For those new to wine country or Napa Valley design, this style offers Northern California-based country-elegance with Italian inspirations. When walking into a space offering a wine country style, one should feel as if they are walking straight into a vineyard without there being a vineyard at all. The space should have some sophistication while still feeling kick-back and relaxed.

Since you are likely new to wine country design completely, it’s important that you know how to incorporate it into your space if that is your goal. Fortunately, while it may be a pinch foreign to you, this style isn’t more complex than adding most other styles into your design.

Colors: Berries, Wines, Neutrals, and Muted Greens

Busting out the vibrant and muted hues relevant to wine country design is one of the most exciting parts of completing your space. Focus on creating a contrast between faded colors and darker colors in your design to provide a nice balance.

If you like deep, dark reds, add colors such as merlot, mahogany, burgundy, scarlet, and other darker colors would look stunning in a wine country-styled home. Offset those dark colors with something milder in tone whether that be a lighter neutral like a tan or beige or with a light gray-green. To ensure the space itself still appears open and airy, consider painting the walls off-white, beige, light tan, or even just regular ole white if you want substantial brightness.

The whole idea of color in a wine country design is to mimic the colors often present at wineries such as the different colors of wines, the colors of grapes, and other hues you may come across if you were at an actual winery in Napa Valley.

Materials: Reclaimed Wood, Cork, and Iron

Even if you decide to go for a lighter color scheme for your wine country-inspired design, you can provide a great contrast with the materials you incorporate into your space. Reclaimed wood, cork, and iron are perhaps the best materials one could think about adding to their wine country design. All of these materials alone and together scream Napa Valley. Older, reclaimed wood and iron has that rustic, masculine feel many wineries may offer. As for cork, it fits right into the wine-sipping environment for obvious reasons.

Add reclaimed wood to your design in the form of flooring, a dining table, a book case, or a shiplap wall. Incorporate iron via a light fixture, candle holders, a bench, casual table and chairs, or a coffee table. As for cork, opt for a cork countertop or floor, or simply add a wheelbarrow or large mason jar to your space to fill with corks as you go through wine bottles.

Apart from the latter materials, there are plenty of others you may be interested in adding to your space to make for the perfect wine country design:

• Brick
• Slate
• Concreate
• Stone
• Wicker
• Straw
• Linen
• Burlap

Lighting: Barn Lights, Rustic Chandeliers, and Lots of Natural Light

When it comes to illuminating your wine country-themed interior design, the most important source of lighting is going to be natural lighting to bring that natural, Napa Valley feel into your space. If you have a skylight, large windows, hopper windows, or even large windows that completely open to transform your indoor space into an indoor-outdoor oasis, all the better.

But one can’t merely rely on natural lighting alone to bring the right illumination, of course. Beautiful, metallic barn lights and simple, rounded, rustic chandeliers will be great to add to your space to bring the right ambiance and country feel to the atmosphere. Try to ensure your barn lights, chandeliers, or other rustic fixtures such as lanterns or wall sconces offer a more rugged design whether it be chipped pain, old wood, or a rusty metal finish. You might also wish to add some candles to your design to step things up a notch and make the space a little more romantic.

Décor: Wine Barrels, Chalkboards, Antique Pieces

Wine country décor is simple, elegant yet casual, and quite versatile. Generally, wine country décor is not incredibly difficult nor is it too picky in an interior design. Décor can consist of wine barrels, chalkboards, and other Italian or antique-looking decorations.

Besides the latter, it would be important to add outdoor elements into the space since wine country design is, after all, inspired by Napa Valley vineyards. Add drier, Mediterranean plants such as fake wheat plants, grapes and/or grape leaves, or succulents. You might even want to add an antique wheel, bucket, or chest in your design to help maintain that older style in your wine country design.

Here are other decorations that might peak your interest for this specific style:

• A bowl of fake pears
• Potpourri
• A glass jar or bowl of dried leaves
• Fake bloomed lavender
• An olive tree
• A wall herb garden
• A glass dispenser filled daily with herbed water, wine, or tea
• Artwork of wine, grapes, a wine cellar, or vineyards
• A wall map of Italy or Napa, California
• A faux wrought iron balcony
• Mason jars

Cozy Features: A Fire Place, Bar Area, and Large Dining Table

Apart from a great design with the right mood set in place, it’s important that your wine country design offers relevant, cozy elements just as a real winery offers. Everyone has their own perceptions of what makes a space cozy or relaxed, but keep in mind that coziness can be achieved even if the space is deemed more luxurious. You just have to find that right balance.

In the case of wine country, you might wish to incorporate a warm fire place, cute little bar area, or a large dining table for gathering purposes. If the space if suffice, you might love the idea of placing large sectionals into your design to encourage guests to kick back and relax with a glass of wine. If you want to bring in the relaxed vibes will still offer great entertainment, think about adding a foosball or pool table into your space if it fits well into the setting of the room.

To enjoy good company, you might want to eliminate electronics or at least hide them in your design (e.g., in an entertainment center with cabinets or sliding doors). Let your furniture and the elements in your space focus on entertaining and gathering with family and friends.

Conclusion

Just like with other interior design styles, you’re allowed to put your own spin on your wine country-inspired home. But as helpful guidelines, it would be wise to implement certain colors from nature into your space, incorporate rougher and more masculine textures such as cork, ensure there is plenty of natural light along with a few farmhouse-styled fixtures, decorate with old-fashioned country pieces, and add several cozy features into the space that help imply gathering and togetherness.

With wine country design, you can make it as colorful or bland, cozy or sophisticated, or as modern or traditional as you would like. Add the elements into your design that not only fit the wine country or Napa Valley style but also speak to you personally.

If you need more interior or exterior design-related tips and tricks, check out the rest of our blog posts.