When it comes to home design, the word "rustic" describes a popular style that features simple layouts, patterns, and furnishings that reflect the look and feel of the glorious country.
Think natural, rural, outdoorsy, unfinished, roughened, old-fashioned – basically the opposite of a polished, modern interior design.
You don’t need to live deep in the woods or in a log cabin perched atop a majestic mountain to enjoy the beauty of a rustic home style. And one of the greatest benefits of rustic designs is they can be created without spending a fortune. The rustic home elements listed below can all be affordably crafted and incorporated to bring a touch of ruggedness to your household:
The Right First Impression
A truly rustic home design starts from the moment you pull into the driveway. By choosing home elevation options from NuVista such as Alpine or English cottage, you'll already have the foundation for this look without having to make changes. Elements like stone, high roof pitches and dormers, accent these exteriors. A Colonial elevation could be another great choice, with a charming front verandah and brick combined with front gables.
Plaid or "Flannel" Patterns
Needlepoint patchwork and plaid designs on sofas, chairs, curtains, and quilts lend an impression of rustic hominess and warmth. While it obviously requires some skill to fabricate these things yourself, there are plenty of online tutorials for beginner quilt patterns and projects to help you discover the weaver within. And if you don't have the time or interest to go the handmade route, you can always look to thrift shops and yard sales to find cheap plaid furnishings at cutthroat rates.
Bird Wallpaper Prints
Nothing screams rustic quite like bird prints. All varieties of birds, either in flight with wings spread or perched serenely on floating branches, are timeless and beloved wallpaper images that bring the natural world outside indoors. Unused rolls of wallpaper are available for cheap in the DIY section of most thrift stores, and considering how popular animal prints are, there's a good chance you'll find something you like.
Baskets
The pale brown and beige colours of natural baskets make them indispensable accessories for an old-fashioned home design. And best of all, you can find baskets just about anywhere – garage sales, consignment stores, and from arts and crafts dealers at farmer's markets. Alternatively, if you have the artistic urge, you can even create your own baskets by repurposing cheap wicker furniture or – if you've got the passion – weave them for free with pine straw.
"Vintage" Furniture
Clean, dry wood can be salvaged from many inexpensive sources and creatively repurposed as rustic furniture. You could turn a wagon wheel into a pot rack, a door into a coffee table – there's no limit to the exciting possibilities for DIY projects to revamp old furniture. Rafters, doors, floor joists, and boards from construction and demolition sites are all good source materials for things like wine racks, headboards, cabinets, shelves, tables, and mantels. And since rustic charm is all about simplicity and "natural roughness," distressed wooden furniture found at thrift stores and yard sales can also be reused with minimal restoration (if any).
Wood Flooring
Most of our home plans are already equipped with authentic, fine-grained hardwood floors – no need to pay upgrade fees for this look! Or, you can have one of a number of lower-cost hardwood alternatives installed. Bamboo, laminate, cork, vinyl planks, engineered wood, and even porcelain are all choices that reasonably mimic solid wood grain.
Leather Furniture
The lush look of natural leather is one of the hallmark features of rustic ranch and country homes. You can imbue your living spaces with real Western earthiness through creatively placed leather couches, recliners, and chairs, and you don't have to break the bank to get them. You can look for the real thing at local consignment stores, or secondhand through online marketplaces like Kijiji; furniture made of faux leather is a less expensive option.
Wood or Stone Walls
When it comes to creating that highly sought after rustic barn look with wooden walls, reclaimed pallet boards and planks are once again great source materials. Wood panelling, wood grain veneers, and even wood wallpaper are other ways to achieve the barn mystique. Brick patterns are another option to achieve this look, and creating a stone wall effect is something you can easily do yourself!
Cowhide Rugs
Effectively placed before fireplaces, by the sides of beds, or beneath coffee tables, cowhide rugs bring Western warmth and comfort to any rustic room. Real cowhide rugs are usually a little pricey unless you get lucky at a storage auction or an estate sale. Auction sites like eBay are also good places to find deals on used, authentic rugs, or you can opt for faux cowhide floor coverings that are much cheaper and often hard to distinguish from their natural counterparts.
Fireplaces and Covered Decks
Nothing evokes the warm feel of the country like a crackling fire in a stone hearth. As a result, a fireplace is almost a necessity for an authentic rustic home. All of our Villa models come with gorgeous stone fireplaces already installed. They also have access to spacious covered decks from this area, offering coziness both inside and out. You can visit our Harmony Villas to see it all in full glory.
As you can see, a "genuine" rustic look can be pulled off in any home, and it's one of the simplest and least expensive styles to create. It's simply a matter of finding source materials and using them creatively. Consider incorporating the classic rustic features above into your design and you'll be well on your way to bringing the country inside to stay.
