Rustic decor is a look that many people aspire to or choose as a theme when decorating or redecorating part of their home. They choose the style because it is homely, simple and can lead to a warm and welcoming space.

The first thing to examine when looking to decorate in a rustic style is what the term 'rustic decor' means to you. For many people it conjures up visions of log cabins, country farmhouses and Shaker style kitchens. However, most of us now do not have exposed wooden beams in our houses, and so we must tailor our rustic decor to suit the architectural style of our surroundings.

True rustic decor comes in various different themes and time periods. You could, for example, choose a colonial or country theme, or pick a romantic Victorian theme.

Colonial and country rustic decor is based on a very utilitarian style. Items are practical and useful, and decoration and themes are simple and clean. A country or colonial themed room can be dressed with items such as handmade quilts and tablecloths, earthenware pottery, and 'folk art' style paintings. For the more extreme decorator, you could choose a conversation piece such as a stuffed moose head or pair or antlers!

Victorian style rustic decor is more romantic and not quite so utilitarian. Try dressing your room with wicker baskets, and look for flounced or ruffled curtains, tablecloths and bedding. Think beautifully embroidered white bedding on a dark framed wooden bed, or delicate flower sprigged curtains in a kitchen.

The advantage of rustic decor as a theme for your interior design project is that you can do as much or as little as you like. The whole room or house can be rustic themed, or you can simply use a few carefully selected accent pieces to bring a rustic feel to a neutrally decorated room.

You can even use functional rustic pieces to recreate the lifestyle of the period - many old fashioned pastimes are getting a new lease of life and can be integrated into your theme. For example, why not purchase an old fashioned table based sewing machine, or even a spinning wheel? Or for a less extreme solution, how about a wicker basket in your room to keep your knitting wool and knitting needles in?

One of the keys to a rustic theme is to include plenty of natural materials. These can be functional (wooden blinds, wicker baskets) or decorative (a dried flower centerpiece, or a spray of twigs in a vase). The natural materials can be used to achieve the impression of 'bringing the outside inside,' which is used to great effect by many of the decorators and room designers on television design programmes.

The key to rustic dcor is to do what works for you. Don't shy away from including something in your theme because you don't feel it counts as traditional rustic; just integrate it into your overall design. There are no hard and fast rules for a rustic theme, so get designing and enjoy it!

Copyright Jared Winston, 2005. All Rights Reserved.