Cozy spaces make you think of fall, with its dark evenings and cool weather. But you don’t have to wait for autumn to have a modern rustic home. You can create this kind of home anytime, no matter the season, to match your style and your home’s look. So, whether you’ve recently bought an A-frame house and want a cabin-like interior or you just want to add some rustic charm to your loft apartment, we’ve got you covered.
Experts are here to share their best tips for creating the perfect modern rustic home. They’ll help you with everything, from picking furniture and colors to choosing art and fabrics. Making your home feel rustic and cozy is just a few steps away.
Don’t make everything match – contrast is key
Don’t try to make everything match perfectly – having some differences is important. Rustic homes often use earthy colors and wooden furniture, but it’s essential not to have everything look the same. You should have some contrast in your space, whether it’s through metal, thick knitted fabrics, or a splash of color to break up the neutral tones.
Carrie Bachmayer, the owner and designer at The Striped Barn, loves rustic style. She believes in the charm of a worn, distressed, and slightly mismatched look, which can still be trendy and carefully put together. To achieve the perfect rustic style, you need a mix of elements. The secret is not to have your pieces competing with each other. When you arrange them, add textures, patterns, and neutral colors that contrast, letting each piece shine. Remember, less can be more – you don’t need to fill your space with every rustic item you can find. Showcase your favorite, carefully chosen pieces.
Aaron Masterson from Local Furniture Outlet suggests using natural woods with raw or unfinished steel to create a modern yet asymmetrical look that balances the room. In modern rustic rooms, pieces shouldn’t match precisely; instead, they should complement each other with various colors and textures. Building your design around a unique piece of furniture you found during a vacation or road trip can create a story and make it truly your own.
According to KOVI Home Decor, rustic design conveys a sense of heritage and history through a collection of antiquated furniture, fixtures, and fabrication. Achieving a rustic look involves using worn and distressed leathers, rusted metal, weathered woods, and peeling or chipped paint. This style is commonly seen in American Vintage, English and French Country, and Italian, Tuscany-inspired interiors.
In a rustic home design, it’s crucial to incorporate contrasting textures and finishes. Tina Bupp from Bupp Woodworks & Designs likes to include various elements and textures inspired by nature, such as different types of wood, flowers, leaves, metal, and rocks. Woods with more character, like spalted maple or walnut, can add warmth to the room. Adding a distressed finish to a modern piece of furniture can achieve that rustic look. A statement piece, like a river table or wall art featuring preserved flowers, can bring nature indoors and spark conversations. Using live edge wood with unfinished or black steel can give it a modern twist.”
Incorporate earthy colors
Using warm and earthy colors is a great way to create a rustic home interior that works well all year round. Think about colors like sage greens, cloudy blue-grays, chocolate browns, and rusty reds. For instance, Aesthetic Living suggests that modern rustic designs often focus on these warm and earthy shades like gray, beige, brown, and green. These colors are more muted and bring a touch of nature and greenery into your living space. To add greens, you can bring in live indoor plants, and for gray, you might consider an accent wall. To infuse the space with browns, you can incorporate rustic wooden elements.
Dempsey Hankins from Down Shiloh Road believes that one word perfectly describes a rustic home – cozy. Creating a warm and inviting rustic style in your home is all about coziness. You can easily achieve this cozy atmosphere by using warm earth tones. These tones, along with natural materials like wood or jute, go a long way in making any room feel comfortable and welcoming for guests.
JLF Architects, located in Bozeman, MT, and Jackson Hole, WY, emphasizes the use of honest materials and a connection to the surroundings as essential elements of rustic style. Their principal, Logan Leachman, explains that they are pioneers in using antique, reclaimed timber and locally sourced stone. These materials have natural imperfections and wear from tools, boots, and the elements, which they call ‘perfect imperfections.’ Incorporating them into their designs brings character, permanence, and a sense of history to their creations. Their goal is to make it feel like the house has always been a part of the landscape.
Art provides an opportunity to add a pop of color and personality to your rustic-themed home, complementing the natural finishes like wood floors, wood paneling, and stone. Brenda Olson Art suggests that you can choose wall art inspired by your favorite cabin views, giving you a sense of being on vacation all year long. You can also use accessories like pillows with nature-inspired designs in bright and modern styles to add a lively touch to your space.
Rustic home décor brings the outdoors inside
Bringing nature into your home’s design is a simple way to achieve a rustic style. There are various ways to do this using both art and furniture.
Swati Goorha Designs mentions a Japanese concept called “Wabi Sabi,” which embraces the idea of imperfection and change. This concept is becoming popular in interior design, emphasizing the acceptance of natural material imperfections and a focus on nature-inspired materials and finishes. You can incorporate environmentally friendly finishes by using things like Limewash paint for the walls, natural fabrics such as linen and cotton for window treatments and upholstery, uncoated metals that develop a patina over time to add character to your space, and natural wood finishes for cabinets and furniture to give your space a rustic feel.
Another option is to choose wood furnishings, as recommended by Wallbeds N More. Laurie Rollins, co-owner and certified interior designer, suggests that a sleek real wood bed can bring warmth to a bedroom. These modern real wood beds are no longer bulky and heavy; they are functional and make a beautiful statement piece.
Rebecca Miller from Buckingham Avenue suggests that achieving the perfect modern rustic home is all about bringing nature indoors and incorporating cozy textures. You can decorate with natural elements that are evergreen or seasonal, such as stone finishes or touches of greenery. At Buckingham Avenue, they love combining cozy furs with the natural texture of log cabin walls to create a rustic ambiance.
Another way to infuse the outdoors into modern rustic home decor is through art. Kevin Murphy and Margaret Dowling-Murphy of Murphy Wood Art explain that incorporating rustic art into your design allows you to bring the feeling of the outdoors into your indoor living spaces. This approach isn’t limited to cabins and farmhouses; it can be used to create a chic and contemporary look. You can mix rustic textiles like wood with other elements such as glass, wood burns, vibrant colors, landscapes, and eclectic shapes to add a modern twist. Natural elements can also provide texture, adding the finishing touch that makes your space feel cozy.
Art can bring a natural look to your home
There are many ways that art can create a rustic and natural ambiance in your home. For instance, Mark Leary, a designer from Portland, OR’s Mark Leary Designs, suggests that mobiles can be a unique way to decorate. Unlike static framed art on your walls, mobiles bring movement and energy to your nature-inspired design. Choosing a mobile with your favorite natural colors can truly bring the outdoors inside.
Paula Keeney from Dragonfly Wood Art & Crafts emphasizes the balance that art can bring to your home. When decorating with rustic art, she recommends using sets of three for a harmonious look. Don’t hesitate to mix in some modern or retro pieces to expand your decorating options. Similarly, Pradeepa from Limewood Art suggests adorning your walls with original nature-themed art. Art on wooden panels can particularly enhance the rustic atmosphere in your home.
Photographer and designer Justin Driscoll points out the importance of incorporating various types of artwork throughout your rustic home. He has three distinct styles depending on the room. Some of his artwork is printed on canvas or other unframed materials, which works well in spacious areas. His content often features photography of abandoned and rustic scenes from Western North Carolina. He also enjoys using black and white artwork, including digital fine art and vintage film. When he finds affordable vintage frames in thrift stores, he uses them to create prints that fit the space. Lastly, he has a fondness for vintage Americana signage, including items from the 1950s to 1970s like beer, auto, tobacco, and Harley signs, among others.
Modern rustic design can last all year long
Rustic design might remind you of autumn, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it all year long. If done right, your modern rustic home decor can last and stay stylish, no matter the trends that come and go.
Jen and Laura, who own The Vintage Fix, believe that rustic design is all about filling your space with genuine decor that truly speaks to you. What makes it special is its ability to evolve over time, gradually adapting to your changing tastes.
Laurie Mohan Rustic Home Decor suggests finding a rustic look you adore and investing in pieces you truly love and will use often. Even if you buy something seasonal, think of ways to use it year-round, like bringing a willow planter inside in the fall and repurposing it for houseplants, seasonal arrangements, or mitten storage by your front or back door. Take your time, and don’t hesitate to ask your favorite artisan for recommendations on rustic art in your area; they often have connections with other artists.
Marlaya Ross, owner and interior decorator at Studio One Nine Design, emphasizes that modern rustic design is appealing because it makes your home feel warm and inviting. To create a comfortable and cozy space, focus on elements that encourage relaxation, such as a large ottoman to rest your feet on or big comfy throw pillows and blankets to snuggle up with while watching a movie.
Josh Thompson from Sertao Shop notes a growing trend in bringing natural elements into our homes in ways that are both modern and rustic. Even though modern and rustic might seem like opposites in design, blending the two styles can be quite harmonious. Achieving a modern rustic look involves using raw, natural materials that give your space an outdoor-like charm. Materials like wood and stone are highly sought after for this style. Additionally, creating a contrast between light and dark colors is important for achieving the rustic vibe. When adding the finishing touches, consider the importance of lighting fixtures, as rustic-looking light shades complement the modern rustic interior.
Era Chandok of Mogul Interior describes modern rustic farmhouses as warm and cohesive, filled with a comfortable, lived-in charm. This style combines elements from ancient architectural designs with practical and modern fittings, resulting in a unique statement. The modern rustic design gives your space a fresh but collected look that gains character over time. Using reclaimed distressed wood, like the subtle hues of carved wood cabinets, creates an ambiance that feels gathered over time. Converting a rustic chest into a bathroom vanity by adding an old steel sink is a fantastic idea. These chests are often made from reclaimed old doors, and they feature woods that have grounding elements, such as iron and brass, which help balance the energy in the room.
Modern rustic home decor can help you easily create a cozy and unified style in your house or rental apartment. With warm earthy tones, wooden furnishings, and art that complements your space, the possibilities for the perfect rustic home design are endless.
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