Anyone still believing that country style must be limited to farmhouses need only behold the home of Annie Brahler for compelling proof to the contrary. Located in Jacksonville, Ill., the stately, six-bedroom house is a landmark of that city's historic district. On the outside, it is pure architectural sophistication; on the inside, it's country through and through.

Dining Nook

Beneath a crystal chandelier, a small table off the kitchen provides an intimate dining nook.



Old & New

The straight lines of the bookcase offset the curves of the carved and gilded sofa. A painting hangs somewhat eccentrically above. In signature Euro Trash style, homeowner Annie's business, she had the sofa upholstered in humble linen, similar to the linen-bound volumes on the shelves, "to bring it back down to earth," she says. Silk pillows provide out-of-this-world accents.



Dressed Up

Tasselled, buttoned "ball-gown slipcovers" dress up gilded dining chairs. Their opulence is underscored by the bare oak floor, outlined in walnut parquet, which gives the room the youthful look of "wearing an evening gown without shoes," Annie says. The Drexel claw-foot table was dark brown until Annie coated it with Sherwin-Williams "Pulmonaria" semigloss paint, deliberately avoiding a precise match with the slipcovers. "I don't like things to be matchy," she adds.



Vintage Armchair and Books

An armchair bears evidence of Annie's weakness for vintage volumes. Perched atop the book stack is another Brahler signature: an old sugar bowl. Repurposed as a vase, it holds roses from her favourite floral resource: Sam's Club.



Unique Arch

"I've always been a nomad," says Annie. "This house is home to my belongings and my aesthetic — it's finally all under one roof, not just in my head!"

Pictured: Dividing the living room from the sitting room is an archway rimmed in tooled leather and guarded by carved indian heads.



Bedroom - what makes it country?

Authenticity rules: "True country style means nothing that is contrived," says Annie. "That doesn't mean that you need to decorate with prized, pedigreed antiques, but with so many wonderful castoff treasures out there, reproductions should be avoided."

Form follows function: "If you have kids and pets, bare floors and washable slipcovers are a must," Annie says. "My home is meant to be enjoyed by everyone in my family."

Patina: "And don't fret over it," says Annie. "When someone runs into a piece of furniture in my house and leaves a mark on the wood, my quip is, 'That's the look we're going for!'"

Finding beauty in the everyday: Annie likes to celebrate plain fibers by using them in place of luxurious ones. An over-the-top balloon shade fabricated in cotton makes a country-perfect window treatment for this bathroom window.

Pictured: Bedroom has a bedstead that belonged to Princess Lillian of Belgium.



Vintage Silver

Vintage silver gets repurposed as bud vases.



Vanity Dressed in a Silk

A vanity swathed in silk resembles a bustle skirt.



Slipper Tub

A slipper tub in the master bedroom.