Rustic style: what you should know about it

Festive, measured and welcoming, the rustic style seems to have come straight from a fairy tale. Let's see how this touching decor works real wonders with our living spaces!

What it is: Rustic style is more about lifestyle than decorating stuff. It shows us all the simplicity of everyday life, honors traditions, loves scuffs, roughness, handicraft and assorted furniture. The rustic style is so dear to us because it is absolutely unpretentious and modest.

Why it works: Comfortable, homely and highly personal, this style certainly fits in with real life. Warm colors, soft textiles, a recliner that invites you to sit down and stretch your legs... In fact, this interior design is able to express your individuality much more vividly than all other styles. It preaches eternal values, which means it will always be modern.

You will love this style if... 

You don’t like glossy surfaces. 

You have covered your sofas with covers much earlier than it became fashionable. 

In your living room interior is not a bouquet of roses, but a jug of hydrangeas. 

The sellers at the flea market recognize you.

Style secret: Light patina

Until recently, rustic style decor was almost synonymous with the fashionable shabby chic style. In fact, the style of "shabby elegance" borrowed from the village sibling all those elements that make it so popular: light colors, light textiles, variegated furniture, as well as everything that we call "vintage" - faded patterns, " crumpled" fabrics and a fine mesh of patina.

Note: There is a very fine line between picturesque old stuff and real junk. To avoid the interior falling apart right before your eyes, keep the antiques new, but follow the same simple and soft color scheme. So the well-worn dining table looks favorably against the background of smooth and even walls, modern window frames. Or you can find some retro-looking models at NYFO.

Style secret: Delicate colors

Rustic style prefers freshness and softness of color palette - just imagine white sheets drying on a rope in the yard on a sunny summer day! No complex shades, flashy colors - only snow-white, milky and beige. Complement them with pale pinks, blues, greens and other "washed out" tones. However, do not get carried away with pastel colors, it is better to bring in a couple of dark tones.

Note: Well, if you can't live without bright colors, don't give up on them. Just limit yourself to a scattering of small details and do not allow sharp contrasts. One bright turquoise pillow will look good surrounded by several light blue ones. But if you also decide to put a light green carpet on the floor or paint the ceiling lemon yellow, this will be a completely different style.

Style secret: Wooden panels

If there is one of the most recognizable features of the rustic style, it is the notorious wooden panels. Classic, timeless wooden panels are still on the rise and here's why: not only are they easy to install, they are also the easiest way to add warmth and comfort to bare walls or ceilings. Do not forget to paint them white or any other shade close to white.

Note: Wood paneling is a pretty strong decorating move, so try not to turn the whole room into a "fence." Less is better. The layout of the "paneling" will still attract attention, even if it is in the very background.

Style secret: Gentle textiles

Fabrics are what also makes the rustic look so pleasing: delicate flowers, pinstripes, pale plaid or lace. Natural materials with a large weave of threads - thick cotton, linen or burlap - this is exactly what you need. Vintage patterns that were once found on handkerchiefs, kitchen towels and aprons have now migrated to pillows, throws, armchairs, etc. For curtains, give preference to simple, translucent and lightweight fabrics.

Tip: Dispense floral prints in your interior. You can, of course, mix a couple of different patterns, but too many of them will make your interior too sweet, especially if the image of the flowers is small enough. It's the same with lace: you don't want to turn your room into a branch of a bridal fashion salon.

Style secret: Furniture in covers

Furniture covers and the rustic style are made for each other! What could be easier than pulling a cover over an old sofa, and you are done. Okay, maybe it's not so easy - to choose a cover for the furniture, because you need to take into account not only the size of the furniture, but also the properties of the material. A correctly selected cover is distinguished by an ideal fit and unpretentious care.

Note: What makes a cover different from an ordinary sheet? It is the cut! Covers should fit perfectly to the shape of your sofa and go down to the floor in soft folds. Of course, you can always buy ready-made covers, but if you invest a little more money and order custom tailoring, you are guaranteed to get excellent results.

Style secret: Do we paint everything?

True followers of the rustic style will never leave a wrought-iron bed or an old wooden table in its original form, they will definitely go over them with a brush and paint. Whatever challenge you face - to hide an ugly finish, to make a dark wood look bright, or simply to combine disparate objects into a single ensemble - paint is your best friend. It is inexpensive, fast and easy.

Tip: Worried that your freshly painted item looks like a new one? It doesn't matter, there are many ways to age furniture surfaces, from craquelure to light "peeling" with sandpaper. If in doubt about your own abilities, entrust this delicate process to a professional decorator.

Style Secret: Old Fashioned Floor

Have you ever seen a country house with wall-to-wall floors covered with carpet or linoleum? And we haven't seen either. The rustic style loves hard, rather rough materials to the touch.

Of course, the wooden floor reigns here - stain, paint, varnish, stencil drawing are welcome, but best of all, of course, a natural look. In a rustic interior, carpets have a right to exist, but the rules of their dress code are unforgiving: sisal or a simple cotton rug are role models.

Note: While ceramic tiles are not the first material that comes to mind when imagining a rustic room, they work great with vintage furniture. But only if it has the most classic look. For example, tiles with various geometric shapes will look great in a bathroom design. And no colorful patterns and marble fakes!

Style secret: Collection as an accessory

A collector, like no one else, understands that the key is in the number of homogeneous objects that he collects. For example, just scattered antique metal signs from a flea market or a couple of vintage plates are not a collection yet, but a dozen glass vessels of the same color or a collection of pre-revolutionary cast irons are already a reason for pride!

Note: A room that contains several collections at once, assorted furniture and random accessories, easily slides towards eclecticism. To maintain the rustic style, think carefully about what and how you will display in your interior.

Style Secret: Open shelves

Not so long ago, kitchens were not a solid monolith of identical cabinets, in which everything was hidden, including large household appliances, but a collection of open shelves on which plates and pans, tins of groceries and baskets of food were placed. The rustic style has retained this approach to kitchen interiors, although today it seems more decorative than practical.

Note: Open shelves are for those who chronically hate clutter. You may spend a lot more energy fighting dust and ranking items, but the results will be worth it. Just imagine even rows of similarly colored bowls and plates, mugs and bowls! They should, of course, be in an overall neutral color scheme preferred by the rustic style.

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