Home Remodeling Improvement - Rustic Room Design Ideas

I have dreamed of a rustic room for years. Perhaps my love with rustic rooms started with the rustic lodge that my family would rent every year for Thanksgiving. Perhaps it is simply my love of nature. Perhaps my love of rustic rooms is simply a reflection of celebrating my American roots - whatever the case, I enjoy a rustic room when well done. What makes up a rustic room - sometimes stone, oftentimes wood, sometimes suede. My personal favorite is suede - love suede shoes, adore suede walls, adore suede draperies. It is in the details such as nubuck leather, rustic iron or extensive use of natural wood that creates the richness of the rustic texture and can bring a room to life.

Rustic is not just American cowboy and American Indian rustic. Rustic is no longer reserved just for log homes. Rustic could be elegant Colorado rustic or what my husband labels "Aspen rustic". Yet rustic doesn't stop there, there is also primitive rustic, country rustic, African influence rustic and Tuscan rustic. Rustic extends beyond the borders of the United States. Rustic is a state of mind, celebrating nature.

Tuscan has been the rage here in the United States. The American fascination with Italian design is well deserved. Tuscan design is classic and lasting. For the centerpiece of a home such as the living room or the kitchen, you cannot go wrong with a Tuscan theme.

Yet, one of the overlooked rustic looks which we will explore at the very end is the African influenced rustic. A rustic look with the added colors from Africa and exquisite carvings.

Primitives on the other hand are completely casual often with bare wood. One of my first exposures to primitive decorator was a beautiful waterfront retreat. The walls were exterior cedar siding, the decor included animals, antiques, rich deep colors and it was simply inviting and comfortable.

The charm of rustic is just that-inviting. Rustic is comfortable and family focused. It may have a white couch and beautiful textured pillows but the entire room says stay a while and make yourself comfortable.

The modern rustic luxury bathroom likewise is inviting and comfortable.

Often the walls are of the highest quality with textured plaster and/or terracotta styled walls.

The floors can be rustic or as the last photo showcases, even a basket weave of marble works well with the rustic allure of this luxurious bathroom.

The mirror that extends the entire length of the gigantic bathroom in the second photo is typically not part of a rustic theme but the warmth of the walls, the flooring, the strong wood tones lend itself to making this ultra modern bathroom work well with a rustic yet comfortable feeling.

What makes these modern bathroom work so well? The attention to detail. The intricate wall textures, the curve of the doorways-all invite us to stay a while.

Take note, no bare walls, no basic construction white-these rooms are finished and ready for enjoyment for years to come for your family and friends.

The classic rustic decor often includes stronger grained wood tones such as oak, stone walls, antique pieces. The juxtaposition of the white porcelain and the strong rustic warm tones is a strong design statement for any room but especially a smaller room.

The fun part of rustic is the imagination. Making stone walls work, large wood or perhaps taking an old sewing machine iron base and creating a sink base-all work wonderfully when well planned and tied together in a common theme with comfortable earthy color tones.

The above design element is a great example of creative use of an antique sewing machine that has been re-purposed for the bathroom. A fantastic and relatively simple and frugal find for the small rustic bathroom retreat.

Applying this same principal to other elements of a room will work wonderfully also. What about re-purposing the intricate iron base for a coffee or side table? Or perhaps take a vintage wooden barrel and add a glass top for an end table or a coffee table.

My vision of rustic is concho and nubuck leather-specifically in drapery. It could be a den, a reading room but my first thought is a fitness room/library. I know it sounds contrary. Imagine my weight equipment painted in brown with deer skin dust covers?! Yes, I dream in creative manners. Fitness should be fun and comfortable. What a better decor for a fitness room than the warmth of rustic. The soft nubuck leather, deer skin combined with the craftsmanship of the concho adorning a drapery valence and adorning dust covers for the fitness equipment is my dream.

The chair tops with the leather makes an ordinary dining into an extraordinary dining chair. What an excellent idea for design and yet, functional for long term durability.

Nubuck is one of the finest grades of leather.

You know this leather perhaps best by a famous shoe.

The famous and popular Birkenstock® classic sandal is made from nubuck leather.

High end companies choose nubuck leather instead of suede for the sake of durability. Nubuck is reminiscent of suede in its softness, yet it is much stronger, handling wear and tear and water in a better fashion.

For draperies, for an accent on top of a chair or as a bed spread, nubuck makes a strong fashion statement for your home. Take a look at the many options and design inspirations.

Is nubuck indestructable? Definitely not. In fact, unlike regular leather, you cannot use shoe polish on nubuck because nubuck does have a grain. Stronger than suede, softer than many leathers and yet not as durable as leather that can take regular shoe polish. The correct application of nubuck leather will last you for many years.

Great wood tones, rustic wood ceiling beams and room for a family feast are the hallmarks of a luxurious rustic kitchen.

Rustic is all about the celebration of fine wood tones - from the kitchen cabinets, to flooring to beamed ceiling.

What a rustic kitchen doesn't have to be is rough and rustic, it can be elegant. Check out the many great examples, from modern rustic to rustic with a touch of Tuscan.

Perhaps it was started with the farmhouse kitchen. Perhaps it is simply the need to have a large gathering spot for friends and family. The luxury rustic kitchen is a dream many people hold dear. And the rustic kitchen can take many different forms. From a touch of modern with gleaming counter tops to the rich wood cabinets to even iron chandeliers. Or perhaps your delight is the gingham print for a curtain valence. Whatever your delight from he luxury rustic kitchen subtlety to the modern rustic kitchen with stainless steel appliances, all the themes are consistent - rich wood grains and warm, comfortable color.

As the above various rustic scenarios detail, the many details in the room may vary but the rustic luxury kitchen remains an inviting retreat, similar to the comfortable chambray shirt or soft comfortable nubuck leather.

Often Forgotten and Always Much Under Appreciated - African Rustic

African rustic stirs images of vibrant colors and artistic carvings. Deep reds, sunset oranges, tapestries, carvings all contributes to African rustic with many different tribal patterns. I recall seeing an Architectural Digest article about a celebrity who did his entire home in this exquisite African rustic. It was reminiscent of the room shown above. I call these special rooms "rooms that hug you." A room that hugs you is so special it literally reaches out to your inner soul. African rustics struck a beautiful cord with me. While red is not normally my color, I love the various red tones in these rooms. Perhaps it is pairing these rich tones with the distinct carvings that makes the room appear to glow to me.

Rich Earth Tones = Rustic = Celebration of Nature

In the end, a great rustic room is a celebration of the many different earth tones found in nature. Whether it is forest green, with small dab of sky blue, or extensive woods or majestic and ancient stone.

The details make the room rustic. A modern kitchen can have the color tones that are rustic in appeal without any country or primitive motifs in the room. A simple piece re-purposed could be created from an antique iron sewing machine base for your bathroom vanity or my personal favorite a rustic barrel. Rustic is where your imagination takes you.

My vision of rustic is the concho and the nu buck leather, my husband's focus is the wood and leather, others their vision is the hunting elements of the taxidermy animals, antler chandeliers, or the big bold lodge look.

From large to small, the rustic room (whether it is the bathroom, the kitchen or the living or my dream a rustic fitness room) has something to offer everyone. Combine different ideas, create your own, bring in your Grandmother's iron sewing machine base or add an old wooden barrel-whatever your delight-simply recreate, innovative a special place that celebrates what rustic is all about - Mother Nature - and you will create a home filled with memories not just with decor.