The Do’s and Don’ts of Rustic Interior Design
THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF RUSTIC INTERIOR DESIGN
A rustic interior design theme is one of the styles that will always remain trendy. Because of the authentic, edgy and warm look that it provides, the rustic interior design style has been a popular choice among homeowners for quite some time now. Some defining characteristics of the rustic style include natural rugged textures, raw materials, neutral and earthy colour tones and more. The overall effect should be simple, unpretentious, unfussy, comforting and full of vintage charm. Whether you live in an old apartment and you are just taking advantage of the given resources, or you prefer the ruggedness and take a shine to the idea of going back in time, the charm of the rustic interior style is undeniable.
Rustic elements can be incorporated in any part of your house, whether it is the bedroom, living room kitchen, balcony or more. What’s more, you can always include and blend in multiple interior design styles, adding in some modern elements for a cosy and authentic rustic home design. Depending on your goals, there are some dos and don’ts that have to be taken into consideration before taking on the challenge of transforming your home into a rustic sanctuary. Here is a list of some of the rustic interior style hacks as well as some tips on what to avoid.
Looking for more interior design styles? Find modern mid-century design style, colonial-style interior design, balinese design style, warehouse interior design theme, Scandinavian design style and minimalist interior design on our blog pages. You can also find HDB BTO interior design ideas, 3-Room HDB design ideas, 4-Room HDB interior design inspirations, 5-Room HDB design inspirations, condominium interior design theme ideas, and landed property interior design theme inspirations.
Use Wood but Not Too Much
First and foremost, if you have decided to go for a rustic design style, then you must be aware that wooden details and textures are essential. Through the use of wooden elements and traditional textures, it brings a sense of warmth and a cosy vibe that makes your home a practical and comfortable space. Everything from bare wooden furniture to wooden kitchen cabinets and flooring is welcome as these are the hallmarks of the rustic style. Otherwise, your home interior will be plain and stark.
Traditional Living Room @ Tampines
Furnished with a galore of classic wooden textures, homely elements, and an industrial brick feature wall, this maisonette design portrays an aesthetic that is alluring like a stylish Manhattan urban loft.
Usually, the best type of wood is pine, but you can make good use of any other type, depending on your preferences. For example, you can go for dark cherry or mahogany. In the home above, the floors are of light-coloured wood whereas the central coffee table and TV console are of relatively darker wooden shades with evident wooden grains and texture that provide a nice contrast. One of the current trends is the use of dark-painted doors, and this may work out well if you combine some wooden furniture in darker shades together with your dark-coloured door.
If you prefer brighter colour palettes, beech is a paler but also popular option. If you are on a budget, you can go for furniture made of reclaimed wood. The main idea is to have pieces that have the old and worn textured look, even if they are brand new.
Life’s Little Pleasure @ Treasure Cove
However, as important as they are, you should not over-incorporate wooden elements and cramp up your living space with them. Too much wood can be quite overwhelming, and it may leave no breathing space for your other furniture and décor. For this reason, it is important to preserve the balance between wooden details and other materials like glass, metal and etc in your interior. For instance, you can mix wooden legs with a glass surface for your coffee table or go for an armchair with a wooden structure and ornaments that are upholstered with leather.
Industrial Makeover @ Fernvale Link
This kitchen interior design is embraced by an abundance of warmth and homeliness from the sleek wood setup, which also shapes a neat and chic look that is perfect for a modern look.
Through introducing signature elements such as raw, exposed flooring, a quirky chalkboard and exposed lighting beams, we helped to achieve an industrial rustic touch in the kitchen above. The cool, urban kitchen adds the final touch, with a highly-efficient workflow and customized spice racks to boot.
Ultimately, you will showcase a good diversity that will create a natural look. Remember that no matter what type of wood you choose, you should make sure that it represents your own individuality. It will be an essential part of your home’s aesthetic look so you should do your best to include wood in your design without overdoing it.
Implement Other Texture In Your Spaces
Incorporating all these wooden elements just to create a distinctive rustic interior design will definitely make your décor look more traditional and rugged. The unfinished and raw look of wood is part of the whole style that you are going after. However, overdoing it may result in creating a bland and boring atmosphere.
To avoid this, you use them in balance with other textures, such as through the implementation of softer elements that will break the ice and make the interior more welcoming.
Keep it simple and rustic and go for a rugged textured wallpaper on the walls of your bedroom or living area to transform your interior in an instant. With a plethora of designs and textures to choose from, wallpapers bring dimension and personality into your home and accentuate your design theme. Bring a rugged and masculine vibe into your interior with dark wallpapers with raw textures.
You can also elevate your space with soft comfy textures, and place cushions, throws and chair covers to contrast and balance with the wooden elements. All textile additions with bright and warm patterns can also be incorporated and you can even experiment with them to see if they are to your liking.
While wooden textures and tones bring in a lot of warmth, you can choose to incorporate various elements of wrought iron in the form of sleek, rugged furnishings. Iron will accentuate balance out the warmth of the wooden tones and create a modern rustic space.
Calming Weekend Home @ Thomson Grand
While wooden tones in the flooring have its warm cosiness, incorporating the charm of an exotic rug, or lining up wall art and paintings will infuse visual interest and a modern rustic personality into your home. Anchored by a patterned area rug, neutral tones and visually curated furnishings come together to create a warm and inviting ambience with a colourful personality in this living room interior design.
One thing that can ruin a good rustic design is the lack of a fireplace. Of course, it is still possible to pull off an excellent rustic décor without a fireplace. But if you really want to commit to this style, then get one. Just like the need for softer elements, a fireplace is an essential and final touch to every rustic design. If possible, you should consider adding one. If it is out of your budget, then a wood-burning stove might be a good substitute.
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Rustic Look Opts for Regular Cleaning
Warehouse Chic @ Punggol Drive
Clearly, the raw and natural look of a rustic interior design is truly authentic and warm, and therefore it requires extra attention when it comes to maintaining it. This goes for every piece of slate, unfinished wood or any other elements that bring out the “raw” charm of the interior design style. The lack of coating and any form of stain resistance makes this type of furnishings vulnerable to external conditions.
There is only one way to deal with this – pick your furniture wisely. This involves careful consideration of whether the piece fits your interior style. If you still think it fits your interior perfectly, then you should ask yourself whether it is easy to maintain. The reason you should carefully consider your furniture choices is that not only it is important to create a stylish and cosy interior, but also to be able to always keep it in good condition. And you do not want to have to clean a bunch of wooden pieces of furniture every single day, right?
Colour Still Matters
Industrial Makeover@ Fernvale Link
Contrary to popular belief, rustic décor employs a good amount of colours. In other words, do not overdo the neutral and “earthy” theme because nobody likes when something is constantly put right in front of their face. Also, going for bold colours may not be a wise choice either.
To find the perfect balance, you can add a splash of a brighter colour here and there. Besides, you can use this technique to cover up some metal or plastic elements but this is not necessary if it complements the desired style.
There is a popular misconception what does a “natural” colour palette truly represents. To many people, this can mean brown, beige and cream. However, various “earthy” hues such as shades of red, blue and green can also be considered as “natural”.
For this reason, when painting your rustic walls, make sure the colours match the overall style of the room rather than going for plain white or cream wall paint. As long as you achieve the warm and natural aesthetic of the rustic interior design style, there are no limitations to what colour you will pick.
Why You Should Choose Rustic Style
To conclude, rustic interior design is a design for people who are inspired by nature and the earthiness, roughness and imperfections of uneven beauty. Those who wish to embrace the charm of the authentic and vintage-looking style will have to make more than a few changes. This style requires a careful and precise pick of furniture and decoration, all complying with a strict set of colour and material palette.
Of course, the rustic style has its perks and one of the biggest ones is that you do not have to overcomplicate things. Instead, you should just flow with the “raw” and natural look of the wooden elements. There is no better way to integrate an organic feel into your home interior than through the rustic home style and décor.
Final Thoughts
If you are interested in applying this style to your home, these tips may prove helpful and trustworthy. We hope that they will be able to inspire you to incorporate some rustic elements into your abode and make it into your own unique style. Moreover, you can seek professional help as it will save you from any design troubles that you will inevitably have to face when you start your project.
Space Factor is a professional renovation company from Singapore that specializes in all kinds of home design services, including décor and renovation projects. Our interior designers are well-trained and will provide expert advice so you can pull off an original and memorable rustic interior design.
We provide HDB design, landed interior design and condo design services, feel free to browse our portfolio residential and commercial portfolio and call us for a free consultation today.
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