8 Stunning Rustic Decor Ideas That’ll Transform Your Living Space

A recent study shows that interior design and architecture can have a major impact on our mental wellbeing.

For instance, the research showed that biophilic design elements have a positive effect on mood, stress levels, and the overall well-being of the test subjects. That explains why homeowners and interior designers alike have loved rustic design since the 1990s.

If you’re one of the people who are ready to embrace more earth tones and natural materials in your living spaces, here are some rustic decor ideas that will make your day.

1. Make the Most of Your Fireplace

A fireplace is central to the rustic decor trend since it’s a major focal point in any room. You can emphasize your fireplace by adding stone cladding to exterior surfaces and installing a wooden mantle.

Built-in wall units on either side of your fireplace are another farmhouse classic that also saves space. Choose materials and a style that blends in with your furniture. Include display shelves to show off ornaments and cabinets to keep clutter out of sight.

Your fireplace should be a warm and inviting space where the whole family gathers.

2. Warm Wood Interiors

From the top down, wood brings warmth and rustic appeal to any room, while hardwood floors bring warmth underfoot.

You can add a hint of rustic decor to any room with wood paneling or rough-hewn wood beams to frame doors and windows. Reclaimed wood furniture adds instant charm with its characterful weathered appearance.

For a more discreet country look, choose wooden lampstands, ornaments, picture frames, or ceiling fans to add touches of rural charm to your interiors.

3. Nature’s Finest Touches

Part of the appeal of rustic decor is the way it introduces natural elements into our daily lives. Apart from wood, there are a host of other natural materials that lend themselves perfectly to rustic decor home decor ideas.

These include cotton, leather, seagrass, and leather. With so many rustic elements to choose from you’re bound to find a few that appeal to your sense of rustic style.

Rustic spaces incorporate timeworn, handcrafted, and homespun elements with an unpretentious feel. These items embrace earth tones, recycled objects, and barn-inspired pieces.

4. Let the Light Shine In

Any room benefits from natural light regardless of its design style, but it’s imperative to create a rustic ambiance.

Floor to ceiling windows are best but you can maximize the available sunlight by keeping your drapes open wide and clearing any obstructions, like vegetation, away from the outside of your room.

Sunlight opens up a room, making it seem larger and brings out the best in any color. It’s the best way to make any room easier on the eye and introduce a soft, natural feel to your space.

5. Lighting Rustic Spaces By Night

Light fittings should follow the trend with wooden light fittings and shades made from natural fibers.

Chandelier-style lights are popular in farmhouse design, and pendant lights suspended from reclaimed wooden fixtures are eye-catching and effective.

Who can resist antler lighting, rustic hammered copper light fittings, or the classic wagon wheel chandelier? Wrought iron’s another popular feature for lighting and stained glass also works well.

6. Rustic Decor Ideas With Modern Appeal

If your home has a modern design, you don’t need to undertake a total revamp to create a rustic ambiance. You can implement what’s known as the modern farmhouse design style instead.

This trend uses a background of cool, light interiors as a canvas for creating rustic appeal. Try these tips to get the benefits of rustic design while maintaining a modern feel:

• Limit your use of metal and wood accents e.g. rustic wall decor
• Add a wood ceiling fan for a rustic look
• Introduce some pieces with distressed white wood finishes
• Use some bold farmhouse themes in artworks, lamps, or ornaments
• Choose furniture in neutral colors like cream, or beige

You can also include pops of natural colors that aren’t necessarily earth tones, like light blues and greens and tiny touches of orange and yellow.

7. Layering Textures

Layers are an important part of rustic home decor and add an element of visual interest by bringing contrasting elements together.

Create a cohesive design by using hints of the same textures and colors in your textiles such as pillows, rugs, and throws, wall treatments like paint and wallpaper, and more.

Plants serve as an important textural element in rustic design since no manufactured materials imitate the composition of their leaves and blooms. They also add an extra element of life and color to a relatively neutral color palette.

To continue the rustic theme use planters made of wicker or pottery for your indoor plants.

8. Emphasize Nature With Stone

Your fireplace isn’t the only area where you can make the best use of stone. Stone-clad walls speak of rural times gone by, while and stone floors look wonderful, although they can get cold in winter.

You can continue your rustic farmhouse decor theme into the kitchen with stone countertops too.

If natural stone surfaces are out of your price range, there are many types of tile with a realistic stone look, or you could consider exposed brick for walls.

Bring Out the Best in Your Home

Although rustic styles are still the rage all over the world, they’re only one of a vast array of interior decorating styles to choose from.

If you’d like to see more interior design tips that go beyond rustic decor ideas, keep reading. We feature articles on all the most popular design trends and home improvement hacks.