Interior Design Style Guide: Rustic Furniture

[Updated 12/19/2018]

You love the great outdoors, and you’ve daydreamed about heading up north and living off the land. You like flannel, and you’re not afraid to get a little dirty. You’re not into frills or fancy things. You’re solid and dependable, and you want everything in your home to be, too.

If this sounds familiar, then the rustic aesthetic is your style match. We’ll show you how to create a space that’s equal parts charming and rough-hewn.

Words to Describe Rustic Style

• Cozy
• Earthy
• Industrial
• Natural
• Organic
• Reclaimed
• Rugged
• Unpretentious
• Warm
• Weathered

You might notice some similarities between rustic style and other aesthetics, like country or Mission/Arts & Crafts. In fact, there’s a fair amount of overlap when it comes to these styles. Both country and rustic design have an emphasis on the use of warm, weathered pieces, as well as repurposing objects to breathe new life into a space. Rustic design shares its clean-lined, artisanal aesthetic and nature-derived details with the Mission and Arts and Crafts movements.

Key Rustic Furniture

• Metal accents
• Organic shapes
• Repurposed materials
• Solid wood

Elements of Rustic Interiors

• Animal hides (faux is just fine!)
• Exposed wood beams
• Fieldstone fireplaces
• Live edge wood
• Knotty pine
• Matte or distressed metal
• Nature-inspired palettes
• Planked details
• Simple patterns
• Slate accents
• Shiplap walls
• Unpainted wood

Famous Rustic Spaces

• Carole King’s former Idaho ranch
• Henry David Thoreau’s cabin at Walden Pond
• The lake house from On Golden Pond
• Ron Swanson’s cabin from Parks and Rec

If you love rustic style, you’re not limited to log cabins or sprawling ranches out west, though. The rustic aesthetic translates perfectly to farmhouses, beach cottages—even urban lofts and suburban split-levels. It’s the ideal style for anyone who longs to get away from it all.

How do you feel about rustic design? Do you embrace rustic style in your home? Share photos with us on the Homemakers Furniture Facebook page or on Twitter @ShopHomemakers.

Interested in learning about other design styles? Check out our collection of videos and infographics on all interior design styles. And stay tuned for a brand new design style feature coming soon!