Modern Country

Hello, I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Yesterday I found time to enjoy putting my feet up on the sofa while cuddling the whippet and finally got round to reading Modern Country, the new interiors book by Caroline Clifton-Mogg that has been sitting on my coffee table for the past few weeks.

Compiled with images drawn from the archive of French interiors magazines Côté Sud, Côté Est and Côté Ouest it's a book that features homes exemplifing the very best in contemporary country style

This interiors style is a particular favourite of mine, and I've tried to include elements of it in my own home by incorporating a few pieces of furniture in rough, unfinished wood here and there. I love how this adds warmth and texture, while at the same time 'relaxing' everything and somehow making the room feel less formal.

The modern country look often seeks to highlight the 'beautiful bones' of a space. Texture is key, and many of the inspiring interiors in this book feature polished concrete floors as a starting point. I dream of having these in our home one day if we ever find ourselves in a position where we're able to embark on our own modern country grand design project.

“There is a beauty in the texture of all building materials and a beauty also in the right combination of different textures used together. For most people, the first impression of a building - any building, old or new - is not one of form, or design, but one of fabric, of material”

Clever and sympathetic use of contrasting textures is key to the modern country look. There are no soft textures in this dining room - every surface is hard, from cement and concrete to glass and metal - but the variety of shapes makes the room pleasant and appealing.

The central tenet of the book is the idea that an appreciation of rural tradition need not result in a home that is a relic of the past. The homes featured are united by their clean contemporary lines and thoughfully edited contents.

But although many of the homes in the book are undeniably luxurious, Modern Country is at heart about an interiors style that seeks to express a desire for a simpler, more authentic way of life. There's an informality and lightness about many of the interiors featured. While striving for enviable design solutions, they retain the idea that a home should, above all, provide us with a space to enjoy good food and drink and the company of our friends and family, and that it should fulfill our most basic desires for comfort and ease.

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Modern Country: Inspiring Interiors for Contemporary Country Living is published by Jacqui Small.

To order the book at the discounted price of £24.00 including p&p* (RRP: £30.00) telephone 01903 828503 or email: [email protected] and quote the offer code APG217.

*UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas.