Modern Country style

From looking at my client's furniture and the decor of her old house, I will look into a modern country style interior and ask for her feedback. Below are two images I found as a starting point.

http://www.besthomy.info

Feedback: My client loved how bright the room feels in this image. It has a very feminine style with the light furnishings and pink accents along with the floral designs. 

http://hote-ls.com

Feedback: My client liked the mid-light wood units and the square tiled pattern above the work surface. It has a modern feel as well as a slight country feel to the room. She also liked the brown colour palette used.

What is country modern style? 

I have researched into a style which mixes modern design with country design, creating an eclectic look.

I have looked at a feature called Elements of Modern Country Interior Design to find out more about the style.

"Modern country is a great take on a traditional favorite with a chic twist on country design. It's very comfortable but not quite as casual as it was in the past."

Modern country can be used in a variety of ways; the majority of the design can use modern styles with a small amount of country, or it can be mainly country with a small amount of modern. It is a good style for my client's maisonette because she likes fairly modern designs, but not too modern , country designs and likes to keep some more traditional features too. 

The feature informs that a good way to modernise country styles are to add a collection, for example animals because they are traditional but modern too. Nostalgia can play a part in this style too, because it allows a mix of old and new furnishings in the design, so people can keep items that have family history behind them for example.

The idea behind the style is to create an eclectic mix of designs to create a unique look to suit the user's needs and tastes.

http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/modern-country/index.html

Below is an example of a designer who specialises in modern country and eclectic style interiors.

Susan Serra - Architect/Designer 

“What happens when you pair sleek modern design with rustic country living?

You get country modern (or modern country), a look that works perfectly in vacation and second homes, but also in suburban and country settings, where a sharp-edged modern look may appear a bit too urban but where the traditional country look may feel like too much of a cliche.” (Serra)

"When done right, country modern can achieve the perfect balance — it feels cozy but airy at the same time." (Serra)

Susan Serra is a kitchen designer that specialises in modern country and eclectic interiors. Her company have a philosophy to create designs that are visually beautiful, highly functional, personally expressive and cost efficient. 

Her first philosophy is about choice. The client needs to express what they want in their design and the designer needs to provide the client with choices. She likes to provide the client with security and freedom; the security of a design that follows what they want, and the freedom to express new ideas that the client hadn't thought of but may like. So it is important when I am designing the rooms to provide choice for my client as well as follow her requirements.

Her second philosophy is about comfort. Spaces are for living in not just working in. Rooms can provide comfort by using items such as sofas, paintings and lighting, but can be designed for work purposes too. She quotes that a home should be designed to suit a person's personal tastes because it allows them to physically relax when they enter the space, feeling in control and safe from the outside world. A place they can escape to. In my design, it will be important that the design reflects exactly what my client wants, so that she will feel secure and happy in her new home.

The third philosophy is time. It is very important that the client is not rushed into making decisions about the design, otherwise it may result in the client not being entirely happy with the finished result. It also allows more creativity and choices to be explored, giving the client more options.

The last philosophy is professionalism. It is very important for the client to be able to trust the designer and build a relationship with them, in order to get the best results that the client will be happy with. Also, keeping designs to a professional industry standard allows for mistakes not to be made, and for the design not to fall apart a short time after completion. It also allows for the best project possible to be produced.

Below are some images of kitchens that she has designed. I will present these to my client to see her likes and dislikes.

After looking at the client's feedback on her likes and dislikes, I can now focus on designs that match these and use the elements she likes, such as tiles above the work surface, mid-light colour wood units and a bright colourful window blind. 

Bibliography

http://www.besthomy.info (viewed 13th October 2011)

http://hote-ls.com (viewed 13th October 2011)

http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/modern-country/index.html (viewed 13th October 2011)

http://www.houzz.com/professional/4818/Susan-Serra-CKD (viewed 13th October 2011)

http://www.homedesignfind.com/how-to-tips-advice/design-dilemma-making-country-modern (viewed 14th October 2011)

http://www.kitcheninteriors.com/philosophy (viewed 14th October 2011)