14 ways to bring in rustic décor without looking like little house on the prairie

embracing modern rustic interior design...with a focus on modern, you guys.

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by Marni Fogelson

Incorporating rustic details into your home can help you achieve a cozy, country-chic vibe. Don’t be hesitant to try any of these design tips even if your home’s style trends toward sleek and modern. Rustic décor actually marries well with a variety of aesthetics and can warm up and brighten sterile spaces. You’d be surprised at how far some tiny changes or additions can go in transforming your space into a welcoming, earthy haven: no flannel shirts, skill at canning, or living in an actual barn required.

wood panel one wall

We would never have guessed that this bedroom is located in a Prospect Heights, Brooklyn apartment building. The wood paneled wall makes going to bed an absolute dream (get it?) and gives us cabin fever in the best way possible.

stack wood in your fireplace, whether it works or not

Even if your fireplace is nonfunctional, keeping stacked logs in the fireplace creates an instant nature-inspired focal point for the room. Painting the fireplace a bright white or choosing a vibrant contrasting color keeps the room looking fresh.

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hoose a farmhouse table for the answer for dining and working needs

Not only are farmhouse tables beautiful, they are extremely functional if you have a larger family, entertain often, or like to use your dining room table as an alt office space. You can find farmhouse tables in a number of finishes, using reclaimed wood from barns or fallen trees, or even DIY to your heart’s content. This house pairs the table with ultra modern chairs for a fun contrast in style sensibilities.

add some animal appeal to your walls

Mounted animal heads are de rigeur in the Rustic Style Handbook. Whether you prefer faux or actual taxidermied antlered animals adorning your wall is up to you, but we love some of the creative ways that designers are fashioning animal heads without harm to any of our forest friends.

wink at nature’s grandeur

This giant mirror, framed with upcycled wood, contrasts well with the fairly minimalist vibe of a neutral room. The size of the mirror makes it masterful at reflecting light and the thick, rough-hewn wooden frame is a beautiful reflection on the grounding power of nature.

work in a wooden beam chandelier

Exposed wooden beams are a hallmark of rustic design. The beauty of this wooden beam chandelier is how it can be modified for many aesthetics. The naked bulbs lend itself to industrial and minimalist areas, while hanging fairy lights or several pendant lights would make the space warm and inviting.

cultivate a sense of cozy community with wooden benches for dining

Wooden benches create a jovial, communal dining feeling. A kilim rug adds color and texture and keeps the room feeling curated, not “cafeteria”.

pair rustic with modern

Rustic and modern design sensibilities might not seem like they’d make for harmonious style siblings, but this bathroom demonstrates how this surprising combo can look clean, sharp and unified.

hide your wood details away…or put them on display

Echoing cozy, countryside chic doesn’t have to be a whole hog affair.

jenni kayne

s gorgeous Lake Tahoe home incorporates wood throughout, but especially in the kitchen: subtly under islands, or more dramatically as statement cabinets.

give windows a second life

Window frames, with glass or without, can make a playful or dramatic design component, depending on where you hang them and their size. Although we’ve seen giant ones as dangling room dividers, smaller pairs look appealing above fireplaces or organized in a

gallery wall

contrast country-chic details with a bright white color scheme

There’s a lot of rustic love in this room, from the wood ceilings and floors to the tiny stove to the inviting coach and blanket, not to mention the unexpected saddle straddling an exposed wooden ceiling beam. Keeping (almost) everything in the same bright white palette keeps the room airy and light.

update a rustic piece by adding a modern splash of color and through styling

A flash of warm color on the inside of a cupboard instantly modernizes a traditional piece and highlights gorgeous wood grain. One-off glass jars and baubles and a distinctive array of cups and bowls makes the piece feel funky and fresh.

don’t forget your outdoor spaces

Let the rustic ambiance extend to the outdoors as well. This planked patio area is a visually striking and boho approach to taming the wild while still letting nature’s vibe shine through.

repurpose (but refrain from overdoing it)

Repurposing objects like sinks, crates, baskets, and tubs is another rustic design staple. Choosing one repurposed element per room keeps the scheme crisp and tidy and allows for the statement piece to stand out.