Cozy is the first word that comes to mind when we think of rustic décor. A room designed in the rustic style almost always feels comfortable, unpretentious and, more than anything else, warm. It takes us away to that log cabin on the lake, grandma’s farmhouse or warming up in the lodge at the end of a day of skiing.

We can almost taste the hot toddies and s’mores…can you?

However, no longer for just the countryside and vacations, more and more people are adding rustic looks to their homes in the city, creating their own natural refuges to come home to every day. If you are interested in joining this trend, we can help. In this post, you will find everything you need to recreate your own cozy cabin in the city.

History of Rustic Décor

Before we cover how to re-create a rustic look, here is a bit of history on the design itself. Though the current rustic aesthetic appears to be a post-modern (aka “hipster”) response to an ever-more synthetic world, its “roots” are quite historic.

Back in the mid- to late 1800s, upper-crust urbanites in New York State used the term “rusticating” to describe their holiday retreats to the Adirondacks, where they built luxury versions of summer camps. The area they retreated to became known as the “Great Camps.” Early home designs were influenced by local craftsman hacks for home building and furniture making, such as using tree stumps as coffee tables, giving a kitschy patina of “roughing it.” But don’t let the unrefined details fool you, these camps weren’t humble, primitive dwellings. For instance, some of these “camps” had bowling alleys.

Rustic as a term was further codified by the National Park Service, established in America in 1916 as a way to describe the aesthetic they wanted for the NPS buildings so they would blend into the beautiful, natural backdrop of the national parks. This has since been nicknamed “Parkitecture” (which we love).

Today, we see a resurgence of rustic for young people known as “hipsters.” Think lumberjack shirts, barn weddings complete with hay bale seating and burlap ribbons, vintage and chalkboard signage, DIY harvest tables, Edison bulbs, copper Moscow mule cups, Mason jars, and more. This resurgence – and the retail response to it – has made it abundantly easy to whip up a rustic design without ever setting foot in the Adirondacks.

The Elements of Rustic Design

The whole idea behind rustic design is to mimic or blend into natural surroundings. Rustic is not ornate, gilded or flashy. In fact, it’s the opposite. Everything has a hand-made, unfinished look and feel. The design is defined by its “lack of design.” A table with twig legs is meant to look like it just grew out of the ground naturally. Tree stumps – with bark intact – are used as seating around a table where the surface is a repurposed barn door.

If something is too finished or polished, it’s no longer rustic.

The exception to this is some of the iconic pieces that we relate to rustic design, such as:

The Adirondack Chair

Also referred to as the Muskoka Chair (Ontario’s “Adirondacks”), the Adirondack Chair was designed in 1903 by Thomas Lee while vacationing at the Great Camps in the Adirondacks. He wanted to create comfortable but attractive deck chairs that would be simple to replicate from the natural materials around.

After experimenting with a few options, he landed on this plank chair design, which he offered up to a carpenter friend, Harry Bunnell, who commercialized, then patented, it (without permission, apparently). Subsequent patents with advancements to the design have been filed and they are often manufactured out of plastics and polymers today, but the chair has become synonymous with cabin life.

Antler Chandeliers (and furniture)

Using antlers for furniture has been around for as long as people have hunted for subsistence and game. The natural curves of the antlers from elk, deer and moose create a beautiful and functional cradle for lighting, seating and tables.

The wildlife in and around the Adirondacks provided ample supply of antlers (even just through natural shedding). However, in the 1920s the trend suddenly ended (no longer in fashion!) and they fell out of favour until the recent rustic resurgence.

The difference with the furniture you can buy today is that many of the pieces are replica antlers – made from synthetic materials. We don’t mind, though, because they still look very cool.

Patterned Wool Blankets

In Canada, the most rustic-authentic blanket you can buy is a Hudson’s Bay Company blanket with the iconic blue, yellow, red and green stripes. As you’ll read in the materials section below, wool is an essential textile for any rustic design.

But patterned wool blankets, in general, are an addition to your rustic home. Plaid, patchwork, stripes and other cozy patterns can be used to provide that pop of colour you need to finish your design.

And bonus, these blankets are also very useful on a chilly Canadian winter evening as you cuddle up on your sofa to binge-watch your favourite series.

The Materials of Rustic Design

The rule of thumb when it comes to this style is: if it’s found in nature, it’s rustic. Apply the following “found in nature” materials liberally:

Wood

Wood walls, wood tables, wooden crates, wood signs, wood figures, wood toys, wooden spoons, wood…well, anything you can think of. Just apply wood and you will bring a rustic look to pretty much any space. And don’t worry, there is no such thing as too much wood (see above example – gorgeous!).

When it comes to the finish on the wood, natural or a stain is preferred. There are some examples of using a white or pastel wash or antiquing, but too much of that will bring you into other design styles such as French Country or Cottage (though these are near-cousins of rustic and can be mixed and matched).

Oh, as an inexpensive, but effective touch, you can use wooden crates as furniture:

Stone

Slate, brick, stone, and even concrete are strong, natural elements found in a rustic design (though use concrete sparingly, as too much can make a space feel cold – the opposite of a rustic feel). The more natural, uneven and unfinished the stone, the better.

Is there any more hipster rustic than adding slate serving slabs on the surface of a wooden harvest table:

We think not.

Metals & Alloys

Metals and alloys such as copper, iron, wrought iron, aluminum, lead, and brass appear as frequent accents in a rustic design. You’ll find lots of metal hardware accents on rustic furniture, such as the wrought iron hinges and handles on barn doors, lead pipes that support wood shelving on a rustic bookcase, and copper veneers on coffee tables.

Aged and rusted metals bring an extra layer of interest to the use of this element in your design. The older the metal appears, the more rustic your design will feel. You can also tip slightly industrial (but be careful as, once again, it can get cold) by assembling polished metals and adding Edison bulbs:

Leather

Another natural material that looks amazing in a rustic setting is leather – and much like the metals, the older, the more weathered, the better. If you have a leather chair or sofa, it should look like people have sat on it through the decades.

Leather also brings an added sensory bonus: it’s smell. The smell of leather is a comfortable, cozy one, bringing on a sense of nostalgia to most people who catch its scent.

If you can’t spring for the leather furniture, leather accents such as vintage suitcases will bring lots of character to a space:

A near-relative of leather is cowhide, which can also add a fun touch to your décor. This is also getting us into the more controversial side of rustic, which is fur, animal hides, and taxidermy, though those who aren’t fans can opt for the faux and fun versions:

Rustic Textiles

The textiles associated with rustic decor are as natural and organic as the other elements. Here, you will find wool, felt, and burlap – all traditionally non-synthetic, warm fabrics to work with.

Wool in its many forms – cashmere, mohair, angora – is probably the coziest textile known to man. Woven from animal hair, it’s accessible and has been accessible for centuries, keeping people warm and dry since the 4th millennium BC.

Felt is one of the oldest handmade fabrics known. Simple to create without machinery or any special tools (could be made by hand), it was found in even the most rural areas throughout history. It’s wool-base also made it incredibly warm and moisture-wicking, so it was incredibly useful as well. Today, most felt is made from synthetic fibres, but its humble roots make it attractive to the rustic design lover.

Burlap (or Hessian) is a durable, incredibly strong fabric, historically made by weaving the fibres of the jute or hemp plants, though today, more synthetic fibres are used. Burlap is a bit scratchy, so wearing it or using it for blankets is unpleasant, but its organic appearance makes for really cool bags and accents. Burlap bags are also great for storing dry goods as the fabric is breathable.

Rustic Colours

The rustic colour palette is as back-to-nature as it gets. In it, you will find colours like:

Gold, Maple, Sierra, Moss, Tan, Burgundy, Putty, Tan, Vanilla, Buttercream, Mahogany, Rust, Mustard, Olive, Amber, Sandalwood, Barn Red, Antique, White, Slate, Bisque, Pine…

The palette is filled with soft versions of yellows and taupes and olives and maroons and browns. Red is the highlight colour and you will find some navy versions of blue here and there, too. But in general, it’s all about blending into the natural world. If you don’t find the colour in the wild – through trees, leaves, grass, moss, and wildlife – you won’t find it in a rustic palette.

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We love the warmth and coziness of a rustic design and are more than okay with its resurgence. How about you? Are you down with this back-to-nature décor as well?