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Adding Rustic Style to Your Home

By: Decorated Life Team |

How to Add Rustic Style to Your House

There is a ‘new’ rustic style that is trending. It’s a blend of minimal design and country cosy that works beautifully in modern homes for modern life. It is stripped down and pared back, focusing on pieces; without the overlay of too many patterns or fabrics.

wooden bathroom cabinet

Rich earth tones, natural materials make art of re-purposing. The new rustic style contrasts weathered wood, exposed brick or tarnished stone against fresh modern soft furnishings. This video from Miss Mustard Seed shows how to create an amazing rustic piece from new wood.

Walls with a lime-wash finish work well; soft chalky textures and exposed natural elements add a subdued industrial feel.

rustic style furniture

When styling, start with hints of primarily black, white and ochre schemes and add reclaimed woods and worn metallics.

The ‘new’ rustic style loves the natural edginess of structural, mid-century sideboards and sofas. Linen tableware and paper goods are keep in neutral hues, and clutter is an absolute minimum.

modern rustic style palette with lots of brown

Here are ways to turn your home into a warm and serene natural inspired oasis and still looking and feeling fresh and modern.

1. Warm, soft and creamy hues

This rustic style uses all shades of wooden brown, plus reds and oranges as the palette inspiration. Use lighter options, including all off-white shades, to bring more light into your rooms.

living room with wood beams

Choose character filled wood textures, full of ridges and imperfections. Large pieces like wood tables become your base colors. Add accent colors such as sunset orange or cherry red, for more warmth and vibrant energy.

rustic stools and table

2. Fresh organic look and feel

Texture is a great way to bring the outdoors in using fabric. Leather is still popular for large furniture pieces like your living room sofa. Add jute chairs, rugs or burlap cabinets to layer this rustic style.

If you have brickwork on your walls, expose it, don’t paint it. Or leave segments exposed and offset with complementary soft hues for the remaining walls and the rest of your home.

exposed brick

3. Green up your indoor Eden

With so many hard edges and natural textures, this minimalist style benefits from the dash of green from a few easy-to-look-after plants. Greenery is a perfect solution to add color, subtlety and elegance.

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English Ivy, Spider Plant and Peace Lily are among many plants loved by many home owners, and they go well with any interior design including modern rustic, industrial or cottage styles. Want to get this weathered stump look, just follow this video.

Consider a vertical garden on your living room or kitchen wall; large or small, they make a great feature. The flash of vibrant green is refreshing and a surprising contrast to the dominant brown palette.

Kitchen decorated with plants Stone & Living - Immobilier de prestige - Résidentiel & Investissement // Stone & Living - Prestige estate agency - Residential & Investment www.stoneandliving.com

4. Details matter

If you have a modern home, capturing the rustic decor style is best created by selecting details that fit with your current decor; linen and cotton curtains, rugs, pendant lights or cushions with accent colors or patterns and layer them into your existing palette.

old new and rustic styles

Create a feature like a rustic fireplace. This single element can completely change your home’s style, especially if you have rugged materials, such as brick or stone.

Or install crafted timber doors in the rustic style. New or second hand, the lived in feeling goes along way to creating a warm and comforting mood in your home.

barn door with mirror

5. Reuse and upcycle

If you are lucky enough to find and resuse beautifully crafted reclaimed wood, brick, bamboo, metal or stone, metal, you will add character and something very solid to your home decorating. This approach is eco-friendly and compeletly aligned with sustainable décor that traditional rustic style embraces.

You can use them as floors, doors, windows, tables or repurpose them into dining or book shelves or old chests repurposed as coffee tables, or end-of-the-bed storage. Their character, history and story adds more than some rustic style.

reclaimed wood side table

The new rustic style is minimalist, elegance and effortless; its also modern, classic and timeless and a look you will enjoy for years to come.