Interior Design Styles: 5 Things To Know About Rustic Design
Picture: Courtesy of Nicole Franzen
Interior design styles determine the feel of your private spaces. These are the places you’ll be spending most of your life. Therefore, it is important to go for the right scheme of styles and palettes. Rustic Interior design provides a beautiful escape from the greyish dystopian interiors of the typical corporate culture. With a scarcity of natural interaction in common urban settings, the admiration of rustic interiors is only starting to bloom!
From the typical farmhouse decor to a Tuscan-style estate, the word “rustic” often finds association with several interior design styles. But do you need to live in a wooden cabin to be considered rustic, or does it bring more to the table than you might think! Here are five things to keep in mind:
1. Rustic Interior Design Loves Natural
Picture: WILLIAM ABRANOWICZ
Be it an isolated cottage in plush natural landscapes or coastal villas as urban as they sound, the use of natural elements is common in rustic interior design. Therefore, expect a generous use of wood and stone (in furnishing and on surfaces), and fabrics, including canvas or burlap.
“Rustic design, at its core, is the use of organic elements in their most natural state,” as interior designer Katie Hodges puts perfectly.
The overall design is simple, natural, and has a characteristic earthy feel about it. Therefore, instead of finding sleek, glossy burl woodwork, you might get more reclaimed and unfinished woods and stones.
2. Modern is a strict NO
Picture: NELSON HANCOCK
Rustic Interior design styles don’t feature modern furnishings or flashy, geometric lightings. It doesn’t stop there; you won’t find modern materials like metal, plastic or synthetic fibres in most of the design schemes. Anything remotely bearing a scent of the humdrum of urban culture has to go!
There is a lovely caveat though; the design is very subjective. This means with the rise of contemporary rustic, a beautiful amalgamation of earthy elements with clean-lines and modern designs is something you can’t miss!
Typically, Rustic decor tends to be heavier and darker, so the conglomeration of these two styles produces something light and airy, but still very natural. Side tables, accent chairs can bring in a dash of rustic without being too orthodox in your approach.
3. Handmade Rustic Furniture
STONE LIVING ROOM: ANNIE SCHLECHTER
As in traditional interior design, the rustic furniture is handmade.
With an emphasis on simplicity and convenience in design and shape, the materials stand out in most of the rustic settings. Furniture is usually oversized exemplifying comfort and is designed to feel cosy and easy. The use of heavy wood furniture, made from raw logs, boards, and other natural materials like stone is fairly common.
4. Natural is Gritty
COURTESY OF ERIN GATES DESIGN
There is no room for laser-cut modern edges in the rustic interior design styles. The furniture and fabrics have a bit of a roughness to them. Therefore, the design is never perfectly clean, as much of it is made from raw unfinished wood and stone. All in all, it feels a bit undone.
With a plethora of shapes, textures, and colours from the natural materials, the pieces have a unique appeal. The use of reclaimed wood or driftwood for roughened outlook is a popular fad among the designers. For soft furnishings, raw fabrics like jute and animal hide find a lot of use in these interior design styles.
5. Rustic Interior Design is Warm and Inviting
With the warm colour palette, the design seeks to create an atmosphere that has a comfortable and inviting ambience. Typically, an oversized fireplace will be the centre of a living room, and with everything raw, the warm colours, the use of textures in the form of woven baskets or rugs, and natural textiles will make you never want to leave!
Contrary to what you might be thinking, there is no need for you to incorporate everything at once in your interiors. Some of the most successful designs are cheap and affordable. With a thoughtful and calculated approach, even a few rustic elements can create the perfect scent of comfort and convenience in your abode!
