What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word ‘rustic’? A wooden cabin in the woods? Or your friend’s farmhouse home looking old and chic at the same time? Maybe a stone interior wall? Or an old wooden chair? Well, rustic design is all that and much more. The opposite of modern, minimalistic and contemporary, rustic in a basic, broad term describes a design that is natural, raw and aged. The goal of the rustic design is to create a warm and inviting look, with an accent of the use of natural materials for function over form. The whole look is made of key features that don’t necessarily match. Raw forms and naturally large items are preferred over the sleek look.
Rustic craves the idea of bringing the outdoors inside which has gained this look a lot of followers and admirers. If you’re one of those who desperately want to incorporate rustic design into their home but doesn’t have the opportunity to start a makeover and remodel the whole interior, you need to know that it’s still possible. There are designs that are so different from each other, but still rustic at the same time – like Tuscan, farmhouse and coastal. And there is rustic modern and rustic elegance, the modern relatives of its conservative counterpart, the traditional country look.
Here are our tips for making your home look as raw and rustic as you want it to be. By following these simple steps, you can turn your home into the idyllic place you’ll look forward to making memories in.
Add Rustic with Some Natural Handmade Furniture
The main characteristic of the rustic style is the use of natural materials. Rustic is all about wood and stone ceilings, walls and floors as well as furniture. It’s about using the organic elements in their most natural, raw form. This is the reason why pieces with unfinished and reclaimed wood and stone designs are preferred over the glossy wood ones.
When you’re building a new home, it’s easy to start a rustic design taking care of the main components and materials. For example, if you want a stone wall or a wooden ceiling, you make sure you build one and it serves its purpose no matter the rest of the design. But trying to implement such features into an existing design can be a little tricky. That’s why you need to focus on the furniture as the main component of your rustic-to-be looking home. Here comes the question of how and what. As natural and raw are the main game-players here, you should go for hand-made wood furniture pieces. There are many online furniture stores that offer a wide range of unique custom made furniture.
Reasons to Choose Custom Made Furniture
There are many reasons why you should choose custom furniture over mass-production items. What does custom-made furniture mean? Custom made furniture is made to your specifications. Often you get the opportunity to design the unique look of the furniture piece you need to make a perfect fit in even functional aspects like size, door, drawers and fittings.
Even if you decide on an already made design, you get to decide on the colour and the type of the material. This means you can pick your favourite wood and other materials used with it, like onyx, marble and stone for the perfect rustic piece. Many assume that custom furniture is out of their price range, not knowing that many artisanal furniture stores are accustomed to designing pieces for clients well within their budget. And although you’ll pay slightly more for custom made furniture than for store-bought pieces, think of the price as a reflection of the product quality.
Creating custom made pieces out of high-grade materials requires a certain level of skill along with great effort and craftsmanship. And in the end, it’s not necessarily expensive for what you’re getting. Bespoke furniture can last for years withstanding wear and tear when taken proper care of. Many furniture makers are careful even about the glues and species of wood they choose and this makes buying their products a great way to reflect a green way of living.
Best Custom Made Pieces for the Rustic Home
A simple design of wood coffee or side tables can contribute to making the rustic look of your living room. You can choose from round and square designs but you can also decide on a natural wood form attached to a stone base for a more raw and untouched look. A wooden leg round dining table with wooden dining chairs are a great choice for your rustic design dining room or extended kitchen space. While walnut and oak are ok choices of wood, the honey-coloured teak wood is an excellent choice for the rustic charm. Since teak is a very dense and oily wood with natural oil present within, it offers protection from pests such as termites.
The oil also keeps water from seeping into the wood which makes teak a great choice for heavily used everyday furniture pieces. And just when you think there’s nothing that can be done with your bedroom, a rattan bed frame can be essential for your rustic looking bedroom along with teak and rattan bedside tables for the perfect match. A wooden bench or a ladder instead of a classic hanger in the hallway can add the dash of rustic your passing space need and also add functionality.
Add Warmth with Details
One of the main rules of rustic is that imperfect elements create a perfectly welcoming atmosphere. This makes rustic design an achievable task even if you can’t change much of the rest of the interior. The main colours are browns, wood shades and grains, beiges and warmer shades of white but also can rely on what’s found in nature like forest greens. Accent colours include muted reds, blues, black, and plaid patterns. Throw blankets, rugs and lots of pillows in these colours and shades are simple ways to upgrade your home interior rustic look. For metal finishes, accent with iron, copper, brass, or oil-rubbed bronze. Other ways are adding nature-inspired art and also a fireplace if possible. Real or faux fur rugs and sheepskin are also great choices.
Embracing the rustic design style for your home can level up your cosy home look. Making simple changes like switching your current furniture for pieces made out of natural pieces like wood and stone and adding warmth with details can help you achieve the perfect rustic look for your home.