Beautiful country houses around the world
The decoration of country houses continues to be amongst the most inspiring – whether it's traditional Provençale style houses in France, to that of a rustic lodge in the Austrian Alps, we have selected some of the prettiest design ideas from country houses around the world.
1/18Austria
This three-storey newbuild has many of the hallmarks of a traditional Austrian jagdhaus (hunting lodge) – a steeply pitched roof, dormer windows and a pine-clad interior. Situated in the Northern Limestone Alps and designed by architect Peter Helletzgruber and interior designer Tino Zervudachi, the house blends into the landscape. The natural hues and textures of the wood set the tone for an interior featuring plank-lined walls and exposed beams. This is a vernacular that embraces simplicity and comfort, complemented here by deep armchairs, colourful kilims and painted furniture.
Outside, the wide overhanging eaves are designed to provide protection from snow and rain for the wrap-around veranda below.
2/18Pine boards on the floor and walls create a rustic and informal backdrop for the upholstered furniture in this living area. An antique kilim – one of many in the house – adds to the layered feel.
3/18A pair of hand-painted 18th-century wooden beds with carved headboards – an example of local Bauernmalerei folk art – offer a harmonious contrast with the plain pine walls.
4/18Antique bauernstuhl chairs, typical of the region, were chosen for the dining area of the lodge. A traditional tall, tiled kachelöfen stove provides warmth as well as being an elegant focal point.
5/18Sweden
A defining characteristic of this Swedish countryside vernacular is the exterior colour of the houses, which are traditionally painted in falun red. The coppery pigment, which came from a mine in Dalarna, started to become popular in the 17th and 18th centuries when it was used on smaller wooden mansions to imitate brick; the tough linseed-oil-based paint also acts as an effective barrier against the harsh winter weather. Inside, the aesthetic is relaxed and inviting, achieved through light and airy interiors and attractive decorative details, such as stencilled motifs and simple wooden panelling.
The exterior of this house is in falu or falun red, a colour that has traditionally been used for painting wooden buildings in Sweden but is now more commonly found in the country than in towns.
6/18Designer Lars Bolander’s farmhouse, built in the 1800s on an island off the Swedish coast, is typical of the style, with its 1780 ceramic-tile kakelugn stove, white walls and Gustavian furniture.
7/18In Lars’ living room, the muted palette continues, with gentle colour introduced through a chair upholstered in a large red check. The antique Swedish bathtub sofa – one of the oldest pieces in the house – was designed to accommodate crinolines.
8/18Inside, the falun red-painted house has a pared-back charm with pretty stencilled motifs on the walls and plain wooden furniture.
10/18A traditional Swedish kakelugn stove.
11/18France
Countryside vernaculars vary as you move across France – you will find everything from grand chateaux to more humble farmhouses. But there are elements of French country-house style that have become well-known and have been widely adopted outside France – Bergère armchairs, gingham checks, toile de Jouy and damask. One of the most charming house styles is the chartreuse, which is typical of the Dordogne region in south-west France. Dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, these buildings are long and low, often with just a single storey.
Shutters frame the windows of this chartreuse house. Each room spans the width of it, with windows sited opposite each other.
12/18The kitchen in this 17th-century chartreuse house – featured in Ros Byam Shaw’s recently reissued book Perfect French Country– is what you would expect, with a checked gingham tablecloth, terracotta floor tiles and baskets for market day.
13/18A yellow Pierre Frey design, used for the walls, bed canopy and curtains, contrasts beautifully with the rich red carpet in the bedroom of a Provence house by designer Jocelyne Sibuet.
14/18The bold combination of floral patterns in this Provençal bedroom, also decorated by Jocelyne, is balanced by the simplicity of the wooden four-poster bed and pale caned bench.
15/18A petit salon in south-west France.
