“Rustic” is thrown out there to describe everything from farmhouse decor to a Tuscan-style estate, so what does it actually mean?
Do you need to live in a legit log cabin to be considered rustic, or can one word apply so liberally to so many different design styles? It’s definitely the latter, but there are several components you need to have for something to accurately be rustic.
The term rustic is pretty broad, but many different design styles can actually fall into it. In it’s most basic definition, rustic describes a design that’s natural, rough, aged, and casual, so there are many styles—each drastically different from the other—that can be rustic.
Some include Tuscan, coastal, cottage, or what you might traditionally think of as rustic—lodge.
One of the defining characteristics of a rustic home, whether it’s cottage or coastal, is the use of natural materials. That means lots of wood and stone (both in furniture and on ceilings/walls), and fabrics like burlap and canvas. Read on to discover more.
