Everyone loves a rustic space.  Come on, we know you have a whole board dedicated to it on Pinterest, or a whole ideabook for it on Houzz.  But, when it comes to rustic design in your own home, it’s hard to know where to start.  Well, we’re going to make it easy for you!  Follow these 5 steps to a rustic room, and you will have a Home on the Range in no time at all!

1.  Reclaim your space

Reclaimed wood is the first and easiest thing you can do to make your room more rustic.  Think about it (or just look at your Pinterest boards)- everything that you have labeled as “rustic” most likely has some form of reclaimed wood somewhere.  There are so many ways to use reclaimed wood in your space, and the cost and difficulty range from astronomical to miniscule.  For a large scale impact, cover a wall, floor or ceiling with authentic reclaimed barn wood.  The effect that barn wood plank walls have is incredible, they are beautiful, cozy, and pretty much make the room feel rustic without even doing anything else to it.

Image via Pinterest

Image via Pinterest

If you don’t have the money to spend on authentic reclaimed wood, or don’t have the resources to go tear down a barn yourself, try another method that is taking the online DIY design world by storm- PALLETS.  Yes, pallets.  Pallets can be found just about anywhere, usually for free behind a dumpster if you’re willing to haul them yourself.  With the right stain and care, pallet boards can look just as perfectly rustic as barn wood does.  And, technically, pallet wood is reclaimed wood, so there you go.

Image via Pinterest

For a smaller scale project, focus your sights on other pieces that use reclaimed wood- mirror frames, benches, tables, the possibilities are endless!

Image via Shanty 2 Chic

2.  Mix Materials

Mixing materials is huge in rustic design.  If you’ve done your research, you’ll notice that the best rustic design pulls from a myriad of creative materials, some of the favorites being wood, stone, twigs and branches, leather, fur, logs and metal.

Image via Home on the Range

The more you use, the more interesting your space becomes.  That’s really what rustic comes from- using what’s available and being resourceful with what you have.

Image via Home on the Range

Image via Pinterest

3.  Repurpose

Along the same lines of using what’s available and being resourceful, repurposing items is a major step in creating a rustic room.  The rustier the better!

Image via Pinterest

There are so many ways to creatively turn old things in to new things, the only limit is your imagination.  Also, when doing your own repurposing, think about how to make your “new to you” items useful.  Create light fixtures, hardware, faucets, sinks, tables, chairs, or art.  Take an item that was once useful for one thing, and transform it into a new item that is useful for something else.

Image via Pinterest

Image via Pinterest

Image via Pinterest

4. Disguise the new with the old

The next step to creating a more rustic space is adding a rustic or reclaimed twist to the more modern aspects of your room.  Recently, we are seeing a growing trend in “hiding” large flat screen tvs.  Yes, we all have them.  No, no one really wants to see a massive black square in the middle of their wall.  One of my favorite ways to make a tv a little bit more subtle is by adding a frame to it.  If it’s a reclaimed wood frame, even better!

Image via Remodelaholic

You can do the same thing with your kitchen appliances.  I know most of you out there are gasping at me and thinking “cover up my stainless?  Excuse me?  Oh no you don’t!” but really, I don’t think stainless is all that great.  Just putting it out there.  I would rather have subtle appliances (maybe with a wood exterior that matches or compliments the cabinets?) that contribute to a more cozy home feel, than stark silver ones that are not, in fact, stainless.

5. Bring the outdoors in

The idea of “rustic” comes from cabins, homesteads, and lodges where natural materials are widely available, but nothing else is.  The last step to creating a rustic room is by using what nature has to offer.  Some of my favorite rustic pieces incorporate really natural looking twigs and branches.

Image via Pinterest

I love tree trunk tables, live edge furniture, bedposts made from branches, and unique log work.  There is nothing more rustic than feeling like you are a part of nature itself!

Image via Pinterest

If you follow these steps, you will be living in an adorable rustic home in no time.  Do a little, do a lot, do whatever you want, but remember to make it your own!  For more ideas on creating your own rustic space, visit us on Facebook and Pinterest– you’ll love what you see!  Or, check out our website to see what rustic means to us.  For all of the rustic pieces you could ever want to get your hands on, stop in to our showroom today!