Style Guide: Modern Country

Collected vintage and antique pieces form the backbone of what Megan Miller relies on to fashion the lived-in style she loves. Shopping this way can be a waiting game, but, as she counsels, "a well-decorated home takes time; don't feel rushed to complete or furnish a room in one fell swoop." This decorator, wife and mother of two takes her time to unearth unique, one-of-a-kind pieces—thrift stores, Etsy and eBay are her favorite haunts—that create the laid-back country look she loves. "I'm constantly adding to my collections and tweaking my home as I collect new vintage finds," she says. She shares how she pulls them all together.

COLOR CONSIDERATIONS: I like to stick to a mostly neutral base with white walls and trim, and light painted floors, and then bring in warmth with wood tones and antique pieces. I think the trick to doing neutrals right is to add contrast, either with wood tones or painted black furniture. You can achieve a cohesive home by using the same materials, paint colors, or textiles in different rooms of your house. For example, my kitchen cabinet color (Benjamin Moore Hampshire Gray) is also used on the glass door cabinet in the living room. I used wood countertops in both the kitchen and the bathroom, and I use the same white paint throughout the entire house (Benjamin Moore White Dove).

MOOD-MAKERS: My favorite textiles are vintage grain sacks and Turkish kilim. The nubby, organic texture is beautiful! Also, lighting can make or break a room. I recommend only warm white incandescent light bulbs (or, for LED bulbs, 3000K, which produces a soft white or yellow cast, is my favorite temperature) and I prefer a cozy, dimly lit room in the evening over a stark bright room. (Think one or two table lamps, or chandeliers on a dimmer.) Candles are also a must!

ART SMARTS: Every modern country home needs art. I love collecting artwork, and the older and crustier the better! It's such an easy way to inject character into a room. I'm partial to antique portraits and landscapes, especially when they're painted on unframed canvas. But it's not just for above a fireplace mantel; I have art in unexpected places, like on my kitchen shelves or above the toilet in the bathroom.

CRAFTSMANSHIP COUNTS: Nearly every piece of furniture in our house is vintage, antique, thrifted, or handmade. Staying away from mass-produced furniture will give your home so much more depth and personality!

DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION: I love to collect; oil paintings, old copper cookware, ironstone, vintage cutting boards...and so much more. Whatever the collection is, I think it makes a bigger, better impact when grouped together, rather than scattered throughout a house. For example, I have a pot rod in my kitchen where I display all of my copper, and I like to group my antique paintings into collected gallery walls. I also have a cabinet in my living room that I call my "cabinet of curiosities" where I store all of my smaller collected tchotchkes behind glass doors. Keeping them confined to one space keeps my home from looking cluttered.

Megan Miller is a wife and stay-at-home mom who enjoys creating a cozy, lived-in, welcoming home for her family to enjoy. She collects vintage and antique pieces and loves using them to construct a laid-back country look. She describes her personal style as English cottage meets American colonial, with a modern twist. She believes in slow decorating, and taking the time to curate a home that has meaning and a story. You can find Megan on Instagram, here!

PHOTOS Megan Miller