in this particular aesthetic because it’s what can lift a room and take it from bland to beautiful.

Because so many of the tips above are about ensuring things feel easy, calm and tranquil, it’s fair to say that things can become flat if you don’t introduce pattern into each space.

A floor rug is a great way to introduce pattern, as are cushions and throws, quilt cover set, and upholstery on armchairs and sofas.

You really want to avoid common cliches here, like loads of florals. By all means opt for traditional prints like gingham, stripes and checks. But don’t be afraid to colour outside the lines here. You want nostalgia, but not a theme or a cliche.

Shop the Modern Country Interior Design Style

The mood board above showcases a slew of gorgeous furniture and decor that’ll work beautifully in the modern country interior design scheme.

Simply hit the links below to shop away and get to making your modern country home feeling uniquely yours in no time!

Bar Stool | Faux Flowers | Artwork | Coffee Table | Loop Ornament | Armchair | Dresser | Candle Holder | Table Lamp | Black Mirror | Green Cushion | Beige Cushion | Mug | Check Cushion | Side Table | Floor Lamp | Vase | Bench Seat | Door Handle | Candle | Lantern | Floor Rug

Are you loving the modern country interior design style showcased in this post? Drop me a comment below if you have any questions about the look and how to create it at yours!