Bringing Rustic Elements Into Your Home

With a strong focus on natural and treated wood, exposed brick and the use of natural light, the general feel of the rustic look is bringing elements of the outdoors into your home. No longer relegated to cottage country, the use of these natural elements is a way to create an earthy, organic warmth, particularly in larger spaces.

You don’t need your whole home to mimic the appearance of a barn in order to indulge in this look; as you can bring it to life in more subtle ways. These elements work the best in spaces where there are large windows or skylights to truly infuse the feeling of the outdoors.

The use of natural wood is an important part of these designs. Whether it’s reclaimed and untreated wood furniture or pieces used to line your walls or floors with planks, this is a central part of these types of interiors. Structural details like high ceilings with exposed wooden beams in a great room, kitchen backsplashes that include exposed brick, or even using barn doors as a statement piece in your space, there’s definitely ways in which you can include them into other design styles. More streamlined wooden furniture works perfectly in modern spaces, for example.

Colour for the most part plays a secondary role to the other details, as pieces that take up visual space are important to the look. White walls serve as the perfect “blank canvas” for most designs, and rustic is no different. White and light neutrals like grey play off the warmth of wood’s warm brown tones and create balance. The combination creates a minimalist backdrop for these stronger elements to truly stand out.