Ideas For Decorating A Rustic Living Room

A living room decorated to look like the interior of a rustic cabin evokes the feeling of warmth, naturalness, and coziness. Its down-to-earth and casual style makes it a popular theme for those who enjoy relaxing indoors on a cold winter’s night.

Install wood beams: Log walls and wood ceilings make up the quintessential cabin structure. Your living room may come with wood paneled walls, but more likely than not you have walls and ceilings made of drywall. Consider installing faux wood beams to your ceiling, especially if your living room has a high ceiling. Faux wood beams create a dramatic feature that imitates a log cabin interior.

Use the fireplace as a focal point: The fireplace is often the feature around which furniture is organized in a rustic living room. A stone hearth and wood mantel give the room a cozy and rugged appearance. To achieve this look, you can frame your fireplace using artificial stone, which places less weight on the structure. Place a bundle of firewood by the hearth to complete the look, even if your fireplace is a gas-burning one.

Look for log furniture: Pine and oak furniture are popular for creating the rustic look. The finish may be rough or crafted into beautiful designs. Look for pieces that are sturdy and have a rugged appeal, like a rocking chair made with birch or aspen twigs, and a handcrafted wood chest.

Add cozy rugs: Hardwood or laminate wood floors, combined with wood beams and wood furniture, can overwhelm the living room with the brown tones and hard lines of wood. To soften the appearance of the room and add warmth, place a couple of cozy rugs on the floor. Rag rugs and braided rugs lend a casual and colorful spark, and faux fur rugs add nice texture and interest to the room.

Use natural colors: The colors in a rustic living room should reflect the colors of the woods — the different shades of brown interspersed with hues of green, the golden light of sunrise, and warm reds and yellows in the fall. Select muted earth tones for the walls, like sage green, taupe, or beige. Add more vibrant color with accessories like throws, rugs, and wall décor. Plaids are often used in upholstery and accents as well.

Comfy fabrics: To enhance the warmth and coziness of the rustic setting, drape a wool throw over a chair, or hang a patchwork quilt as a wall covering. For chairs and sofas, leather is a popular fabric used in upholstery and seat cushions, plus it is easy to clean and can last for several years. Rough fabrics like tweed lend more rugged texture to the décor.

Nature-inspired accents: Forest animals like bears, elk, and moose add life when included in various accents around the room. You can frame a wildlife print in a twig or bark frame, or look for throw pillows that feature animal prints. Beautiful hand carved wood boxes and wrought iron sculptures complement the theme as well. Bring a fir branch and pinecones in for a nice touch. Display floor vases rustic flair and fill them with dried grasses or cattail reeds; shop for outdoor metal wall hangings and 3d metal wall artthat has a forest, wildlife or cabin theme.