Interior Design Houston – Rustic Design Style  

The roots of Rustic Design Style go back to the westward migration of the early nineteenth century in the United States. Families headed west in search of a better life left cumbersome furnishings behind and, after finding a place to settle, used the natural resources around them to create a home. Rough-hewn timber, stone slabs, and natural fibers are the bedrock of what, I’m sure American pioneers would be surprised, evolved into a major interior design style that also take inspiration from rustic furniture created in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. When the Industrial Revolution made mass production of furniture possible in the late nineteenth century, Rustic Design Style began to take form as a response.  

Rustic Design Style utilizes organic elements such as stone, reclaimed wood, and clay along with natural fibers to create a warm and inviting space that celebrates natural beauty in all its simplicity, age, ruggedness, and imperfection. Some elements you might see in a Rustic Style room include exposed wood beams, brick walls, a stone fireplace, wooden doorframes and window frames, wood plank floors, and countertops with raw edges. 

A warm, earthy neutral color palette paired with copper, brass, iron or pewter metallics is favored in this design style. Accent colors should be muted in hues found in nature. Natural fabrics like organic cotton, linen and wool are used for upholstery, window treatments, and household linens. The use of canvas, burlap and jute along with hand crafted items such as braided rugs and basketry add dimension and warmth to a Rustic Design Style room. 

Furnishings should be comfortable for both viewing and using. In Rustic Design, furniture will not necessarily match, but discrete pieces should reside comfortably alongside each other in the same room, like an old married couple. Comfort is the watchword when furnishing and decorating your rustic home. Accessories can be purely nostalgic or functional, some of each or both combined. Vintage mason jars, for example, are lovely and nostalgic as decorative objects on their own. They can also serve a function while being decorative, like vases, planters or receptacles to hold small items. Nature themed decorations can include grapevine wreaths, antlers, pottery, fur throws and potted plants.  

Rustic Design Style is compatible with several other design styles including its more polished cousin Farmhouse Design Style, as well as Boho, Coastal, French Country and Contemporary. 

Interior Design Houston – Rustic Design Style Living Room  

Rustic Design Style does not have to make your living room look like a hunting lodge or an early nineteenth century homestead; you can use some of the major elements of the design and mix it with other styles to find a blend that suits your taste. Open beams, a natural stone fireplace and wood plank floors will give your space the foundation of a rustic living room. From there, you can select which features you want to include and which to import from another design style.  

The traditional color palette for Rustic Design Style is earthy neutrals: forest green, black, brown and gray. To this you can add white, tan and beige. For a lighter, more contemporary look, paint the walls white and use pale neutrals for upholstery. As you might have discerned, there is quite a bit of latitude in Rustic Design Style. Walls can be log or have the appearance of a log cabin interior. They can be brick which you can paint or whitewash if you wish; paneling or shiplap in natural colors or painted; and depending on the age of your house, plaster or drywall painted in your chosen palette. You may wish to add an accent wall which can be brick, natural stone or reclaimed wood. 

The floors are generally hardwood or wide wood planks. Distressed, weathered or reclaimed wood may be used if you want an authentic Rustic Design Style look. You can add faux animal hide rugs like sheepskin or cowhide, plush wool rugs, natural fiber jute or sisal rugs, or a combination of two or more of these.  

Window treatments, if necessary, range from leaded glass windows to floor-to-ceiling barn door shutters. In between, are choices that include classic sheer panels, gauzy white linen curtains, black and white buffalo check curtains, natural woven Roman shades, and rustic shutters – something for everyone and all compatible with a Rustic Design Style living room. 

The goal of Rustic Design Style is to be a casual, relaxed room that makes visitors feel instantly at home. Sofas and chairs should be soft and comfortable. Natural fabrics are encouraged; leather is a popular choice. Repurpose vintage items like small wall cabinets or small trunks as side tables and an antique wooden chest as a coffee table. Scour antique stores, flea markets, yard sales and your grandmother’s attic for vintage pieces and be creative in utilizing them. Mix modern with vintage, and rustic finishes with plush seating. Layer textures with a faux sheepskin blanket, burlap throw pillows, and a soft wool rug. Lean an old wooden ladder against a wall to hold extra blankets for chilly nights.  

We’ve come a long way from the days of antler chandeliers, although those are still available if that’s your vibe. You can now find a good selection of rustic style pendant light fixtures and rustic/farmhouse style chandeliers featuring natural materials, organic shapes and nature themed motifs. Supplement overhead lighting with simply styled floor lamps with clean lines. Wood, glass and copper or brass are good accents for a Rustic Design Style space.  

You can go all in with the rustic look in your living room, or you can scale it back to a more modern look with a rustic lean. Rustic Design is a flexible style that can stand alone and adapt to many other styles, making it easy for you to have the living room of your dreams. 

Interior Design Houston – Rustic Design Style Bedroom  

When choosing Rustic Design Style for your home, you are choosing to celebrate natural beauty and casual comfort over perfect lines and symmetry, and familiarity over edginess. This style celebrates aged, weathered, reclaimed and distressed pine wood over perfectly smooth, polished mahogany. It finds perfection in a gnarled, knotty tree trunk and charm in a faded, battered steamer trunk, either of which it sees as a viable nightstand.  

The traditional color palette for Rustic Design Style is earthy neutral, but it’s a flexible style with a lot of latitude where colors are concerned. Generally, any neutral palette combined with muted color accents works well with this style. Shiplap and paneled walls can be left in natural wood tones or painted or whitewashed for an airier look. The same goes for brick, but natural stone walls shouldn’t be covered up with paint. If you have drywall or plaster walls, paint them white or an earthy neutral color. 

Floors are sometimes natural stone, but usually they’re hardwood or wide plank. Often in Rustic Style, a weathered or distressed look is desired in a plank or hardwood floor. Rugs can range from faux cowhide or sheepskin to natural fiber rugs made of jute or sisal, to thick, plush wool rugs. It depends on how you interpret Rustic Design Style and what best fits your vision for the bedroom. 

A quick internet search will find many beautiful light fixtures, chandeliers, floor lamps and wall sconces made using wood and aged metal, or in a design that blends seamlessly into a Rustic Design Style space. You can also hang antique or reproduction barn lanterns from the ceiling and place an antique oil burning lamp on a dresser or nightstand. 

Vintage and antique furnishings work beautifully in a Rustic Style bedroom. Antique stores, flea markets, yard sales and family attics are good places to search for a brass or iron bedstead and antique wooden dressers and nightstands. For a true rustic look, leave antique dressers and nightstands in their natural state. When it comes to furniture, Rustic Design Style loves the rugged, the natural, the imperfect and the aged. You can also repurpose a vintage sideboard or even an old kitchen hutch for a dresser and an antique wall cabinet or small trunk for a nightstand. If an antique bed doesn’t work for you, consider building a custom headboard out of reclaimed wood.  

Layers of textiles will soften the stone and wood elements of Rustic Design Style and make your bedroom cozy. A patchwork quilt on the bed evokes instant comfort and warmth, and if it was made by a family member it will also exude love. A thick wool or faux sheepskin throw tossed casually across the foot of the bed projects a casual, relaxed atmosphere. Baskets for storage, burlap throw pillows on the bed, linen or mattress ticking curtains over the windows, and a vintage rug on the floor add more textural layers and dimension to the room.  

When accessorizing your bedroom, make use of odd vintage items you may already own. Antique bottles and vintage mason jars can be displayed as-is or filled with antique marbles, beach glass, small seashells or tiny battery-operated strings of fairy lights. A beautiful vintage vase that no longer holds water can be placed on a rough-hewn shelf as a lovely piece of art or filled with artificial flowers and placed on a dresser or nightstand. In the spirit of Bob Ross, there is no junk, just art waiting to be recognized.  

Pick and choose what works best for you and how you envision your Rustic Design Style bedroom. The most important thing is to keep the vibe cozy, comfortable and relaxed for a room that will inspire sweet dreams.  

Interior Design Houston – Rustic Design Style Bedroom

When choosing Rustic Design Style for your home, you are choosing to celebrate natural beauty and casual comfort over perfect lines and symmetry, and familiarity over edginess. This style celebrates aged, weathered, reclaimed and distressed pine wood over perfectly smooth, polished mahogany. It finds perfection in a gnarled, knotty tree trunk and charm in a faded, battered steamer trunk, either of which it sees as a viable nightstand.  

The traditional color palette for Rustic Design Style is earthy neutral, but it’s a flexible style with a lot of latitude where colors are concerned. Generally, any neutral palette combined with muted color accents works well with this style. Shiplap and paneled walls can be left in natural wood tones or painted or whitewashed for an airier look. The same goes for brick, but natural stone walls shouldn’t be covered up with paint. If you have drywall or plaster walls, paint them white or an earthy neutral color. 

Floors are sometimes natural stone, but usually they’re hardwood or wide plank. Often in Rustic Style, a weathered or distressed look is desired in a plank or hardwood floor. Rugs can range from faux cowhide or sheepskin to natural fiber rugs made of jute or sisal, to thick, plush wool rugs. It depends on how you interpret Rustic Design Style and what best fits your vision for the bedroom. 

A quick internet search will find many beautiful light fixtures, chandeliers, floor lamps and wall sconces made using wood and aged metal, or in a design that blends seamlessly into a Rustic Design Style space. You can also hang antique or reproduction barn lanterns from the ceiling and place an antique oil burning lamp on a dresser or nightstand. 

Vintage and antique furnishings work beautifully in a Rustic Style bedroom. Antique stores, flea markets, yard sales and family attics are good places to search for a brass or iron bedstead and antique wooden dressers and nightstands. For a true rustic look, leave antique dressers and nightstands in their natural state. When it comes to furniture, Rustic Design Style loves the rugged, the natural, the imperfect and the aged. You can also repurpose a vintage sideboard or even an old kitchen hutch for a dresser and an antique wall cabinet or small trunk for a nightstand. If an antique bed doesn’t work for you, consider building a custom headboard out of reclaimed wood.  

Layers of textiles will soften the stone and wood elements of Rustic Design Style and make your bedroom cozy. A patchwork quilt on the bed evokes instant comfort and warmth, and if it was made by a family member it will also exude love. A thick wool or faux sheepskin throw tossed casually across the foot of the bed projects a casual, relaxed atmosphere. Baskets for storage, burlap throw pillows on the bed, linen or mattress ticking curtains over the windows, and a vintage rug on the floor add more textural layers and dimension to the room.  

When accessorizing your bedroom, make use of odd vintage items you may already own. Antique bottles and vintage mason jars can be displayed as-is or filled with antique marbles, beach glass, small seashells or tiny battery-operated strings of fairy lights. A beautiful vintage vase that no longer holds water can be placed on a rough-hewn shelf as a lovely piece of art or filled with artificial flowers and placed on a dresser or nightstand. In the spirit of Bob Ross, there is no junk, just art waiting to be recognized.  

Pick and choose what works best for you and how you envision your Rustic Design Style bedroom. The most important thing is to keep the vibe cozy, comfortable and relaxed for a room that will inspire sweet dreams.  

Interior Design Houston – Rustic Design Style Bathroom

A Rustic Design Style bathroom packs a lot of warm, laid-back style into a small space without crowding or cluttering it. Much of the warmth comes from the basic elements of the style: natural materials such as stone, rough-hewn or weathered wood, exposed beams and brickwork. These lay the foundation for a comfortable and relaxing space. 

The color palette for Rustic Design Style in general is earthy neutral; in the bathroom, the usually muted shades can be lightened up a bit. The palette is enhanced with iron or copper metallic accents and aged patinas. Walls that aren’t wood or brick may be painted or tiled in a neutral color. Dark paneling, shiplap and natural wood beadboard are also options for stylishly rustic walls.  Leave wood and brick walls untouched. You can create an accent wall with natural stone, brick, or wood planks. Floors can be covered in stone, brick or terracotta tile, pebble tile, or a wood effect tile made of porcelain, ceramic or glass.  Exposed beams or an exposed wood ceiling will draw the eye upward creating vertical space. If you are committed to a true Rustic Style, replace the traditional door with a sliding barn door. 

A free-standing bathtub is desirable; a modern oval bathtub will suit Rustic Design Style as well as a vintage clawfoot bathtub. If you opt for a vintage tub, don’t worry about dings, scratches or discolorations; Rustic Design is about embracing imperfections. A vintage clawfoot bathtub covered in copper gilt would make a powerful statement piece while fitting in with the Rustic Design aesthetic.  

Your bathroom vanity can be custom made from reclaimed, weathered or distressed wood, or it can be painted in a distressed style. Look for a modern sink made of rough natural stone and pair it with vintage-look copper-colored faucets. Install roughhewn wood shelving or an antique dresser for extra storage space. Repurpose an old window frame to hold a mirror or scour flea markets and yard sales for vintage mirrors. Hang farmhouse shutters on the windows or cover them with rough linen curtains. 

Rustic Design Style likes to layer textures, so includes a handwoven rug on the floor and a large wicker basket to hold plush rolled-up bath towels. Hang an antique washboard – or even an old zinc washtub – on the wall as art. Install mason jar lighting or hang Edison bulbs from the ceiling and accessorize with potted plants.  

Your Rustic Design Style bathroom should be an inviting, relaxing room with a comforting and nostalgic ambience. 

Interior Design Houston – Rustic Design Style Kitchen  

It’s easy to think that Rustic Design Style is intended only for settings like cabins, chalets, hunting lodges, farms and ranches. Some might think it should only be used in certain regions such as rural or mountain settings, or that it’s intended for the American west, the Swiss alps or the vineyards of Tuscany. The truth is that Rustic Design Style is not specific to any region. It is sometimes about the history of the building itself and sometimes about the type of room in which it is being applied. While Rustic may be the go-to design style for a farmhouse or cabin, a kitchen in the newest, most modern condo is still a kitchen and the design will draw from the history of kitchens instead of the building. In other words, a Rustic Design Style kitchen is appropriate in any building. 

Some hallmarks of Rustic Design Style include natural materials like wood and stone, exposed beams and brickwork, salvaged/reclaimed/repurposed materials, a focus on simplicity and functionality, and vintage decor. Exposed beams are particularly desired in this style, to the point that fake beams made of PVC are sometimes installed. If your kitchen has exposed beams or brick walls, you can whitewash them to lighten your kitchen. A coat of whitewash will not cause them to lose their rustic charm. 

Floors in a Rustic Design Style space are usually hardwood or wide plank, sometimes natural stone, and occasionally brick in a herringbone pattern. You can also use vintage look tile, terracotta or terrazzo. Walls that aren’t brick or natural stone can be shiplap, subway tile, antique tile, or painted white or a neutral shade. For a small kitchen, all white subway tiles or white painted walls will make it feel larger. If you want a fully rustic kitchen, remove your pantry door and replace it with a salvaged barn door which may be whitewashed or left au naturel.  

Cabinets should be plain with simple hardware. Shaker cabinets work well with Rustic Design Style. While cabinetry can be painted, warm natural wood tones are preferred. Reclaimed wood may be used for cabinets and for open shelving. Quartz or marble countertops will set off natural wood tones, while wood butcher block countertops will set off painted cabinets. If your kitchen doesn’t have an island, bring in an antique butcher block or table to use for meal preparation. A vintage farmhouse sink is ideal for a Rustic Design kitchen. Appliances may be modern, vintage or modern reproductions of vintage range and refrigerator. Choose whatever best fits your needs and preference.  

Use traditional fabric patterns to cover your windows; gingham print on cotton, retro flour sack patterns from the 1930s on muslin, or a solid rough texture linen. Throw a hand braided rug on the floor and hang a muslin tea towel over the oven door handle. Display copper cookware on a hanging rack above the stove and choose copper colored metal tapware for sinks. You can carry the copper theme to lighting with copper accented fixtures. Select retro-style pendant lights or search antique stores and flea markets for vintage light fixtures. Decorate with potted plants, particularly herbs that can be used while cooking.  

Your Rustic Design Style kitchen will be a comfortable room with vintage decor giving it a feeling of history and a timeless sense of nostalgia that makes everyone who enters feel welcome and relaxed.