23 country living room ideas for houses big and small
Here at House & Garden we're steeped in the tradition of country houses – places that have often been owned by generations of the same family, where antiques and pictures acquired centuries ago mix with recent additions. In reality, there may not be many such houses left, but their style has left its mark on the way we decorate, and there are few things we like more than a layered, relaxed country living room, where old and new sit happily together. We've gathered our favourite rooms that exemplify this idea – some of them look like they could have existed forever, while others have a decidedly contemporary feel. Some are in tiny cottages, and others in grand manors, but all of them are places we'd like to put our feet up and stay for the weekend.
Christopher Horwood1/23Our editor Hatta Byng's country house in Yorkshire is a masterclass in respecting the history of an old family house while bringing it up to date. In the pink sitting room, walls in ‘Masquerade – Mid’ by Little Greene are the backdrop for a relaxed mix of pieces including a large sofa in ‘Josephine’ linen from Nicole Fabre Designs and an armchair found on Ebay, now re-covered in Fermoie’s ‘Marden’.
Christopher Horwood2/23This Wiltshire country house, decorated by Robert Kime 20 years ago, has recently had a gentle refresh by his studio. Little changed in the sitting room, where the bookcases and 18th-century crewelwork curtains that were in Robert’s scheme remain in place. The owner sourced the Heriz carpet and the Robert Kime ottoman was covered in an antique fabric. Lending the walls a gentle sheen is a green with a surface glaze that was developed by the Robert Kime team and named ‘Court Room Green’.
Christopher Horwood3/23There's something extremely appealing about the fresh, contemporary country aesthetic of this living room in a Provençal house by John Tanner, where organic materials like white linen and rush matting predominate. The ‘Upton’ sofa by Jamb is complemented by two ‘Brook’ armchairs from Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, both in ‘Piet Performance’ linen from Schumacher. Rush Matters’ apple matting softens the limestone floor and picks up on the woven elements of the 1960s Spanish chairs from Anton&K, which stand in front of the Crittall french windows opening onto the garden.
Mark Anthony Fox4/23Anna Haines has given the sitting room of this former vicarage near Bath a fresh, modern country feel using Farrow & Ball’s ‘French Gray’ as a soft backdrop for characterful textiles. The ‘Tamburlaine’ sofa has seat cushions made from an antique jajim, both from Howe London. A bespoke ottoman is covered in a Robert Kime ticking and the antique armchair in his ‘Ume’ linen. The ‘Quenby’ chandelier is from The English House.
Dean Hearne5/23Decorator Joshua Hale has created a sophisticated feel in the sitting room of his Oxfordshire cottage using olive green paint (Little Greene's 'Light Bronze Green' ). The colour beautifully sets off an eclectic collection of pictures and objects, including silhouettes by Roger Banks-Pye, paintings by William Balthazar Rose, Pat Albeck and Juliet Duckworth, and finds from Joshua's travels.
Mark Anthony Fox6/23Curtains in a Dominique Kieffer linen, sofas in vintage velvet, with cushions in a mix of fabrics amassed over the years, and a wingback chair in Guy Goodfellow’s ‘Fez Weave’ pick up on the custom ‘Peacock’ matting from Sinclair Till in this living room by Emma Burns. The glass coffee table is from Oka. A Bridget Riley print hangs over the mantelpiece, opposite a still life by Elsa Taylor.
Boz Gagovski7/23“We use our sitting room all the time in the winter. Even though it's mostly external walls and has hopeless radiators, we put the fire on all the time which makes it the cosiest place," says Anna Hewitson of her 300-year-old house in the South Downs.
The sofas are from Lorfords, with some cushions from Pierre Frey and others made up in Claremont fabrics. The footstool is covered in Guy Goodfellow's ‘Olive Sacking’. The walls and ceiling are painted in Edward Bulmer's ‘Clove’. The curtains and blinds are Soane's ‘Scrolling Fern’, and the blue lamp is from Vaughan. The armchair is covered in ‘Paw Print Linen’, also from Soane.
Paul Massey8/23Balancing tradition and modernity in a country house is always tricky, but designer Flora Soames has achieved it here in the house of her cousin, Clemmie Fraser. Antique glazed chintz was used on the armchair and cushions by Flora as a nod to the room’s original scheme, devised in the Seventies by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. Walls in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Light Blue’ introduce a more youthful feel.
Paul Massey9/23Modernising without losing character is no mean feat, but Carlos Garcia has approached the decoration of this early 18th-century house and its Tudor elements with great sensitivity, marrying period details with colour, pattern and contemporary touches
For the sitting room, Carlos asked Edward Bulmer to mix him a magnolia paint ‘reminiscent of what is found in old country houses’ as a suitable backdrop for a multitude of fabrics and patterns. ‘I love the fact that there is not one plain fabric in the room,’ Carlos says with a laugh. A family sofa was re-covered in Soane’s ‘Kaleidoscope’ weave in indigo and the curtains are Bennison Fabrics’ ‘Dragon Flower’ printed on beige linen. These are combined with cushions from Robert Kime mixed in with silk velvet ikats found by Carlos in Istanbul and the family’s own paintings, to make this an especially warm and relaxing room for winter.
Simon Brown10/23This Wealden hall house in Kent had some unflattering 1920s additions, so the owners assembled a group of experts to restore its late-medieval heart, exposing original structures, swapping cement for lime render, and introducing harmonious furniture and furnishings. Interior designers Sarah Vanrenen and Louisa Greville Williams, who now work independently but at the time were collaborating under the name Vanrenen GW Designs, worked on the interiors.
In the sitting room, the exposed brick of the inglenook fireplace is warmed up by a variety of patterned fabrics, including a footstool covered in Namay Samay’s ‘Edirne’ stripe, rugs from Robert Stephenson and Vanrenen GW Designs’ collection, and curtains in ‘Susani Red’ linen from Robert Kime, which add rich colour and pattern.
Tom Griffiths11/23Having found this tiny cottage in Oxfordshire five years ago, Victoria Barker has reversed the effects of a characterless renovation to create an irresistibly pretty interior. The front door opens into the sitting room, which is painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Setting Plaster’. The ceiling and original beams are painted in ‘Pointing’ to help bounce the light through the room. The timber lintel over the inglenook, which was set alight by a previous owner and had suffered a heavy burn mark, is also painted in ‘Setting Plaster’. The sofa is upholstered in sage green corduroy with a mattress cover from Cutter Brooks and handmade quilted cushions. The armchair was an Ebay find and the footstool is from Pato Interiors, both covered in their original chintz fabric.
Harry Crowder12/23When a client bought this beautifully situated Gloucestershire farmhouse, interior designer Lucy Cunningham applied a light decorating touch to make the most of its splendid 17th-century bones. The main sitting room, where the family spends most time, is painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Parma Gray’, with Robert Kime's ‘Karabak Sand’ wallpaper behind the bookshelves.
James McDonald13/23The extension to James Mackie's Cotswold cottage is a taller and airier room than the rest of the house. ‘This space was born out of my desire to bring together my collection of art books, which were spread between London, my parents’ house and storage,’ says James, gesturing to a wall of handsome built-in book-shelves. ‘I came up with a narrative for this room and imagined that it was an Arts and Crafts addition,’ he explains, pointing out the reclaimed oak beam and panelling. A Twenties Revival sofa in Bennison’s ‘Wabi Sabi’ and an armchair in GP & J Baker’s ‘Rockbird’ provide comfortable seating.
Martin Morrell14/23Faced with the daunting task of reviving this 17th-century cottage in the Cotswolds, Ben Adler and Pat Llewellyn enlisted the help of historic building consultant Hilton Marlton. Together, they restored its original features without losing sight of the need to make it a comfortable weekend base. A painting by Welsh artist Will Roberts rests on the mantel shelf with a geometric artwork by Sonia Delaunay to the left. The Melin Tregwynt cushion and vintage Welsh blanket from Jane Beck enliven an armchair from Sofa.com.
15/23When antique dealer Christopher Howe was asked to decorate this house in Bray, he set about uncovering its original features. Now eclectic furniture and unusual fabrics complement the exposed brickwork and beams. Next to a seventeenth-century wall sconce is a painting by John Caple. The sofa is covered in an original floral silk.
Paul Massey16/23Lisa Mehydene, founder of online homeware platform edit58, was looking for a weekend house in the Cotswolds when she found this loftily proportioned converted barn on the site of a former spiritual retreat. The ‘Rattan Ripple’ tray was designed by Lisa for edit58 with this ottoman in mind, which was made and covered by upholsterer John Haswell using a vintage rug. It stands on a Moldovan rug sourced by Mini Knots founder Ulgen Semerci. ‘Candy Stripe’ cotton in dark green from The Cloth Shop was used on the wavy-backed sofa with seat cushions in Warwick’s ‘Slubby Linen II’. The hand-painted blue cupboard is from Vintage on the Vine.
Michael Sinclair17/23The evergreen sitting room in this 19th-century stone cottage in Pembrokeshire is the ideal, cosy retreat for a bookworm.
Simon Upton18/23The main living room in this Wiltshire farmhouse has an inglenook fireplace, with fifteenth-century firedogs and an eighteenth-century fire back added by the owner, Ken. "All of our soft furnishings were bought either in Sweden or Morocco while we were on our travels,’ says Ken. Cologne & Cotton’s ‘Merino & Cashmere Checked Throw’ would add a dose of comfort and texture much like the checked throw on the chair in the main sitting room. Made in Ireland, it costs £140.
19/23Antiques dealer and decorator Max Rollitt has a living filled with antiques in his eclectic Hampshire farmhouse. The traditional room is painted with Edward Bulmer's 'Lilac Pink.' This is a warm-toned shade, perfect for country houses.
20/23This library, which can be found in the home of American artist Anne Massie is cosy despite the apparent lack of soft furnishing. The wood panelling and floor are both rich in colour, almost red, and this adds warmth to the room. Paintings are hung in gallery style which makes the space feel nicely full. The books, patterned chairs and gorgeous rug are the perfect finishing touches.
Alexander James21/23The drawing room of the Ludlow house designed by Caroline Harrowby has a traditional English country feel. This is achieved through small touches such as the curtains which are in a Colefax and Fowler fabric. The floral-print and embroidered cushions add colour and a welcome hint of the unexpected.
Sharyn Cairns22/23Simple pieces of Georgian furniture, including a glazed bureau bookcase, have been used in the living room of interior designer Ben Pentreath's country house.
Simon Brown23/23The drawing room of Holker Hall in Cumbria has a layered look built up over generations. While time is an invaluable ally of this aesthetic, a considered approach to buying furniture and decorative accessories can speed up the process. This room features nineteenth-century Cantonese watercolours, suzani textiles and chintz, silk damasks and gloriously ornate eighteenth-century plant stands.
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