Americana Design; Celebrating Our Heritage

I can’t help myself, I just love the 4th of July, and every time it rolls around, I feel a rush of old-fashioned nostalgia for all the years (and ways) we have celebrated this holiday. The 4th of July is a great holiday for many reasons, one of which is that it’s a day when we all celebrate what’s great about the country and binds us together. Also, it kicks off the summer with everything from parties, barbecues, and decorating Americana style!! 

I always love writing my annual summer-centric posts, whether it’s about 4th of July colors or decorating your picnic table. It is just as exciting every year to think about all the design inspiration and outdoor celebration that happens as summer gets underway. This year, I wanted to explore the notion of “Americana” as it relates to design and how you can outfit your 4th of July party/summer season with some fun, albeit timelessly-American, design elements! 

Americana – What Is It?

Americana is tough to define because it includes cultural events, things, ideals, arts, or even regions in one term. Americana could refer to a realm of music genres (country, folk, rock) or cooking recipes! Americana is an interior/exterior design scheme and, simultaneously, an old-fashioned way of living down on the farm. The more you look into it, you realize It is a tough term to put into a box. 

Meriam-Webster defines Americana as “materials concerning or characteristic of America, its civilization, or its culture broadly: things typical of America.”

To put it lightly, Americana encompasses a lot. For me, Americana is the celebration of all things uniquely American. Just think about it for a second; Americana is sitting on the back porch of your wild cabin, watching the sunset while listening to bluegrass records and sipping on Kentucky Bourbon. Americana is watching the kids play baseball under the summer lights while enjoying a soft-serve ice cream cone. Americana is watching the city lights twinkle while Bruce Springsteen plays softly on the radio in the background. For me, Americana is a state of being, a “vibe” almost as much it’s anything else. 

Americana Design

In terms of Americana design, it’s the intentional use of American color schemes, textures, natural materials, furniture, memorabilia, signage, and other accessories/design elements that contribute to an unmistakably American setting. You can see why it’s a great topic to explore as we head into the 4th of July holiday. While Americana design is well-suited for the 4th of July, it’s not limited to it, and you can enjoy the Americana presence all year long if you so choose!

Different Ways to Incorporate Americana Design 

For many of us, they’ll be an extra burst of Americana around the house for the next week in a semi-temporary application; but there are more substantial strategies for incorporating Americana into the home; for this piece, I’ll be exploring a little of both.

• Temporary Americana Design Ideas

Let’s say you’re hosting friends/family for a summer visit and throwing a big 4th of July party. You’d like the home to look proud of its national identity via dispersed Americana design elements. Fantastic, there’s lots to be done! 

Firstly, do some home recon and see what Americana accessories you have; you may not even be aware you have them! Think of old road signs, vintage soda bottles (Moxi, anyone?), baseball cards, tin watering cans, or even old movie posters! Americana does have a strong influence from both retro and farmhouse design, so if an accessory seems farmhouse-like, it can work well with an Americana ensemble. Don’t disregard anything with retro charm; it’s a perfect opportunity to incorporate something like red, white, and blue-colored glassware!

Now that you have your arsenal of design accessories ready – start layering down the base of classic 4th of July colors everywhere you see fit, inside and out! From American flag throw blankets to blue and white ceramic plates, lean into those classic and alternative colors I’ve outlined before, then layer in all your great pieces of Americana.

• Semi-Permanent Americana Design Ideas

Now, if you’d like to build out an area with a more substantial Americana design, certain areas of the home will work best. I would recommend working Americana design into spaces that are less distracted and incorporate nature in some way, such as an outdoor kitchen, an indoor bar/kitchen/dining area with large windows, drawing eyes to the outside world. 

As I said before, because there’s an element of “old-world frontier” to Americana, you can lean into farmhouse aesthetics such as string lights, lanterns with Edison bulbs, and deep dark rich woods like mahogany or oak with a dark stain. Source some vintage barstools or wall-mount a piece of art or vintage signage. An old photo of a classic baseball park, a restored 1950s neon clock, or old hunting rifles would add tremendously to the vibe. This way, you’ll be able to have a more subtle Americana design presence that will be welcomed long after the 4th is over!

What I love most about Americana is the retro, vintage, old-world charm and how we can personalize that motif. It is not necessarily about red, white, and blue; it is more about the American experience and remembering what we love from years gone by! 

Everyone’s Americana is Different

What’s beautiful about working within Americana is that everyone’s version of it will present differently, just like the American experience, it’s different for all, and we all celebrate it in our own way. I love seeing what people do to share their design tastes and national identity, contributing to this giant woven fabric that is the American experience. It’s a beautiful thing! 

If you need help choosing color palettes for your 4th of July celebration, check out my Color911 color app for some help/inspiration! There are hundreds of curated palettes to choose from, something for everyone.

Be kind to your neighbors, and have a lovely 4th of July!

-Amy