Decorating a Country Rustic Home

Floors

Country rustic homes generally have hardwood, stone or texture tiled floors. The floors, as well as other décor in a rustic room, should look and feel as natural as possible. Therefore, you would not choose flooring with a slick, shiny surface but one with a matte finish. Warm up the room with area rugs over the hard surface floor, especially if it has an open room style where the living room, dining room and kitchen are combined. Area rugs separate the different areas without using walls. Many times, country rustic decor incorporates Native American designs on rugs.

Furniture

When decorating a country rustic home, furniture should have the look of the outdoors. It may have a lot of natural or stained wood, but never with a glossy finish. Use pieces such as benches, rocking chairs and ladder-back chairs. Antiques, especially Shaker or early American style, are perfect additions. Paint finishes can be applied to some pieces. An easy way to get an aged rustic paint application is to choose a muted color paint and apply it. Then sand the edges of the furniture piece to age it. Follow that with a stain over the entire piece. Soft furnishings such as sofas and easy chairs should have a textured fabric that feels a bit rugged. Also use leather for a natural look.

Color

Neutrals and nature colors dominate in rustic decorating. Any color you see in nature can be used, but generally besides neutral shades, greens, blues and barn red are used. However, don't be afraid to come up with your own color choices. Imagine taking your color pallet from sunflowers. You could incorporate golds, yellows, greens, browns and tans or black for a lovely inspired combination.

Accessories

Light fixtures in country rustic decorating include fixtures in wood, wrought iron or brushed metal. Baskets or natural wood boxes can be used for storage purposes. Shelving in any of the rooms, including the kitchen, is perfect for placing accessories. Rather than a hutch, consider using three shelves in the dining area to place pottery or rustic dishes on. Wall décor can include framed wildlife paintings or prints. Scout antique stores for items such as old snowshoes, fishing poles and nets or handsaws to mount on the walls. Use a patchwork quilt for a throw over the sofa for a cozy frontier cabin feel.

Resources

• How to Distress Furniture