Benjamin Reynaert is a design and decor expert and a contributing editor atFredericmagazine.
This classic style is updated with more personalization, modern touches, and fun new takes on traditional elements.
What Is Americana Home Design?
Credit: Edmund Barr
We’re talking handmade quilts, cross-stitch samplers, wooden rocking chairs, etc.
Americana with a twist takes all of those beautiful homespun elements our grandmothers may have embodied, says Reynaert.
I believe this style is really taking off because of the nostalgia it makes us feel.
Credit: Laura Moss
However, it is possible to have too much nostalgia.
Nobody wants a room that looks straight out of 1776.
The goal is updated Americana, not a period room in a museum.
Credit:David Tsay
The key is to strike a balance of old and new, rustic and modern.
It nods to the historical but also looks modern because it’s so simple and graphic.
And the bigger the scale, the more modern it looks.
Credit:David Land
Designers are using this classic motif in new and interesting ways.
“Checkerboard is having a moment and is here to stay.”
David Tsay
2.
Credit:Adam Albright
Don’t be afraid of buying used and vintage, says Reynaert.
Hang a collection of cross-stitch samplers on the wall gallery style, or make them into throw pillows.
Or borrow an idea from interior designer Max Humphrey and display a bunch of ordinaryblue bandanas framed like artwork.
David Land
3.
Its visual and textural warmth of the wood will add a little soul to your room.
Shaker-style wooden furniture seems to go with everything nowadays, says Reynaert.
Pitchers made ofwhite ironstoneor enamelware have iconic silhouettes.
You may recall seeing them commonly as vessels that hold fresh flowers.
Another tabletop well-known for the style is spatterware, which was popular in the late 17th century.
Adam Albright
5.
Make It Personal
The new Americana style is versatile and forgiving.
Remember to pair old with new, modern with vintage.
My biggest advice is to go for it and mix it up, says Reynaert.
