There’s a delicate balance between having a warm, elegant rustic decor scheme and feeling like you’ve walked into a taxidermy trade show. Here’s how to make your home rustic chic without crossing that threshold.
Incorporate Natural Wood and Stone
For true rustic charm, use a lot of natural, unpolished wood in your decor scheme. Whether it’s wood flooring with a mild finish or wooden furniture, keep it as natural as possible. Use old barn boards for shelving and clear varnishes that highlight the natural grain in your tables and chairs. In your kitchen, choose solid wood cabinets with modernized fixtures to balance tradition and trendiness.
Stone accents are another natural element that brings forth feelings of the country. Raw stone fireplaces create an incredible accent piece in any room, while stone accent walls fit every design trend you might like now and in the future.
Woven Fabric Pieces
While brightly colored gingham curtains and throw pillows certainly capture the elements of country living, they tend to come off as chintzy and overdone. Instead, look for luxurious, natural fabrics in bold Navajo prints or woven afghans in dark, rich colors. Aim for authenticity and high-quality decor. Throw blankets and pillows can tie together the rustic decor in either a bedroom or living area, while framed pieces can be added to a bathroom or kitchen. Get creative and think outside the picnic cloth style checkered boxes.
Antiques
A key element in rustic decor is antiques– or at least, new items that look like antiques. With matte, chippy finishes, sturdy tins and crates, and repurposed items, rustic decor shows an appreciation for years gone by. As country rustic inspiration comes from a time of frugality, when things were reused rather than replaced, you’ll need to get creative with your decor pieces. Stacked crates may become a bookshelf. Old farmhouse windows may become picture frames. An old-fashioned cheese grater can be repurposed as a lantern.
Show Off Your Ceilings
Rustic design tends to incorporate exposed beams, high ceilings, and a lot of natural light to make a small space look substantially larger. Before you start swinging a hammer, talk to a contractor and see what– if any– options you have for creating more space overhead. If you have a two-story house, prepare to be sorely disappointed (unless you want to eliminate a bedroom for vaulted living room ceilings).
There are decor tricks you can employ to make your ceilings appear higher. Painting the ceiling slightly lighter than the walls, hanging curtains a foot above the windows, and hanging lights can add height to a room.
Live in a Log Cabin
If you really love the rustic country look, consider a log cabin for your next home. Log cabins are the epitome of rustic chic, as well as being environmentally friendly, a natural noise inhibitor, and having natural temperature control elements. Owning a log cabin isn’t nearly as difficult as it used to be, with lots of modern prefabricated options to choose from (read this to find out more information on prefab cabins and modular log homes).
While moving into a log home may not be feasible right now, you can set aside your design budget and plan for your next home. Rustic elegant is easy to capture on a low budget, and log homes are more affordable than ever. If you decide you want to set aside some of that budget for taxidermy elements, that’s totally up to you.