In Living Color

In keeping with its past-tense roots, primitive decor is composed largely of neutral tones, from stark white to coffee brown and everything in between. That doesn’t mean your home has to be dreary. Linda Hanson of Glen Rock, Pennsylvania, has found myriad ways to colorize her 18th-century stone-and-log farmhouse. Here, she shares a few tips for pepping up a primitive palette:

Historic hues.

Typical primitive colors are earthy and rich, and they tend to derive from hues found in nature. Envision barn red, steel and navy blue, sage green and mustard yellow. But Linda insists you can incorporate any favorite color of paint or fabric by toning it down with weathering techniques, cautioning, “Never paint antiques if you want to retain their value.”

Artsy accents.

Assemble a variety of folk art, toys, dishes, needlecrafts, throw pillows, blankets and more for display and vivid visuals. If rust shows, all the better—rust is a color, too! Don’t aim for perfection.

Layered looks.

White walls provide a crisp backdrop for colorful furnishings. But, you can add a bit of brightness via the trim—Linda paints hers sage green, steel blue or creamy

beige. Another way to layer in color is by accessorizing with braided, hooked and Oriental rugs, or painted floorcloths atop wood planks.

Words on wood.

Mingle wood furnishings and architectural elements crafted from different species with a range of finishes, including painted, natural, distressed, rough-hewn, knotty and more. The variations will make a room appear livelier.

Garden grabs.

Botanicals of all types bring a bloom to your rooms. Stash fistfuls of posies in favorite vessels and disperse them throughout the space. Fruits and vegetables also make pretty accents. Set out a bowl of apples or a basket of carrots (with the greens attached, of course) for a bountiful, garden-fresh display.

54 MARCH 2019 Muted green wicker furniture and a checkerboard floor team up with birdhouses and floral pillows to connect the screened-in porch with the outdoors beyond. The braided rug repeats the botanical hues. Mismatched rockers and a whitewashed pie safe give the screened-in porch an eclectic feel. “I wanted it to be whatever I had, just like it would be in an old house,” Linda says. A bevy of birdhouses and a nesting goose bring a dose of outdoor appeal to the comfy space.