As Country Living’s Deputy Homes and Style Editor, I’ve spent the last five years watching the rise of Americana design, and it’s safe to say that, on the eve of America’s semiquincentennial—aka, 250th birthday—Americana has never been chicer, and I don’t mean the kitschy red, white, and blue decor that fills store shelves this time of year. Instead, the style that designers and homeowners alike are flocking to feels a lot more like a fresh take on Colonial design—something the internet has dubbed the Bicentennial Millennial look.
I decided it was high time to take a look back at the styles that were popular at the time of our nation’s birth and see exactly which pieces feel right at home—and even fresh and modern—in houses of today. The results were clear: so many pieces still work! Below, I’ve whittled it down to just five of the best items from 1776 that I would put in my home today. Would you? Let me know!
Federal Mirrors
Starting off strong, because not only would I put a Federal-style mirror in my house, I already have! These gilt-framed, eagle-adorned mirrors—which feature 13 balls surrounding the convex glass to represent the 13 original colonies—are highly collectible. Original pieces fabricated during the late 18th century have been known to fetch top dollar at auction, but reproduction pieces created in the last 100 years can be found for less than $100 at your local antique store. I love them as a standalone feature—mine crowns the end of a long hallway—but they also look great in a grouping, as in this New York farmhouse.
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Windsor Chairs
The classic Windsor chair is finding new favor among millennials enamored with its clean lines and aesthetic versatility—and I’m one of them. Though these chairs originally came from the U.K., American colonists perfected the form. (Sorry, Brits, but it’s true!) Introduced stateside through early Pennsylvania colonists, the American Windsor differs slightly from its English counterpart thanks to a thicker plank seat, more intricately turned legs, and the use of readily available American wood such as pine and maple. These days, the classic silhouette looks great around a rustic dining table or as a standalone corner chair with proud provenance.
Stately Portraiture
Nothing quite says old-timey grandeur like an oil portrait, and while you may not have an ancestor who had the means to commission a portrait 250 years ago, there are no rules against borrowing someone else’s! Gilt frames add elevated sophistication, but, truthfully, I love an unframed, frayed-edge canvas far more for its humble disposition.
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Painted Floors
Popular throughout Colonial America, painted floors were a perfect mix of design mastery and New World innovation. Painted floors served a dual purpose—not only were they eye-catching, but they also concealed imperfections in the wood and even helped harden the soft pine boards found throughout early American homes. These days, they’re a great way to add character in older homes and instant age in new builds.
RELATED: Our Best Painted Floor Ideas Ever
Canopy and Half-Tester Beds
A staple of any high-end bedroom in 1776, canopy beds were as practical as they were pretty. Perfect for keeping out bugs and protecting sleepers from cold drafts, early American canopy beds were also favored by presidents such as George Washington, whose bed you can still see on display at Mount Vernon. These days, I much prefer a canopy bed without drapery—like the one seen above in designer Elizabeth Georgantas’s Nantucket home.
Equally popular (and perhaps even more attainable) is a bed with a half-tester, and they’ve simply never been chicer than they are right now. “Half-tester” is the official terminology for this style of bed curtain that only covers the front part of the bed. I’ve been dying to try this look out in my own home—and feel more equipped to give it a go thanks to all the DIYs flooding my FYP.
Anna Logan is the Deputy Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she has been covering all things home design, including sharing exclusive looks at beautifully designed country kitchens, producing home features, writing everything from timely trend reports on the latest viral aesthetic to expert-driven explainers on must-read topics, and rounding up pretty much everything you’ve ever wanted to know about paint, since 2021. Anna has spent the last seven years covering every aspect of the design industry, previously having written for Traditional Home, One Kings Lane, House Beautiful, and Frederic. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. When she’s not working, Anna can either be found digging around her flower garden or through the dusty shelves of an antique shop. Follow her adventures, or, more importantly, those of her three-year-old Maltese and official Country Living Pet Lab tester, Teddy, on Instagram.
