DECOR : Country Gets Rediscovered for Its Lighter, Cleaner Geography

Clean off the tabletops. Pick up the scatter rugs. Country is undergoing one of its periodic updates.

Actually, this most enduring--and endearing--decorating style is plural, as Americans who cherish it are discovering as they travel the world. There is English country, Scandinavian country, American country, Mediterranean country, old country, modern country.

Whatever the name, it’s changing, according to some American arbiters of taste.

“There is unquestionably a move away from piles and piles of clutter,” says Rachel Newman, editor of Country Living magazine. “Country is getting lighter and cleaner.”

The choice of colors, for example, has moved from dark, muddy colors to light, bright shades.

“In the past, we used rich early American colors--dark blue, dark red, dark green and brown,” says Tres McKinney, interior designer in San Francisco with the Laura Ashley group. “Now colors are much brighter and fresher.”

She says that instead of dark blue, there are medium blues. And there are a lot of yellows, from bright to mustard colors.

“The color combination of yellow and blue is used frequently. All shades of green are popular, and all ranges of pink from pale to terra cotta,” she says.

A typical combination of fabrics might include a large-scale floral, a stripe and a check or plaid rather than all small florals as in the past.

* One of the freshest country looks is Scandinavian country, which bridges the gap between country and contemporary. It was created by Swedish painter Carl Larsson at the turn of this century to counter overly fussy decor, according to the “Laura Ashley Guide to Country Decorating” (Hyperion, $17.95).

Larsson painted the walls of his house in the palest tints of gray, blue and green. He uncovered the windows and furnished the rooms with a mix of solid, rustic furniture. These rooms and others similar are the focus of the international artist’s works, thus creating a vogue for the style beyond his own country.

Today, Larsson’s Scandinavian country look is re-created with the same mix of traditional and contemporary furniture, simple window treatments and bare wood floors.

* Contemporary country is yet another pared-down combination and one that can be achieved by using neutral fabrics and modern artworks and severely limiting accessories. A contemporary country room might well be built around a spectacular item of folk sculpture or folk art, such as a cigar store Indian or a very large old flag. A larger scale for accessories and furniture provides a more contemporary look, McKinney says. And very modern lighting, such as a halogen standing lamp in steel, is not out of place.

Mixing textures is an important element in contemporary country: the smooth texture of wood furniture and cotton fabrics and the rough textures of sisal rugs and fabrics such as brushed cotton, chenille and tweed.

* Mediterranean country has the same sun-washed feeling and many of the same colors as Scandinavian. Here, the look tends to be a little more rustic.

The far-flung country looks all have something else in common. Americans have fallen in love with them in their travels.

“They are seeking out the folk arts and the primitive pieces from the countries that they visit and mixing it all together,” Rachel Newman says. “Instead of a mishmash, it all works because the country or folk look all around the world shares a certain textural quality.

“The hand of the maker is evident, and there’s a certain whimsy and soulfulness that sets country apart.”

But nothing is forever.

“It’s fascinating,” Newman says, “as one segment of the market gets cleaner and more Scandinavian in mood, another segment is mixing everything up--even putting lace on ducks.”