HOW TO JOIN THE

Country Club

SAY THE WORDS‘Country Home’AND YOU INSTANTLY EVOKE AN IMAGE OF A COSY SANCTUARY WITH ROARING LOG FIRES

AND A CHANCE TO CONNECT WITH NATURE.

But these days 'country' needn't mean travelling out of town, or having the luxury of a second home. Instead that romantic style - albeit interpreted in a chic new way - is being recreated in modern houses, period properties and flats in urban settings, just as much as it is in stately homes or humble cottages in traditional rural surroundings.

Quite simply, country is cool and

no-one knows that better than mother of three and stylist, Liz Bauwens, who decided nine years ago that living in London - where even a park was nearly a mile away - wasn't going to prevent her and

her family from having the 'country house' of her dreams.

From small domestic acorns a trend has grown, and now Liz and her friend, Alexandra Campbell, have gathered together all their hints, tips and guidance on how to create the 'New Country look' in a book, Simply Country, which bursts with inspiring photographs.

fabrics

Liz says: "Fabric plays a big part in this look and the best loved palette is one of traditional patterns - often florals - which have faded over the years to soft, gentle natural tones of pink, beige and green. It's often called the 'tea-stained' look and never really goes out of fashion.

"At the fresher end of the palette are the toiles - soft pinks, blues and greens, often with floral patterns or scenes from country life in yesteryear, set on a cream

or white background."

There are two contemporary approaches to using floral designs. Either allow one floral to 'sing' among plain, textured fabrics or combine several muted patterns and textures. "Mixing patterns such as checks, stripes and florals also works well as long as the shades harmonise, ideally pick one, or maximum two, lead colours.

Buy faded florals from top design houses, or try scouring attics and second-hand curtain shops. Be aware that new fabrics can make old paintwork look dirty and shabby so unless you're completely re-decorating collect and re-use fabrics such as old tablecloths, bedspreads and curtains, and recover chairs and sofas in them, as well as using remnants for

blinds and cushions

furniture

Treat auction rooms, antique shops, junk shops and car boot sales as your 'ancestral attic' where you source items, and your money will go so much further than if you buy everything new," she advises.

Strip and varnish furniture if you wish, or give it a new lease of life by painting it. A fitted state-of-the-art kitchen isn't necessary for this style. Using a mix of freestanding units and painting them one unifying colour is a much warmer, less harsh look than the industrial, steel and laminate approach that's been so popular for so long.

Take a different look at storage. "Using wall hooks rather than a cupboard is a traditional cottage habit, as they take up less space than a conventional wardrobe or coat cupboard.

A dresser for collections of china, which you also use day to day, isn't just useful but adds colour and character to a room."

finishing touches

"There's a confidence about the country style that partners a child's painting next to an Old Master and displays a priceless heirloom beside a chipped vase, which I was inspired by,"

says Liz.

Add light with mirrors to open up rooms, and look for ways that they can reflect any greenery outdoors, such as a view of the garden or trees

into rooms.

Hang pictures in a bathroom to give it character. If they're properly framed they're unlikely to be damaged by steam, and they

don't have to be valuable.

Try framing favourite

postcards, Illustrations

from children's paintings or their school art work