There are a number of images that go through a person's mind when they are surrounded by primitive country decor. They see a crackling campfire, radiating its warmth to the people huddled around it, telling stories. They see the grandmother sitting in a rocking chair with words of wisdom mixed with hugs and kisses. They see the clear night sky, the tall spring grass, and the vibrant colors of the leaves in autumn all at once. How is it, then, that primitive country decor can evoke all of these images? Well, in truth, it is due in part to cultural background. A person thinks of these things when they look at examples of primitive country decor at least partly because they have been trained by cultural references to associate these things.
But there is much more than just their past experiences at work. Another aspect of the primitive country style that helps to evoke theme images is, well, the visual style itself. Primitive decor is essentially a style filled with things that look simple, old, and natural.
The images of a campfire come from the raw wooden features that many primitive pieces have. The thoughts of their grandmother come from the antiqued look of the objects, and the warm images that the style uses. The thoughts of nature are evoked by the fact that primitive country decor usually uses not only a great deal of natural materials, such as woods and so on, but also because the color schemes are often very reminiscent of the colors you find all around you in nature. Deep greens carry the image of the spring grass, while faded reds and yellows bring thoughts of the leaves of autumn. All of this imagery works together to give the style its appeal, certainly, but it goes even further than that. There is an unexplainable quality to primitive country decor.
It is all but impossible to be surrounded by it and not feel warm and safe. The qualities of primitive decor simply have a universal appeal. Often, the style uses very soft, gentle features, such as dolls and stuffed animals, making them even softer by giving them an aged look, and then it contrasts that softness with the rougher textures of raw wood. It may seem like a bizarre idea at first glance, but somewhere between the soft fabric of a stuffed rabbit and the rough bark of the raw wood furniture, there is magic.
Primitive country decor is really a very loose style at its core. You can usually bring together a perfectly good roomful of decor items by walking through a flea market and perhaps an art fair or two. There is no strict line in the sand that says where primitive country decor begins and ends, but it is always easy to recognize.
Simply look for things that show a sense of warmth, an antique essence, and a showcase of nature's beauty in its raw forms. The greatest aspect of the style is that as soon as you come across the right mix of elements, you will instantly know it. Just look for thought of campfires and rocking chairs. Copyright (c) Kayla Berringer, 2006.
All Rights Reserved.
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