Discover the charm of the English countryside with our guide, "10 Essential Elements for Creating an English Country Style Entryway." Learn how to blend warm colors, classic furniture, floral patterns, and vintage accessories to welcome guests with timeless elegance and cozy comfort, transforming your entryway into a testament to rustic luxury and inviting warmth.
Discover inspiration and learn all of our best tips for how to create the perfect english cottage style kitchen in your home!
Picture this, you're strolling through the enchanting English countryside, surrounded by the most stunning natural beauty and charming, timeless colors that
Often neglected, your entryway holds huge potential. Transform it from cluttered mess to a welcoming haven with these 10 must-haves! From statement mirrors to functional storage solutions, discover how to create a space that reflects your style and sets a fantastic first impression. This blog post is packed with tips and tricks to elevate your entryway design!
As promised, with this post I have shown several rooms from my home. We have both been overwhelmed at the response and number of visits. Nearly 4,000 of you have been kind enough to come each time a room is added to the tour. Thank you for visiting!!!!! Our sitting/family room is the last on the tour. No pictures allowed of Tim's two room man cave up stairs. I love it but am not successful at talking him into it. For this room we wanted an Old World French/English feel.......pretty but leaning towards the masculine. When Zach comes to visit I am a bit outnumbered. Actually it's my taste too. As I have said before, I like Versailles better when it was a hunting lodge and not so fru fru. Anyway here it is, hope you enjoy. Again I apologize for my photography and lighting problems. You can get to all the other rooms through links at the bottom of this post if you wish to visit them. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design This room that we use as a family area was originally the dining room of this old house. Since it is towards the back of the house, where there is more privacy, we use it as a sitting room and I moved the dining room to the front, across the hall from the living room. The wall color is a muddy aqua and is actually truer here, but without the flash the picture is too dark....so the walls look a bit greener in most of the pictures. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design A bit brighter! The room is perfect for a bit of TV, reading, or when Zach is here it gets turned into a game room. We are big boardgamers. Not the old Sorry or Monopoly games, but the newer Euro board games that have adventures and mysteries that can take three to four hours to solve. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design The left side of the room is pretty much dominated by the antique oak Welsh cupboard and the tapestry (which for some reason looks brown in this picture but is actually green). The oak washstand is a family piece that I know has been painted and stripped two different times during my lifetime. Painting furniture is certainly not a new trend. Next to it is an old demi john in it's original wooden crate. The Welsh cupboard sits on a base with a carved scalloped apron and cabriole legs. I love the Medieval feel of the cupboard with it's Gothic doors and great carving at the top. See how green the tapestry is......that is what it really looks like. My Staffordshire collection. I just started collecting this summer and am falling in love with these wonderful pieces of English pottery. Will soon be publishing a blog post about them and their history. But here is a bit of info. While the men tended to the higher end pottery and porcelain, unskilled women and children painted the Staffordshire figurines. That is why they have that naive folk art charm to them. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design Looking from the sitting room into the back hall. You can see this on the cupboard above and I wish you could see in person. I love unique and interesting things and this is a large souvenir book from Fountinbleu circa 1900. It is sage green with gilt lettering that really doesn't show up well. I also have the smaller red one you see from Malmasion, and one in my office from Versailles and the Trianons. It is 12 X 9 and has some beautiful drawings of the interior and exterior. There are twenty-five in all on hard postcard like stock. Very detailed and all written in French. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design The beautiful candelabras with rose marble and onyx bases came to me from a friend in France. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design This tapestry is all in needlepoint with the figures being done in petite point. For some reason their colorful costumes in muted pinks, blues, and yellows don't come through. I took the pictures in every light and on every mode I could but still no luck. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design I love oil paintings of landscapes, especially ones involving castles. Also, the antique needlepoint tapestry over the mantle features a castle and came from an estate auction. You'll see close-ups later so you can see the colors better. This is the only room that didn't have a fireplace and yet is the coolest room in the house so I bought the faux one with space heater to warm things up a bit. UPDATE Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design Just added this antique French needlepoint throne chair. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design Works perfectly with the needlepoint tapestry over the mantle. Some of the castle paintings. My favorite is the one at night. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design I found a set of these antique damask covered French chairs and planned to use them in here. It's a bit too crowded with two so the other sits in my bedroom. There is a bathroom through that door but is long and narrow and hard to photograph. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design This was an antique wardrobe I found this summer on Craigslist. It was twice as deep and had mirrors in the front. I needed a bookcase (actually need two more) so I had this cut in two, shelves made from the excess, and we installed the glass. I am very pleased with the result. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design This large hand embroidered piece on top of the bookcase is one of my favorite treasures. I collect antique heraldry and handmade textiles and was delighted when I found this at an auction. Lisa Farmer - Eye For Design You can see the stitches better in this image. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design The bookcase is for storing my antique books. My other reading books are in drawers all over the house, that's why a need another case for them. I have collected books for years but not until this year have I started concentrating on French books. I had to share these and the three on the left below that I found at a Goodwill for $25.00......all from the 1800's and all in French. Needless to say I was thrilled! Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design I also wanted you to see this little purple French prayer book with brass edging and plate with monogram. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design This is an old desk I painted three years ago. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design Next to it is an antique leather folding screen with oil paintings of flowers, swags, and architectural elements that I found at an estate auction. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design You can see the painting better in this image. The old red painted chest was a yard sale find. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design Close up of the French clock. It is pastoral in design with a young woman gathering wheat. Also the small picture beside it is needlepoint. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Deign Well, I guess you have to have something modern.......but if I must, it has to sit in front of an old French tapestry. All the BIG entertainment is upstairs in the Man Cave. Don't get me wrong, I like tech gadgets too and while I enjoy having Alexa playing music in every room.......I just don't want to look at her. I keep all gadgets well hidden. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design A couple of views looking into the dining room Lisa farmer-Eye For Design Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design There are two wonderful pictures on the bit of wall as you go into the back hall. So sorry for the bad lighting, I had to have it. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design I love this antique oil painting of a boy and his mother. The damage to his face is hardly noticeable when there is no flash. Lisa Farmer-Eye For Design Also this old etching of a Renaissance interior is so lovely and detailed. And of course it wouldn't be my house without a feline...... or four. When these two show up in the evening the tapestry pillow gets moved and they want their blanket. They both came to us as kittens....Chanel (on the right) first and then Buddy showed up a week later. We believe they are brother and sister. They adore each other. To visit the Living Room click here https://eyefordesignlfd.blogspot.com/2017/05/my-french-style-living-roompictures-as.html To visit the Dining Room click here https://eyefordesignlfd.blogspot.com/2017/09/my-french-style-dining-room.html To visit the Front Hall click here https://eyefordesignlfd.blogspot.com/2017/12/our-french-style-hall-at-christmas.html To visit the Kitchen click here https://eyefordesignlfd.blogspot.com/2018/01/my-old-world-style-kitchen.html To visit the Master Bedroom and my Office click here https://eyefordesignlfd.blogspot.com/2018/09/my-old-world-master-bedroom-suite.html Click here to see the previous post https://eyefordesignlfd.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-exquisite-french-furniture-of-andre.html This blog post was published by Lisa Farmer
The world of architecture is rich with diverse styles that span centuries, each bringing unique characteristics, materials, and influences that […]
English country style is popular in many places in the world, not just England, because of its warmth, coziness, and character. This style started in the rural parts of England and feature an abundance of antique, vintage, and/or thrifted traditional floral prints, natural materials, and classic furniture pieces that seem to be collected throughout the years. Here are some interior designer tips & tricks for how to decorate in an English country style in your home. Furniture PiecesThere are several classic furniture pieces commonly found in English country style homes. These furniture pieces are typically antiques. A common English country sofa is a brown leather chesterfield sofa. Other options include a roll-arm sofa or a slipcovered sofa with a skirt in a white, khaki, or cream color. Wingback chairs are very popular in living rooms. Bookcases, or perhaps an entire library, is very common in the English country style. The bookcases are filled with mostly vintage or antique books. Smaller English country homes often have a vintage or antique farmhouse table in the kitchen. Many larger homes will have a billiard or card table. Bedrooms often have a four poster bed or an iron bed. Choose a Warm and Inviting Color PaletteEnglish country style homes are decorated in soft and natural colors that have a comforting and natural feel. Muted pastel colors like pale pink, soft blue, and sage green are perfect to use in an English country style, since they mirror the colors of the blooming flowers and lush greenery of the English countryside. Don't forget the white or cream colored accents so the room does not look too dark. Earthy tones like terracotta, rust, and mustard yellow are also great options, as they create a cozy and inviting ambiance. A neutral brown stained wood color is also prevalent in furniture as well as architecture. Embrace Natural MaterialsUse natural materials when decorating your English country style for the most authentic look. Look for pieces made from wood, leather, wicker, rattan, and other organic materials that add a sense of warmth and texture to your home. Stained wood furniture pieces are a great choice for an English country style, however older wood pieces in poor repair can be repaired and painted to give them new life. Wood or stone floors are most common in traditional English country homes. Brick flooring is also a good option. Stone interior walls or fireplaces are another natural feature of many English country cottages. ArtThe most popular art for an English country home is a framed oil painting #ad. These paintings usually have an ornate antique gold or stained wood frame. The subject matter of these paintings are typically family portraits, landscapes, or animals, such as dogs and/or horses. Don't worry too much about your artwork matching, since art that looks collected throughout the years is very common. Add Floral PrintsOne of the most popular repeating elements in an English country style home is the use of floral prints and floral patterns. Consider decorating your home with floral patterns on your upholstery, curtains, bedding, and/or wallpaper. Popular flower types used in the English country style are the rose, peony, lily, lavender, poppy, and iris. You can mix and match different floral patterns in your room for a unique eclectic look that is one-of-a-kind. If you don't want to cover your room with flowers everywhere, try decorating with just a few floral patterns through accessories like throw pillows, blankets, or rugs. A needlepoint pillow #ad or seat cushion with a floral pattern is very common in English country decorating. Layer TexturesFor a cozy English country room, make sure to layer your textiles instead of just using the same fabrics throughout your room.Decorate with different textiles (like wool, linen, leather, velvet, and cotton) to create a room that feels collected and eclectic. Mixing and matching different textiles adds depth and interest to your space. For example, a wool plaid/tartan blanket draped over a linen sofa creates a cozy and inviting spot to sit for a while and read your favorite book. A linen pillow on a leather sofa creates a nice textural contrast so the leather sofa does not look so formal or uninviting. Choose Cozy LightingLighting is an important element in any design aesthetic, but it is especially in an English country style. English country style homes tend to be a little dark and moody, perhaps because England is known for its dark and dreary weather. Make sure to use multiple sources of lighting instead of just your overhead light bulb in the center of your ceiling. Many designers prefer to not use ceiling light at all except for when bright light is required, such as when cleaning. Table lamps, floor lamps, uplighting on something with an interesting texture (a stone wall or a potted plant), chandeliers, and wall sconces are great lighting options. Make sure that all of your light bulbs are the same color of light, listed as a number followed by the letter K. For a warm aesthetic, you will want light bulbs around 2700K. Mix and Match PatternsMixing and matching patterns is one of the characteristics of English country style since many of the items have been passed down from generation to generation. Don't be afraid to combine floral prints with stripes or plaid patterns with checks. When mixing patterns, don't select patterns with the same scale, else the patterns might feel too cluttered. Instead, select a large scale pattern, such as a floral, with a medium scale pattern, such as a plaid/tartan, with a small scale pattern, such as a small stripe print. The key is to keep the colors cohesive so the patterns don't clash. Experiment putting different items together to see how they look. You never know which items might unexpectedly look good together! Incorporate Vintage and Antique PiecesDecorating your home with vintage and antique pieces is the best way to get the English country look. These pieces add character to your home since they are unique and often a much higher quality than items made today. Look for vintage artwork, old-fashioned lighting fixtures, and classic furniture pieces to create a lived-in and comfortable environment. Understand the difference between distressing and damage. Distressing is when furniture or decor is altered over time from standard wear and tear. Damage is when furniture or decor is altered all at once, such as your dog chewing on the leg of your table while stressed out due to scary loud weather. Distressing is good since it showcases the heritage of the piece. Damage is bad and should be repaired. WoodworkWoodwork is very popular in English country homes. Exposed ceiling beams that might look a little rustic are very common. Some larger homes have stained wood paneling on the entire wall instead of plain drywall walls. Smaller homes will often have painted paneling, such as beadboard or wainscotting. This paneling sometimes covers the entire wall but other times is only on the bottom third of the wall. The woodwork is often painted white or a light color to make the home look lighter & brighter or a darker color to make the home feel a bit cozier. Add AccessoriesDon't forget to add many accessories to your English country-style home since many homes of this style tend to be nearly cluttered with an abundance of stuff that has been passed down to them for generations. Look for items like floral-printed cushions, woven baskets, and vintage knick-knacks to add personality and character to your space. Walking sticks, equestrian items, Staffordshire dog statues #ad taxidermy, antique books, pottery, classic hunting items, floral china, and a grandfather clock are common English country home accessories. Embrace ImperfectionOne of the defining characteristics of English country style is its imperfection since many of the high quality pieces of furniture and decor have been used by the family for many decades. Embrace the lived-in and almost shabby look of antique and vintage pieces. Look for furniture with patina and character and don't be afraid to mix and match different styles & eras. English country homes are typically not perfectly curated and well designed. More commonly, the items in the home have been collected over decades and tend to look a bit cluttered and a tiny bit messy. Imperfection adds personality and charm to your space and gives your home a sense of history. Live Plants and FlowersEnglish country style celebrates the outdoors, especially during the cold winters. Adding potted plants #ad can make a sterile room feel more alive and happy. You can also add fresh flowers for a colorful touch either weekly or on special occasions when you have guests. Consider planting your own cut flower garden so you can bring seasonal flowers inside your home. Roses are a very popular flower choice for a cutting garden. Other articles you might like: How to Decorate a Dining Room How to Decorate with Neutral Colors and Not Look Boring Decorating Mistakes that Make Your Home Look Messy
A blog about Interior Design with focus on French style and other Old World aesthetics.
Imagine stepping into a luxurious, timeless Victorian bedroom that envelops you in its rich, elegant atmosphere. The centerpiece of this opulent space is a
By Presto Plans I first realized the power of bell ringers years ago, thanks to a particularly unruly class that would bounce off my walls after lunch. After consistently wasting the first ten minutes of class getting students seated, settled, and ready to learn, I decided to give bell-ringers a try. They were immediately a classroom game-changer. Bell-ringers—sometimes referred to as “warm ups” or “do nows”— are questions, tasks, or other warm up activities that students complete at the beginning of class (or when the bell rings, as the name suggests.) They jump start student learning, calm classroom chaos, reduce uncertainty, and make transitions smoother, all the while allowing the teacher to maximize their time and maintain their sanity. I’m here to share the benefits of using a bell-ringer routine in your classroom, tips and strategies to implement them effectively, and answers to your most commonly asked questions. I'm also sharing free bell-ringers that will last you a couple months! 1) Extra time at the beginning of class Bell-ringers give teachers the gift of time. In those 5-10 minutes, you can take attendance, get papers ready and/or passed out, prepare tech, catch up with students who have been absent, or even prepare for your next period. 2) Improved classroom routine and classroom management As students transition from class to class, they tend to get amped up from hallway antics. Bell-ringers improve the transition back into the academic setting and establish a consistent routine and minimize classroom management issues. There is a lot of uncertainty in a teenager’s world, and though they may not admit it, students crave predictability and routine. After the routine is established, you’ll even find that students will get started on the bell-ringer BEFORE the bell even rings, as they know exactly what is expected of them. 3) A chance to practice ELA skills and assess and review standards By using bell-ringers at the start of class, you are taking advantage of an extra opportunity to practice the ELA skills and meet standards you have been diligently working on throughout the year. Bell-ringers are perfect for putting what you’ve taught to the test in a creative, fun, low-pressure way. Given that they aren’t heavily graded on the bell-ringers (or not at all), the pressure often associated with other tasks is alleviated. 1. Mix up your bell-ringer each day If you are using the same bell-ringers every single day, students will likely grow tired of them. I like to have themed days for each of the bell-ringers that will address a specific skill. Below are some of the types of bell-ringers you might consider using: Improve word choice Locate figurative language Have a short discussion with a partner Watch a short video clip and write a personal response to a prompt Infer the meaning of new words in context Correct grammar errors Have a mini-debate with a partner Use a picture to spark narrative writing I liked to use each of my year-long volumes of bell-ringers to have different activities for each day. You can try four free weeks by clicking on the image below to see if they might work for you. 2. Give students a fun challenge Another way to mix up your bell-ringers is to set a challenge at the start of the week and have students progressively work towards a solution on Friday. My favorite way to do this is with escape room bell-ringer challenges. When you use an escape room bell-ringer, students are given a back story on Monday where they find themselves in a situation (dungeon, alien planet, military bunker, scientist study etc.). They work with their group for the first 5-10 minutes of class to progressively move through different floors, rooms, chambers, and cells each day to solve ELA related puzzles. Their goal? To successfully escape by the end of the week. Want to try a bell-ringer challenge with your students? Grab a free figurative language bell-ringer activity below as a fun way to start one of your classes. 2. Model a Good Response Spend the first days explaining the daily bell-ringer activity for that day and even show them what a strong response looks like for each different bell-ringer activity you do. Taking this time at the beginning will get you better responses from the students as the year goes on. 3. Set specific expectations and procedures From day 1, you’ll want to demonstrate exactly how things are going to play out. Start by literally walking them through the process of entering the classroom and retrieving their bell-ringer booklets or binder. Once they are completed their work, you might think of getting them to hold onto their booklets and putting them back at the end. I would recommend not doing this as typically someone will accidentally take it home or the booklets will get destroyed since they all are eager to leave and are throwing the booklets on the shelf (real life teaching, right?) That’s why I would suggest you establish a system for collecting the bell-ringer booklets after they are done, and go through it with them a few times to practice. You wouldn’t think something as simple as collecting the booklets would be an issue, but having a plan makes things run so much more smoothly. If you use a standard classroom set up (desks in a row or pairs): Have each row turn around to collect the booklets from the row behind them and move them all forward until they are in the front row. Select one student to collect them all from the front row and put them back in the proper spot. If your desks are set up in groups: Have one member from each group be responsible for collecting the booklets, and have all groups pass them over to the group closest to where to store them. Have one person put them all back. On the first day, I practice this 2-3 times and set a timer to see how fast they can do it (I tell them they are in competition with the other classes). This makes it fun, but it also establishes a routine, and set a precedent to strive for throughout the year and it makes collecting the booklets quick and efficient. 1. Should I grade bell-ringers? Won't that make more work for me? Listen, the LAST thing I want to do is add more paper to an English teachers' pile! Bell-ringers are a type of formative assessment that do not need to be graded. They are a quick way for students to practice and develop ELA skills. I did add a quick check rubric on the bottom of some of my student handouts because I personally used this to keep students accountable and motivated to complete the work to the best of their ability. I would tell them that one week out of the month would be graded, but they wouldn't know which week (insert evil laughter 😉). This lessened my grading, but I also liked peeking at them monthly to see who was completing the work well and where I needed to focus my instruction. 2. How long should you spend on bell-ringers? For me, bell-ringers would typically take an about 5-10 minutes to complete. The time will vary depending on what type of bell-ringer you are completing. Some people like a quick 5 minute bell-ringer, others like to dive in a little deeper and spend more time as it pertains to their lesson. If students are improving the word choice in a passage or practicing labelling figurative language, it may only take a quick 5 minutes. However, if they are discussing an ethical prompt or watching a video clip and writing a response, it may take closer to 10. It's important to remember though that sometimes your students will be totally engaged in a bell-ringer, and you may end up spending more time than you thought on it. This is not wasted time! The content still relates to your curriculum and helps students hone their writing, reading, speaking, and listening skills. Sometimes an unplanned part of a lesson is where the best learning happens. 3. How do you manage all the paper? Here is my fool-proof system. A word of caution: don't let them take their bell-ringer binder home! It's an absolute nightmare waiting to happen 😂. Have each student purchase a small 1 inch binder to hold all of the bell-ringer response sheets (or use a three-clasp folder). Have students write their name in big bold letters on the spine (or the front if it is a folder). Having a variety of colors of binders/folders is better so they can find theirs more easily. Put a bookcase somewhere near the door of your room. Assign each class an area of the bookcase. Tell students they will grab the binder when they enter, and it will go back on that shelf when the bell-ringer is done.! This makes it easy to find their binder the next day. 4. Will using bell-ringers help my classroom management? Yes, routines are your friend! I learned fairly quickly in my teaching career that expected procedures are necessary for survival when it comes to classroom management. Bell-ringers set the tone in the first few minutes of class and help students transition back into work mode after a break period. I was literally wasting the first 5-10 minutes of class quieting my students down and preparing to get started. After starting a bell-ringer routine, they immediately started working when they entered! 5. Should I do bell-ringers every day or just on some days? Personally, I think it is better to bell-ringers every day and stick to the routine. When you are always skipping the bell-ringer or only doing them here and there, students lose that consistency, and you won't see the classroom management benefits. You can certainly make it work if you don't want to do it every day, but if you do this, I might suggest writing on the board or projecting a slide to say if there is a bell-ringer that day. This way you don't have to constantly answer the question, "Is there a bell-ringer today?" Still have questions about using bell-ringers successfully in the classroom? Don't hesitate to reach out! I'd love to hear from you. Need more bell-ringer ideas? The bloggers of the coffee shop have you covered! Growth Mindset Bell Ringers from The Daring English Teacher Daily Career Writing Prompts from The Classroom Sparrow Independent Reading Prompts from Room 213 Bell-Ringer Journal Prompts from Tracee Orman Collaborative Bell-Ringers from Nouvelle ELA
This post contains affiliate links which might earn me a small commission at no cost to you! THANK YOU for supporting me and the quality items I promote! If you missed the previous posts, we’ve been giving our powder room a moody English cottage makeover to compliment the rest of our home style. Changing the […]
Imagine stepping into a living room that feels like a warm embrace from an old friend, where the charm of the English countryside meets the comfort of a cozy ho
