Traditional Country Furniture

French Country

• French Country furniture developed as a parallel tradition, receiving its inspiration from the lavish styles found in the court at Versailles. It can display different characteristics in various French provinces. Today's French Country furniture still echoes preceding formal styles. But curves are simplified, and the wood is left unpolished. An important French Country tradition involves light, hand-rubbed and painted finishes. A hand-painted French Country console with a scalloped baseboard offers a light, creamy finish that complements light chairs with simplified cabriole legs.

English Country and Cottage

• English country furniture has broad influences, including native Tudor Gothic, Elizabethan and Georgian styles. Country estates abound with relaxed versions of formal styles, while cottage furniture provides a variation on the English country look. In a kitchen, a pine trestle table emits a rustic Tudor feel, and rush seats on red ladder-back chairs tie into the pine table's warm hue. A simple standalone cupboard with round, wooden knobs adds extra storage to your cottage kitchen. A recent trend in cottage furniture involves distressing it to create a shabby chic look.

American Country

• The American colonists produced furniture for temporary use, often classified as primitive, but country furniture-makers designed many pieces to last. English-inspired designs, including American country versions of ladder-back and Windsor chairs, are still frequently produced as are spartanly simple Shaker furniture, an American-only tradition. In a bedroom, consider an Amish-built mission bed with simple, linear detailing. It goes well with oak flooring, while continuing a tradition of quality country reproductions.

Tuscan Farmhouse

• Traditional Tuscan furniture entertains a rustic quality that corresponds with the wood-beamed simplicity found in Tuscan farmhouses. Large, rectangular farmhouse tables often feature chunky, turned legs and simple decorative detailing. Tables and chairs sometimes include heavy stretcher bars, which add to their durability. Decorative flourishes are commonly seen on wrought-iron pieces, including iron beds. In a Tuscan country kitchen, you might find a dark, chunky farmhouse table that well-balances dark flooring and wrought-iron accents.

Spanish Hacienda

• Spanish country furniture is traditionally dark-stained and weighty, frequently incorporates wrought iron, colorful tiles and hammered metals. The furniture's texture blends well in homes with wood-beamed ceilings and stuccoed walls. Mexican country furniture -- traditionally lighter -- often includes copper embellishments, which highlights its warm-toned finishes. A dark-stained, knotty-pine dining table is typical of a traditional Spanish country look. Its wrought iron, curving base coordinates well with a wrought-iron candelabra in the dining room.