Style Guide: Rustic
Overview of Rustic
The term ‘rustic’ is undoubtedly one often heard, when homeowners and designers discuss home décor.
To have a Rustic home, or space, it is not necessary to live in a log cabin, or a cottage home. All that is needed for this style, is to emphasize the organic and natural space of an interior’s design.
WHERE, WHEN & WHO?
Rustic interior design is based on early settlers throughout the United States of America who settled in remote area’s during the 19th century. Due to space constraints and the weight of the furniture, many of these pioneers took very little or no furniture with them. As individuals established themselves and built homesteads, their homes were quickly put together with materials found locally.
HOW?
Preserved and exposed natural architectural elements accentuate the rustic style, with rustic style placing a strong emphasis on bringing the outdoors in while embracing the rugged and natural furniture and textures.
Rustic styled homes are designed to embraces the rustic charm and warmth, but with modern amenities.
To create this look, you’ll need to know about materials, colours, texture, antique furniture, handmade elements and shapes used to style Rustic homes.
Raw, Natural Materials - Restore your home to its original base as a starting point. Natural wood, tile or stone flooring, exposed wood ceiling beams, brick walls, fireplaces, and wooden door or window frames are a few examples of this.
If none of these characteristics exist in your house, you can still achieve a rustic aesthetic by laying broad plank wood flooring. These have a straightforward, sturdy appearance and are the ideal base for a rustic style.
Colour Palette - Rustic décor exudes an entirely natural and airy vibe. It's a really laid-back and inviting style of design.
It should have a conventional color scheme that is soothing and comfortable. Warmer hues are preferred, although natural, neutral colors like beige, white, brown, and grey are also important. A rustic home won't have many bright paint accents, so go for muted, monochromatic design.
Wooden and Antique Furniture - Weathered, raw wood is one of the most common materials used to create a rustic style interior. This can be incorporated into your space with individual pieces of furniture.
Large, solid pieces of furniture are more complementary to rustic interior design. Mixing furniture made from reclaimed wood, with repurposed and vintage pieces will add visual interest and a beautiful, cosy rustic charm. Don't be afraid to choose pieces that are a little weathered or beat up—rustic décor is rarely perfect, and instead thrives on imperfection and grittiness.
Texture - Once your floors and key pieces of furniture in place, natural, unprinted, textured fabrics, throws and rugs will add a rustic warmth and cosiness to your space. Natural, organic textiles such as canvas, burlap, wool, and linen are often used to bring this style to life. Rough woods with obvious grain, rugs made of jute or animal hide, or raw stone fireplaces are all common elements of rustic décor. Avoid anything with an obvious sheen—you want to be able to see and feel the texture in a rustic space.
Additionally, you can enhance the rustic feel of the room by adding textured area rugs made from natural materials such as sisal, jute or sea grass.
“Rustic interior design is a popular style due to its use of raw and simplistic natural elements. The goal is to bring life to a space with inspiration being drawn from mountain living and vintage styles.”
Handmade Elements - Rustic décor are often unique and unlike any other piece, so opt for handmade pieces if you can swing it.
This doesn't mean you can't pick up a few accessories or accents from the big box store, but when it comes to the centrepieces of your house, try to find something with a little bit of character.
Shapes - The focus of rustic should be on the material, not the design, so many pieces are incredibly simple.
Streamlined tables and chairs allow the eye to focus on the material rather than the shape it takes.
Rustic design is all about materials that come from the earth. Real, unprocessed woods, heavy stone, and real brick are all common elements of rustic décor.
Rustic interior design represents a natural, rough, aged, and casual design style.
The category is broad and incorporates a range of variations on the style, including Tuscan, coastal, cottage and modern rustic. Regardless of the variation, rustic style highlights rugged, natural beauty. The style originated organically and evokes a sense of past times when people repurposed items or built them from scratch. Most things came straight from the earth and, therefore, had a naturally organic and rustic nature.