Cowboy Chic Is Trending, and Pros Share Their Best Decor Tips to Get the Look

If you love rustic or country home decor but are living in more of a modern space, there's no need to alter your aesthetic entirely. It's more than possible to artfully fuse these two styles in a way that looks cohesive and sophisticated rather than random.

The June Motel, located in Beaver Valley in Southern Ontario, Canada, partnered with designer Ashley Montgomery, the founder of Toronto-based Ashley Montgomery Design, to infuse vintage country girl design into their eight bedroom property.

Here, Montgomery shares how to bring country elements into a more modern home. Below, she shares tips on the importance of shopping vintage, the need to avoid matching decor, how to ensure a space looks curated and not cluttered, and where to splurge when shopping for country-style pieces.

Go Vintage

To make a modern space appear more rustic and collected, Montgomery recommends going the vintage route when shopping for accent pieces.

"Filling bookshelves with found items like vintage books, vases, and baskets brings a lived-in feeling into a space that is more clean and modern," she says. Consider adding antique side tables and armchairs to incorporate texture and interest.

Visiting vintage stores in person or shopping on Facebook Marketplace locally is a great way to closely examine and measure items that you're interested in before committing to a purchase. Montgomery suggests frequenting your local antique shop or secondhand shop to find vases, picture frames, and woven baskets.

However, resources such as eBay and Etsy offer plenty of excellent options for the home, too, if you are struggling to find pieces that speak to you within your area. Just be mindful that you will have to take shipping costs into account and will not be able to see pieces in person prior to checking out.

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Don't Make Your Space Matchy-Matchy

There's a time and a place to embrace a matching look, but when you're decorating with a bit of country flair, you'll want to avoid this tactic—so be sure to skip the matching side tables and armchairs, Montgomery shares.

"Having a collected feeling in a space gives it more thoughtfulness and curation," she says. "Don't be afraid of mixing woods and patterns!"

In terms of specific patterns and textures to focus on, Montgomery is partial to small floral patterns, plaids, leathers, and velvets. These materials will give an elevated feeling while still achieving the country aesthetic.

Don't Go Overboard With Stuff

While opting for a collected look is key to embracing country style in a modern space, you will want to be mindful so you don't crowd your space, particularly if it's on the smaller side square footage-wise.

"It is so easy with this aesthetic to overdo it," Montgomery says. "Sofas don't need a ton of pillows, using stacked books on flat surfaces, and a larger floral arrangement on a dining table in a vintage vase can be simple yet effective."

Specifically with regard to pillows, Montgomery suggests placing two to three on the sofa, opting for a mix of different sizes.

Know Where to Invest

It's always wise to understand where to invest when embracing a particular aesthetic and where to cut back. As Montgomery explains earlier, accessories can be sourced affordably by going the vintage route. When it comes to splurge-worthy pieces, she focuses on more sizable items.

"Vintage rugs and large case goods (for a dining room or living room) are impactful pieces that ground a space and give them tons of character," Montgomery says. "These are also super practical as vintage rugs (low pile) are great for wear and tear, and large case goods can be used for storage where it lacks."

Montgomery likes to turn to Etsy herself, and she notes that many shops on the site carry vintage rugs in a wide range of sizes. When sourcing larger case goods, Montgomery recommends looking in antique stores since they carry larger case goods in a variety of sizes and finishes.

Read the original article on The Spruce.