My articles are usually 100% decoration but, exceptionally, I would like to talk to you about a more personal project…
I'm a city girl: I grew up here, I've always lived here. But for some time now, I've been feeling the call of the countryside... and I finally succumbed to it.
I had done some research on Centris a few years ago, I had even gone to crisscross rows in Lanaudière. The idea of a century-old house, on a large lot with a horizon, made me dream… Then I became a mother, the pandemic arrived, and I put my dream on ice.
By a stroke of good fortune, out of left field, an opportunity recently presented itself that ticked all the boxes on my wish list . One visit later, I knew I had found my little slice of heaven. So now I am a city girl – and a country girl.
What convinced me to take the plunge? Here are my 5 reasons to love the countryside.
1 – Communion with nature
In the city, I have a small patch of greenery. In fact, it is rather rectangular, but it is certainly small. I also have several terracotta pots, in which I plant annuals, tomato plants and herbs every spring. It was my little connection to nature. In the countryside, everything is tenfold. Starting with the view through the windows of the house, where you see nothing but vegetation. And a plot of land that is just waiting for me to get my hands dirty, at my own pace. To plant vegetables, but also flowers that I probably wouldn't dare to plant in the city. Flowers that, freshly picked, will perfume the living room, and that I will then dry to use as decoration. And what is this bird that sings, this serenade that I have never heard? The first reason to love the countryside is the communion with nature.
2 – Disconnected cocooning
The proverb “Out of sight, out of mind” becomes in the countryside “Out of town, out of stress”. The journey between my city house and my country house acts as a buffer between my life full of commitments and the slow life that awaits me at my destination. There, despite the Wi-Fi, I feel disconnected. There, I have only what I need to live simply. There, calm awaits me, leaving the tumult far behind, like an absence message that says (literally) “I’m out of town for a few days, I’ll get back to you when I get back.” Distance creates disconnection. And I will make my country house a cozy cocoon where priorities are mine alone, where news from the world will arrive late – if it arrives at all.
3 – Uninhibited decoration
I have decoration in my blood… Neither Dracula nor any transfusion could change that. But the countryside changes the approach. The idea is not to compromise on Beauty, nor on the great principles of design. It is more the style that is freed from complexes. (It is a second home, after all.) Eclecticism is welcome, even desired, and it removes the pressure of making everything fit together. The country house invites authenticity, comfort, quilts, a relaxed atmosphere, a record player that sings of another era…
4 – The pleasure of bargain hunting
With this eclectic and uninhibited decor comes another pleasure: that of rummaging, of discovering unique pieces in flea markets and antique shops. Or on Marketplace. Or in the basement of parents and grandparents – who secretly hoped that a century-old dresser would have a second life… There is in the pleasure of rummaging something akin to the excitement of a treasure hunt. As esoteric as it may seem, each time I unearth a pearl, I have the impression that it was waiting for me there patiently and, moreover, that it felt the same little thrill that went through me when I took it in my hands… A thrill that, it goes without saying, I do not feel at Ikea.
5 – The little extras unique to the countryside
Finally, in the countryside, there are all those extras that I can't find in the city: the silence, the smell and crackling of a fireplace, the starrier nights, the song of crickets as late-night music, the sunsets over the mountain... There is also the discovery of a small stream where my son will learn to fish, or that of a local craftsman who offers products straight from his field that he invites me to visit... And, to top it all off, I like to believe that I will also discover new friends.
Opening photo credit: @jfsm2010
We are happy about our brand new editorial collaboration and her valuable advice. You can follow her on her Instagram feed @lejuliebazar .
Stay tuned for more decorating tips from Julie!
