What is Rustic Style Furniture?
Sun-kissed benches and warm nights by the fire, the spirit of the outdoors and the comfort of a well-lived home. Rustic-style furniture embodies all this and much more.
The rustic interior style has become hugely popular over the last few years. Inspired by a traditional way of life and transformed to fit our modern world, rustic furniture promises luxury, quality and comfort – and who would say no to more of that in our lives?
Join us as we celebrate the development of the rustic style and show you how these high-quality pieces of furniture can add beauty to any home.
What is Rustic Style Furniture?
The term ‘rustic’ is constantly thrown around these days, so much so that it can be hard to pin down. For most people, it just means anything using natural materials, such as wood or stone, but there’s much more to it than that.
The rustic style was initially inspired by 19th-century US settlers. As they travelled across the States, they would build houses and furniture using whatever resources they could find locally, resulting in homes where nature’s touch is felt throughout.
Over the years, rustic styles have been blended with other similar trends, such as the British farmhouse style and Mediterranean looks. What sets the rustic interior style apart is weathered and aged natural materials with a focus on practicality, as opposed to the manicured looks of those other styles.
Pictured: Our Farmhouse Spindle Back Chairs and Fiddleback Carver Armchair around a rustic dining room table
Key Tips for Styling Rustic Furniture
Rustic style is all about creating a lived-in space. Often, the best rustic interiors come from the heart – inspired by your life journey and true to your personality.
That being said, if you want to transform your space or simply add a bit of rustic living to your life, here are some tips to getting that feeling.
Go ‘Au Naturel’
The first rule of the rustic style is that nature is king. Exposed woods, metals, stones and more should be the dominant, eye-catching fixtures in your space.
Avoid covering your natural materials in paints, wallpapers and other accessories. Instead, let their organic colours pull the calming energy of the natural world into your home.
Pictured: Our Refectory Dining Table
Let the Space Breathe
The exciting challenge to an authentic rustic interior is striking a balance between homeliness and practicality. Unlike other vintage interior styles, rustic spaces work well when they are stripped back, allowing your statement pieces room to shine.
Try not to fill your space with lots of accessories. Instead, pick your favourite large rustic items and allow their energy to fill the room with warmth. If you worry that the natural, stripped-back look might leave your home feeling cold, a few well-chosen soft furnishings can be just the trick.
Use Neutral Colours
Neutral colours are the interior designer’s secret weapon for creating a stunning rustic home. Focusing on calm, soft, nature-inspired colours can really compliment the natural materials in your statement pieces and give them a newfound energy.
Consider warm tan colours or calming beige tones to create a charming rustic living space. Soft blues, greens and browns can also make for great highlights if you need a pop of colour.
Rustic Living Room Furniture Ideas
If you’re lucky enough to have a living room with a natural focal point, now is the time to make it shine. Whether it’s striking wooden beams, a stone wall or even a nice fireplace, strip it back to its bare materials and let it become a defining part of your space.
Whether you have that focal point or not, rustic living rooms always benefit from a nice wooden coffee table in the centre of the space radiating natural energy. A piece like our Larissa Coffee Table, made with the finest European oaks and painted here in a beautiful Incarnadine red, brings a beautiful warmth to large and small spaces while also being incredibly practical.
Pictured: Our Larissa Oak Coffee Table in an eye-catching Incarnadine finish
Rustic Bedroom Furniture Ideas
The bedroom is where you can turn the warmth of the rustic style all the way up. Use calming colours, plenty of soft textures, and accents of natural materials to create a comforting space full of the cosy feeling we call home.
Beautifully crafted side tables and chairs can be a great way to add rustic accents to a warm and cosy bedroom. An eye-catching piece like the Montacute High Back Chair strikes that balance between comfort and practicality which makes the rustic style sing, giving the energy of a piece that has been passed through the family for generations.
Pictured: Our Montacute High Back Chair made with solid European beech wood
Rustic Kitchen Furniture Ideas
The kitchen is the perfect place to emphasise the practicality of the rustic style.
Large, block-shaped natural fixtures can add a wonderful lived-in feel to a space. More creative colours, such as soft greens or yellows, can add energy and a playful charm.
If you have the space, a centrepiece like the Windsor Breakfast Station can add a wonderful strength and vitality to your kitchen with its beautiful exposed oak. If your kitchen is smaller, adding an accentuating piece like our Eton Chopping Block, with its effortless straight lines and fantastic practicality, can bring a new level of warmth to your kitchen.
Pictured: Our Eton Chopping Block in a Hague Blue finish alongside our Oak Padstow Bar Stool
No matter how you choose to style your home, by adding beautiful natural materials to your space, you’ll discover a newfound warmth and timeliness that will lift your spirits day and night.
Here at Stanwick & Co, we believe in the ability of quality craftsmanship to inspire a wonderful way of living which we try to share through our collection of English oak furniture. Take a look at our collections today and find the inspiration to transform your home.