Rustic, rambling and refined country chic

Good morning....... Hope everyone had a wonderful and enjoyable Mothers day. I have to say mine was beyond horrible but had a very happy ending. Our beloved Teddy went missing for seven long excruciating hours, it was heart wrenching to say the least. On top of our own incredible sadness and distress, seeing my son so distraught, practically unable to speak and express himself because at 15, he was trying to remain strong and "be a man". My mothering skills were put to the ultimate test and I realized as I saw my son cry silently in the back seat during our many hours of searching, doing his best to hold it in as most 15 year old "young men"  feel they should, at that moment I was helpless to take away his pain, I couldn't make a promise Teddy was coming back. Seeing the tears stream down his face just broke my heart....his best friend was gone.  I was in so much pain watching him suffer like that on top of my own distress thinking about where he was or worse if someone had taken him

 It was a really rough day, we spent seven hours canvasing every street and driveway, walking around, frantically screaming his name and praying. With every passing hour, we grew less hopeful, more worried and I silently panicked as I thought about the sun setting and Teddy being out on his own in the darkness. Finally at around 6 pm feeling totally defeated, I got a call from someone who had gotten my info from the police dept. who had found him!! I don't need to tell you the happiness and feeling of elation and celebration that went on in our household at that minute. We were all so emotionally drained though I felt like I had done battle, and by 8 I was in bed closing my eyes. (We had had dinner plans with family but the plans had been canceled when all this happened, no one in our family had an appetite) It was a long heart wrenching day. I am still feeling shaken but so happy he is home. I hope your day was much much less eventful! I am just so glad this story has a happy ending.......Teddy is home safe and that is what is important, we are all back together :) Alls well that ends well.

When I think of rustic and rambling, farmhouse chic, country charmer,.....I think of lots of wood, beautifully aged timbers, wide planked floors, small cozy rooms, endless vistas of breathtaking land, lots of vintage looking fabrics, worn linens, aged looking cabinetry, geometric worn rugs,antique dishes,...you get the picture. Maybe its the crazy hurried, frenetic pace that I live my life (and I probably aged another 15 years just yesterday) but I find myself fascinated, captivated and increasingly drawn to the easy, calm, genteel world of country living. Something about the way time seems to stand still at least for a little bit. Maybe its all in my imagination, and even in the country.....maybe even there the pace has picked up but I am going to keep my little fantasy alive, thank you very much!

  I love the way, the rooms are decorated, not overdone, nothing too shiny, every thing with a slightly worn and lovingly used feel, they have character, a personality and each feels authentic. Elegant, but casual and mostly very livable. There is not a "formula" to decorate these rooms..that's what I love, they are each so individual. The chances of me one day owning one of these fabulous rustic and rambling homes is unlikely....but its fun to dream as I always say. My dream would be to own one in Napa valley, have a few acres to toy with growing grapes as a hobby, have a few horses,  my vegetable,rose and herb garden, open a small farm to table restaurant on the property (of course that would become wildly successful and be hailed as the "best kept secret in America") then keep my house here on the east coast. Now THAT would be ideal! So here is my interpretation of rustic and rambling and its many variations....what do you think?

This rustic and rambling setting truly takes my breath away!! Sandy Koepke

I love that wall filled with all kinds of great worn and vintage looking books..just gives such character and personality to this room, doesn't it?

This is elegant refined country at its finest! Kathleen Rivers

A big rambling country kitchen with mixed woods and finishes is just perfection!  Susan Dossetter

Could it get any cozier than this? We would all clamour to take up residence in this little nook! Mimi Maddock McMakin

Mixing woods and painted finishes is a popular way to go for this look....

M Elle has made a career of off designing refined country rustic interiors

This is the quintessential refined country bath! Country Living

This country bedroom gets a French twist, beautiful, soft and serene, Southern Accents

Love this amazing room for its views as much as I love bed made of birch, that it out on the sleeping porch...I would live in a spot like this! Mimi Maddock McMakin

What a great space, a dining room AND a reading nook! M Elle

Rustic with a European flair, Arch Digest

Something about the crisp white on the linens and upholstery and the dark wide planked floors makes this an inviting room, Coastal Living

How about this French inspired rustic beauty? Kitchen of Keith Johnson and Glen Senk

This vintage-y looking bathroom by Sandy Koepke is gloriously rustic

I like the unexpected pop of blue linen, in this otherwise rustic dining room! Megan Rice Yager

Country bath redefined, M Elle

An elegantly appointed country bedroom, Arch Digest (love those beams)

This to me, is the perfect blend of a rustic elegance and simplicity, Barbara Westbrook

Boszhardt took this small country bedroom and with the touch of luxurious white cotton linens turned it into a vintage jewel!

This is country living at its finest!!  Henri Quinta

Fabulous mixture of vintage florals, weathered woods, stone and antiques, Amelia Handegan

Love how this new space feels old and timeless, Nancy Boszhardt

Love this kitchen, by Peter Dunham....fabulous...how great is that island?

This vintage inspired feeling bathroom is a prefect look for a country home, love the tub!

Rustic in a sun flooded room.....such a happy and great entertaining space! Jeffers Design group

Antiqued timbered beams and floors give this new kitchen a real sense of character, S Russell Groves

Yellow makes a small charming room like this country bedroom feel so inviting, Jeffers

Love the casual but elegant slipcoverd chairs, the whitewashed brick fireplace, Cottage Living

This rustic yet beautiful kitchen is a cooks dream, Nancy Boszhardt

Beautiful antique table and plaid cusioned chairs graces this pretty dining room in this cozy room, Penelope Bianchi

Love the old fashioned feeling of this fabulous bathroom, Nancy Boszhardt

Alot of white was added to this room to brighten up the space..it gives it a very Swedish feel.

Beautiful reclaimed beams, woods and stone were used to build this master retreat, Country Living

Love the mix of the old and new, dressy and rustic, Sharon Mimran

Salvaged beams and floors give this room a timeless and aged but graceful feel

Bringing the outdoors into this elegant country bath...love the wide planked floors! Southern Accents, photo by Antoine Bootz

A coat of blue paint gives a little color to this rustic dining space, photo by Keith Scott Morton

Love this sweet setting.....casually chic

How about this bathroom outfitted in pine beadboard walls? This is something! Mimi McMadin

Mixing of the woods is a popular look, it really warms up the space, Country Living

Doesn't the feeling here personify country living? Sandy Koepke Interiors

A distressed fireplace mantle and coffee table alongside the white upholstered furniture gives this a bright and airy cottage feel

This is such an inviting, happy and lived in space.....Michael Luppino

The glow of soft pine in this cozy dining room gets warm up with the worn geometric  rug, Laurey Glenn photo

Rustic and refined.....a winning combination! Southern Accents

Going more rustic does not mean having to forgo the luxuries! Gorgeous Le Cornue range

Rustic fit for royalty! M Elle

So....what do you think about this style? Though it doesn't fit into my own personal style nor the house I am building I definitely have an apprecaition for it and possibly even more, because of the lifestyle I envision it represents....what do you think? It does make a strong argument for country living. Something about having a charming little cozy place in the country to escape to sounds pretty wonderful! Hope you have an enchanted day.