The modern world can be a lot, constantly being online, available to everyone at a moment’s notice and big city living can be tiring and leave us longing for a simpler time. This longing has pushed many counter-tech trends recently, as people look to rustic décor and cottagecore to remind them of a simpler time before smart phones, the internet and other modern annoyances.
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With so many people wanting a safe refuge from the struggles of the modern world, it makes sense that we’d look back on our past for inspiration and return to our roots. This is why rustic décor has become a massive trend as people try to recreate the feel of the quiet rural life in their homes.
If you want to join this devolution and return back to our calm rustic roots, read along for some tips on how to give your home a rustic feel.
Vintage > Brand New
People look to rustic style to escape the doldrums of modern life and one of the biggest areas of modern life you should look to avoid is mindless consumerism, which means for this style pre-loved and vintage pieces with soul are far more desirable than newer pieces which have been mass produced and have less ‘charm’ to them.
So when possible, you should be looking in vintage shops, second hand sellers and even charity shops for décor pieces before you think about taking a trip to your nearest IKEA. As a bonus, lots of old furniture’s will be better made and last longer than modern flatpacks, so you’ll be saving money, helping the environment and getting a piece that will outlast any other bit of furniture you own.
Linen Furnishings
No other textile or material screams rustic as much as linen does, it’s a useful and natural material which has become a key part of rustic and cottagecore styles due to it’s prevalence in the pre-industrial world. So linen is a good marker of rustic décor and should be utilised heavily.
Deciding how and where you use your linen is where things get fun, firstly you have to decide whether to use coloured linen or undyed linen, undyed linen would be more traditional, but soft pastel colours would also fit the scheme. Then with your linen, you can have linen rugs or throws, linen curtains or blinds, linen table cloths and even decorative linen pillows.
Wooden Accessories
Wood is another classic marker of rustic décor, due to it’s abundance in Europe light woods such as Oak and Elm are often the best choice for a rustic décor pieces creating an authentic European look which wouldn’t look out of place in a rural Chalet in 1600’s France.
When utilising wood in your home you have plenty of options, most furniture and storage units can be made in wood rather than modern materials and will be more common in vintage and second hand shops. Wooden or faux Wood blinds can also be used to give a farmhouse feel to your home. And if you want to really push the boat out you can try engraving some ornamental designs onto your wooden furniture to add detail and personality to your furniture.
Coexist With Nature
The final piece in the rustic puzzle is nature, which will help your home feel rural even if you live in the middle of the city. You just need to invite nature into your home with potted plants, herb gardens and the like to add some lovely natural green colours to your home and help you lead a more conscious life that fits in with the agricultural life of ‘the good old times’.
Plants in your home should serve a stylistic purpose and a practical purpose, plants looking nice is a bonus, but for an authentic feel growing some vegetables and herbs at home will provide you some utility and help give you a greater connection to both your food and your home.
