Like things the way nature made them? Then the rustic style is right down your alley, what with its unfinished wood, natural textures and comforting warmth!

Sometimes the city life can get too much. All the hustle and bustle, all the bright plastic and fake smiles – it can be overwhelming and makes you long to go back home. When that home is decorated in the rustic style, you can be sure of making it a relaxing haven!

Decor Styles 101: Rustic

When you hear the word rustic, it may make you think about living in a log cabin in the woods, or by the lake. While you can most certainly do that, it is not a requirement to decorate in the rustic style!

The rustic decor style is one that is rooted in nature, making use of natural materials in all areas, including construction and decor. It also revels in the natural structure of a home, celebrating the little imperfections and unfinished surfaces as part of being genuine. As a result, the rustic style is also what people may call ‘rugged’.

Due to this, the rustic style is wonderfully warm, inviting and relaxed in its vibe. Practicality takes priority and the decor is easy to maintain. While rustic style may seem to have many similarities with farmhouse, industrial and organic styles, it is different and has an identity of its own. Let’s check out some identifying features to understand how this is so.

Characteristics of Rustic Decor

• Only natural materials are used, and synthetic materials are completely avoided
• There is an abundance of wood, in furniture, flooring, walls and even ceilings
• The overall vibe is warm and comfortable, with natural fabrics and furnishings
• Most surfaces are unfinished and left raw
• Handmade, heavy and sturdy pieces are preferred over lighter furniture
• There is a preference for function over form, and most things have a practical purpose

6 Ways to bring the Rustic Decor Style to your Space

1. Let the Bones Show

The rustic decor style celebrates the natural structure of your home. So if there are wooden beams, exposed brick, stone floors, awkward corners – let them all shine in all their natural glory. Make them the mainstays of your decor and style around them. Leave unfinished surfaces as they are – that is the beauty of this style.

2. Go Dark and Heavy with Furniture

Rustic style furniture is generally quite heavy and proportionally large. Even if you don’t want to fill your room with heavy furniture, let the main piece be so, like the dining table or the bed. Dark woods generally suit the mood for rustic furniture. Again, let the unfinished surfaces remain that way, and don’t cover it up – celebrate it.

3. Keep Colors Neutral

Since this style is all about natural materials, it makes sense to keep the color palette in neutral tones – mostly browns, whites, grays and greens. Bold, bright colors are not seen, but you can include rust oranges or mustard yellows in accents. If you don’t have wall moldings, keep the walls white or cream to act as the perfect backdrop for the dark rustic furniture.

4. Use Natural Materials

Naturally, you’ll use natural materials for the rustic style – it’s obvious! Wood, of course, does feature a lot, but you need to use natural materials for fabrics and furnishings as well, like cotton, jute, linen or burlap. Wicker and rattan are also materials you can use in baskets and other kinds of decor. When using metals, avoid shiny metals and go for unfinished, matte ones like iron and copper. Avoid anything made of synthetic fabrics or plastic.

5. Go Chunky with Decor

In rustic decor, there is no place for dainty, cute decor elements – the preference is for larger, chunkier pieces. Try to get pieces that reflect the imperfection of nature, in terms of asymmetry, uneven grain or discoloration. Stone, wood, stone, concrete are all excellent materials to get decor pieces. One popular idea is to use a piece of unfinished driftwood on which you paint a sign and hang it up on the wall.

6. Mix – Don’t Match

If matching your decor and furnishings gives you anxiety, you’re in luck – the rustic style is not at all about matching! Rustic decor is about creating a look over time, with pieces from different sources and with different stories. While the items look different and mismatched, they should still have harmony with each other. This applies to furniture as well; for instance get a set of mismatched chairs for a dining table.

The rustic style is one of the easiest and most budget friendly styles to incorporate, although it helps to have a slightly larger space or a house. You can still bring the style to your apartment, but you need to make sure your basic pieces like large furniture conforms to the rustic design.

It’s okay if your rustic decor overlaps with other styles, but it will be completely different from styles like contemporary, urban or glam styles. With the rustic style, you’ll feel like you’re returning to the lap of Nature at the end of a long, hard day of city life!