A rustic living space
If white-wash interiors and perfectly symmetrical angles are not your thing, you might find you prefer rustic living spaces. Typically associated with ‘olde England’, a rustic home with warmth, charm and plenty of character will bring you closer to history as soon as you walk through the front door. The good news is, the rustic look is achievable whether you live in a cosy barn in the middle of the countryside, or a newly-built flat in an urban area. There are many things you can do to give your home a rustic feel, but these ideas will certainly get you started…
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Lay wooden flooring
Rustic interiors often elicit thoughts of happy family holidays to the mountains or weekend fishing trips – so why not embrace this theme by laying down hardy wooden flooring? Rustic properties aren’t typically covered in wall to wall cream carpets, with raw, natural textures like wood taking centre stage instead. Not only are engineered oak flooring products durable and resilient, but they’re also easy to clean. This makes them the idea flooring solution if you’ve animals, pets, or live somewhere where a muddy walk in wellies can cause a trail of muddy footprints through the house…
There are many different styles of wooden flooring available including traditional oak hues, but if you want to give your property a modern twist while still giving a nod to rustic living, there’s black and white wood to choose from too.
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Install exposed beams
If you want to transform the interior of your home significantly and are dedicated to creating the perfect rustic living space, how about exposing (or even installing) beams? These are often found in old cottages as well as barn conversions, and they’ll immediately add an air of ‘rusticity’ to your property. Beams are a great way to add character to any room in a house, and they can also be used to highlight quirky features of your home such as slopped ceilings. Beams will perfectly showcase large rustic light fittings (of which you’ll find plenty of examples online) and can be used to hang pots, pans and wicker baskets.
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Invest in low lighting
In rustic properties, lighting is often soft and grouped in pools, such as in the corners of rooms and on table-tops. So, it’s worth investing in low-voltage bulbs to use in rooms where relaxation is the main focus. In the living room, for instance, skip the bright overhead light, favouring soft table lamps to give off a gentle glow that’s not at all overpowering. When possible, you may even prefer to light the fire or rely on candles to create the beautiful flickering light synonymous with rustic living.
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Bring the outside in
When it comes to rustic interiors, leave pretentious, overly elegant accessories behind and opt for more natural, earthy displays instead such as log pile living room displays. A rocking chair adds a nice touch, as does a bowl of pine cones, or a pop of greenery foraged from the forest.
Try this combination of ideas and see how cosy and unique you can make your property feel – it will certainly look rustic and welcoming!
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I love all things rustic and would love to bring more into my room, some fab tips here.