Is the Rustic Look Right for My Home? Um, Yes—And Here’s Why

Why You Need to Quit Worrying and Embrace Comfort and Style

You may be thinking about redecorating your home soon, or you may be about to decorate a new home for the very first time. If you’re anything like many Americans, you may be thinking about finally trying to unify the hodge-podge of decorating styles you have going currently into one well-composed style. If you’ve always liked the look of rustic style decoration and furniture, now’s your chance to bring the log cabin look into your home. Maybe you stayed at a lodge last summer and fell in love with the furniture, fixtures, and decorative elements. Whatever the reason, you no longer need to be afraid to take the plunge into rustic-style decor. This post is here to help you set aside your worries, define your own take on rustic style, and quiet your inner style naysayer as you venture into log cabin décor for your home.  What Is the Rustic Look, Anyway? Well, the rustic look is pretty much whatever you think it is. Like beauty, rustic-ness is in the eye of the beholder. What might be rustic to some may not be at all rustic to others. Because of this, no one gets to tell you that your decorating style is rustic or isn’t; you get to decide. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about some of the decorative elements that typically get labeled “rustic.” Dark woods, especially hand carved or turned wood; or log or bent wood furniture is a key element of the rustic style. Natural textiles are often used in rustic style – things like Pendleton or other vintage horse blankets, or hand-knitted throws or homespun loomed fabrics. Antique, or vintage-looking fixtures and decorations, or things you might find in abundance at the local antique mall, are also often used to accentuate the rustic look. Quieting Your Inner Style Naysayer But again, as was said above, no one gets to tell you what is or isn’t rustic enough; no one except you, that is. And, if you’re questioning whether or not the look might be right for your home, it may help a bit to check in with what is giving you pause. Is there a nagging voice deep inside you that won’t let you have the charm and comfort of rustic style? Maybe it’s a voice urging you to buy all white furniture and put it on white wall-to-wall carpeting, and then cover it all in clear plastic so it never gets dirty. Only you can find and quiet your inner style critic. For many people, embracing the rustic style is about embracing their desire for the comfort and coziness they deserve. How to Have the Best of Both Worlds Lastly, even if you think going full-lodge and embracing the rustic style might not work for your home—maybe because of the architecture, the decorative elements you already have in play and can’t imagine parting with, or because of some other reason—you don’t necessarily have to jettison your entire home’s worth of decoration and furniture and go full rustic. One of the great things about the rustic style is that it blends very well with many other decorating schemes. And, you can always pick a room that you think it might work well in, and give the rustic style of decor a try on a smaller, more manageable scale. But be careful, because that one room could end up being the only one in the house that you ever spend any real relaxing time in!