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How To Decorate a Rustic Bedroom
Modern convenience does not always have to conform to modern style. The lived-in feel of the cottage and farmhouse aesthetic draws in people with it’s comfort and welcoming aesthetic. This rustic style can give your home a feeling that invokes the past while bringing nature’s unique colors inside. Let’s have a look at how to decorate a rustic bedroom
What Is a Rustic Bedroom?
This aesthetic asks you to imagine you’re creating a corner of luxury in a farmhouse, or bringing that farmhouse appeal indoors. The earthy beauty of a barn door hiding a walk-in closet and thick, cotton duvets in beiges and browns are examples of some rustic bedroom decor ideas.
A rustic-style bedroom shies away from the bright colors and cold, metallic hues of modern design. It strives for a cozy and down-home feeling, highlighting neutral colors and natural materials. As much as the rustic look is confined to a modest range of color hues and fabrics, it’s also flexible. A quilt or afghan works as easily across a bed as a neatly tailored duvet.
You can also find room for distinct colors that fit into those neutral tones. For example, a rustic sage green bedroom brings those welcome tastes of nature into your summer farm aesthetic.
Focus on Down-to-Earth Materials
Natural materials are the threads that bring together your rustic bedroom. Think about linen and cotton bedsheets, as well as sisal and even wicker for accents throughout the room. Wool and other natural fabrics fit nicely into this aesthetic that should invoke a back-to-the-land feel. Avoid the more modern materials like polyester, vinyl, and laminates.
A farmhouse is typically made of wood, and a rustic bedroom highlights its wood elements. That includes hardwood floors, exposed beams on the ceiling, as well as shiplap walls. You can focus on wood for your furniture pieces, including your side tables, nightstand, dresser, and bed frame. Add a wooden rocking chair with an embroidered pillow for an added touch of comfort.
Adopt a Neutral Color Scheme
A neutral color scheme doesn’t mean that everything has to be shades of white. In fact, you can incorporate a range of nature’s colors into your rustic bedroom. Browns and beiges are central, but so are those greens and greys borrowed from the hues of the forest. Muted peaches, oranges, and even reds have a place as well.
Textured colors also work well in a rustic bedroom. In any piece, you should see a range of colors — think of natural wood that has several shades of brown and spots of black. A sage green throw should similarly have a few specs of white or different hues of that green. As nature is not monochromatic, your rustic bedroom shouldn't be either.
Integrate a Variety of Textures
Neutral tones can invoke nature, but these hues can sometimes make things dull. To bring life and comfort into the space, intermix textures into bedding and furnishings. Linen bed sheets mix nicely with chunky knit throws. You can elevate the warmth of your hardwood floor with a deep pile rug.
You can bring these changes of textures to your walls as well. Consider a contrast between sheer, short curtains with textured wallpaper. The paper itself will be flat but might appear to have a distinct feel — think of paper that resembles wood grain or a fabric pattern. Think of this rustic bedroom as a tactile experience, either through direct touch or an impression.
Imagine a Weekend at the Cottage
Another perspective on the rustic bedroom is what you might find in a cottage aesthetic. Here you can incorporate eclectic pieces like old canoe paddles to decorate the walls.
A rustic bedroom can invoke the cottage even if your home doesn't fit the traditional definition. Bring your fishing rods inside and put them on high shelves as a decorative touch that recalls summers at the lake. Try accent pieces with tasteful florals. Classic antiques like metal lanterns and family photographs all work well in a rustic bedroom that brings the cottage to your main residence.
Make Spaces for Reclaimed Objects
Those antiques are just one of many reclaimed objects you can incorporate into a rustic bedroom. Choose furniture pieces that use reclaimed wood and decor that uses old practical items in a new way. That old metal milk jug can become a vase for dried flowers, for example.
A key theme in rustic style is authenticity, so choose items that look like they come with a story. Old blacksmith items, ironwork, and cooking pots for wood-burning ovens are great decorative pieces for a high shelf in your rustic bedroom.
Think of Natural Light
A rustic aesthetic typically doesn’t have track lighting or other sleek, modern sources of illumination. A metal chandelier, some side lamps, and lots of natural light often fit the mood of these rooms. If you want to maximize the comfort of your rustic bedroom decor, consider softer lighting instead of a harsh, cool-toned white.
Of course, if you want to mix it up, you don’t have to live in the shadows. It’s perfectly fine to stop short of bringing the farmhouse entirely inside and put that nice bright light exactly where you need it for daily living.
Create Your Ideal Rustic Bedroom
To create a rustic bedroom, focus on neutral colors, natural materials, a mixture of textures, and reclaimed objects. The room should invoke those pleasant memories of time at the cottage when being in nature took priority over the hustle of modern life. You can be flexible and unique in your approach to this aesthetic, bringing in items that hold personal meaning while making allowances to support your individual comfort.