Having a second home in the countryside, by the sea or nestled in the green mountains is many people’s pipe dream. The lucky ones who already own a second home cannot miss the opportunity to make the most of it, creating the perfect space for relaxation, away from the stress of everyday city life.

A house in the countryside, for example, can be made cosy and comfortable by choosing – for the design of the various rooms – materials and colors that evokes nature and its myriad forms, which are both as changeable as the seasons and as reassuring as everything that has traditionally embodied the meaning of roots and belonging.

Renovating a country home therefore involves very specific choices that can be summed up as follows:

• Room colors, whether light or dark, should be drawn from the most earthy and natural schemes; beiges, ochres and greens, for example, are perfect
• It is advisable that floor and wall covering materials define surfaces that are pleasing to the touch, as well as the eye; the concreteness and solidity of what nature offers us must also be reflected in the home’s interior and exterior finishes
• A country home’s interior and exterior must perfectly coexist in total balance and harmony; light and air must freely flow from one space to another, without the intrusion of obstacles or excessively closed-off elements that limit the freedom to use it in a completely relaxed, informal way.

Let’s explore the different points together, gathering ideas and inspiration for renovating and furnishing our ideal country home.

All the colors of nature for a warm, cosy country home

When you are unsure about which colors to choose for redecorating or even just for changing the floor of your home – in the countryside, as well as by the sea or in the city –, an infallible trick for finding the right inspiration is to open the windows and carefully observe the surrounding light and atmosphere.

In the countryside, this inspiration will likely come from the green foliage of the trees gently swayed by the wind, the golden blond of the fields and the blue of the sky fading into the horizon.

Creating the perfect renovation color scheme, for example by choosing flooring for a country home, becomes something simple and straightforward, which can involve literally bringing nature inside. The vast variety of stoneware or ceramic slabs inspired by materials such as wood, stone or clay allows you to meet aesthetic requirements, while creating strong, durable surfaces.

Slabs inspired by natural materials can be combined with certain colors to convey an atmosphere and create interior spaces with a unique, personal touch.

You should initially proceed by choosing a neutral shade and then continue with the choice of one or two accents. Beige and green, the latter in two variations with different brightness, or yellow and ochre, softened by a touch of pink, and so on: the combinations are almost infinite but, before extending them to the whole house, it is worth testing their suitability by composing a moodboard or treating only a small portion of the surfaces, well lit by natural light.

Warmth and local roots expressed through materials and colors

Renovating and choosing furnishings for a country home is an exciting project in more ways than one. While aesthetics remains the most important challenge, you should not underestimate the pleasure of appreciating the concreteness and solidity of furniture and surfaces through touch.

When it comes to a house immersed in a landscape, it is especially important to interpret the project as the implementation of a virtuous process that can connect man and nature.

It therefore goes without saying that the surface texture and heart of the materials chosen for renovation must meet a specific condition: they must be legible with the fingertips and must communicate feelings of warmth and belonging.

This can be achieved by juxtaposing newly purchased materials and furnishing elements with salvaged furniture and inserts, especially if they are sourced from small local companies. Their ancient history is certainly linked to the region and, when integrated in the new home, can only be enhanced with new chapters, while giving the space an unmistakable, precious character.

The interior and exterior of the country home: an interplay of balance and harmony

People planning to buy a house in the countryside are likely to have a specific intention: to live in it, at least for a few months a year, without distinguishing too much between inside and outside. Moving from indoor to outdoor spaces without closed-off or discontinuous elements permits a free and informal home experience, laying the foundations for a love destined to grow over time.

Leafing through architecture and interior design magazines, you will find plenty of ideas for furnishing a country home. They share the following aspects:

• Choice of natural, durable fabrics and materials that can be used both indoors and outdoors
• Soft, fresh upholstery which, chosen in light colors, also proves practical to clean and wash if necessary
• Furniture and accessories that are not too bulky, but rather are light and easy to move from the living room to the garden
• Inclusion of salvaged elements, which are very often already linked to the inspiration behind the design of the house and convey the local area’s history and values

The lack of rigidity and the ability to easily change the spaces in the house are therefore the main requirements for designing a perfect country home to satisfy our need for relaxation.