How to Decorate a Rustic Country Home

Look at the Surroundings for Inspiration

The key to decorating a rustic country home is to pull from your natural surroundings. Rustic decorating is all about texture. It's unfinished wood, aged surfaces and rough finishes. It does not have to be uncomfortable, as it includes cushions, pillows and scatter rugs to soften the look. Rustic furnishings and decor allow you to experiment with creative items. It should be warm, welcoming, and a little eclectic.

Things You'll Need

• Unfinished or old wooden furniture Baskets Dried flowers Handmade items Candles Chandelier, sconces, and kerosene lamps Scatter rugs or braided rug

Instructions

1. Choose simple furniture. Look for weathered, antique furniture or buy new and age it yourself. Paint the wood and rub most of it off. Add two to three coats of wax for protection. Pine furniture is a good choice because the soft wood ages easily. For the kitchen table, look for a picnic table style with a bench on one side and ladder-back chairs on the other side. For the bedroom, look for a twig log bed.

2. Expose the floor. A rustic look has bare floors with a few scatter rugs or a large braided rug. Wide pine boards are good choices. Wax the floors or apply a light coat of paint and rub off for a worn look. Stone is another feature for rustic floors.

3. Pick rustic colors. A rustic decor uses earth tones and warm tones. Look for whites, tans, browns, reds, blues and greens. Add colors with pillows, cushions, curtains and dishes in deep reds, blues and greens. Use whites, tans and browns in the rugs and table runners. Add color in the bedroom with a red and green plaid wool blanket for a bedspread.

4. Add detail. A rustic decor is filled with baskets, candles, brass, wrought iron, copper pots, dried flowers and homemade quilts. In the kitchen, display your collection of dishes and pots on open shelves along with your canned vegetables and jams. Display gingham dishtowels and handmade lace table runners for added warmth.

5. Choose lighting. Find a wrought iron or metal chandelier and put it on a dimmer switch. Add wall sconces for additional lighting. Look for kerosene lamps and hurricane lamps for area lighting. Floor lamps and table lamps should be wrought iron, brass or natural wood bases.

6. Bring the outdoors inside. Fill baskets with pine cones. Use birdhouses as decoration on an end table or coffee table. Hang dried flowers from beams or the ceiling.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't give up comfort for rustic. Use thick cushions on bent willow chairs. Avoid shiny surfaces. Rustic finishes should be dull and aged.

Resources

• Rustic Furnishings