Rustic design is popular because it feels cozy and easily invites a natural element into your home.

Don’t be fooled though… rustic style doesn’t require you to have deer heads mounted on the wall. When paired with other interior design styles, a rustic home interior can feel calming, cozy, and up to date.

Whether you live in a rustic house and want to keep to the style of your home or you want to incorporate a bit of rustic design style into your home, it’s important to understand what makes rustic style unique so you know what to include to get the look you’re going for.

To learn my simple 3 step method for decorating any area of your home without the overwhelm, watch my free on-demand decorating class, Decor S.O.S.

What Is Rustic Style?

Rustic style interior design takes cues from nature, specifically woodsy or mountainous areas.

Rustic style interiors are natural, rough, aged and casual. Because rustic decor often includes imperfections found in nature, it naturally gives a space an inviting, no-fuss feel.

What are features of rustic design?

• Rustic style homes use a lot of natural materials like wood and stone both in the structure and as design elements on walls.
• Rustic style furniture is most often made of wood and includes raw edges or imperfections, like you would see in nature.
• Rustic style decor often has a distressed look and uses natural and utilitarian materials like wood, stone, and metal.
• Rustic furniture and decor never come as a set. Instead pieces are mixed and matched for a more eclectic or gathered over time feel.
• Colors for rustic homes and rustic interiors take cues from nature and include a lot of warm neutrals as well as darker colors found in nature like reds and greens.

Examples of rustic home design

Rustic home decor styles vary rural and cabin line to more modern and updated with rustic elements mixed in.

Rustic interiors by design use a variety of wood tones and textures as well as natural stone.

The materials used showcase imperfections and raw edges which create a cozy, cabin like feel.

This rustic house was preserved by keeping the rustic elements in the structure. The log beams and rustic wood cabinetry are in complete contrast to the smooth solid surface countertops.

Rustic interior design always calls for the use of wood and stone. This rustic home interior features raw and imperfect textures of wood and stone on the fireplace and beams and keeps to a neutral color palette.

More wood tones and metal are carried through the space on the furniture but in a more polished way to bring in a modern feel.

Stone walls and a rustic stove are the backdrop in this dining room that features rustic furniture and decor, but with straight edges to modernize the feel.

How to get a rustic aesthetic in your home

To start adding a rustic aesthetic to your home you’ll want to…

• Look for opportunities to use natural materials like stone and wood on walls or other features like a fireplace.
• Include rustic looking furniture made with natural materials like leather, wood, or stone and include raw edges or imperfections.
• Stick to a neutral color palette

Where to shop for rustic furniture and decor:

Truly rustic furniture and decor isn’t always easy to find.

A few of my favorite stores to shop rustic decor are:

• Wayfair
• Pottery Barn
• Kirklands

To make it easy for you I’ve rounded up some of my favorite rustic decor finds from these stores and others in this post.

For an elevated and updated rustic style it’s important to layer in other styles. Too much of one style won’t showcase the different parts of your personality and make your home feel like you.

You’ll start with rustic features that anchor your space but to elevate your rustic style you’ll want to layer in other design styles as well.