When considering design styles there are many different looks. One of the long time popular design styles is the rustic design style. What elements, or components make up a rustic style design? What are some examples of rustic designs? In this article, we will consider the answers to those two questions.
A Variety of "Rustic" Appearances
If you have ever browsed around the Internet for any length of time looking at rustic style designs, you no doubt have seen that they can look very different; even from each other. How can so many different designs all be "rustic"? The answer lies in the definition of the word itself. The word is defined by
Merriam-Webster as:
of, relating to, or suitable for the country : RURAL
There are other definitions as well, and they all carry the thought of describing something as having a natural look and simple in appearance.
Already, you can begin to discern the reason that so many different rooms can be classed as rustic and yet look very dissimilar. So then, what constitutes a rustic design? Let's a take look now.
Nature Is A Rustic Element
Rustic design styles are composed of natural elements. Whether they are colors, texture, or materials, rustic design is built upon the natural look and feel. What are some examples?
Let's look at natural materials first. What kinds of materials would you consider to be natural? Wood is definitely a natural material. Another natural material is stone. Now, these two material types are available in a range of appearances. This is our first indication of the reason why multiple rustic design styles can look so different; because of the variety of natural material. For example, consider these two rustic style rooms:
Since natural material comes in a variety of colors, textures, and overall appearance, rustic style designs can be light or dark. By the same token however, the rustic look can be pulled off by using texture and color. Let's see how.
Natural Looking Texture, Shapes & Colors
When you think about the features that work together to produce a natural material, it is rather easy to recognize that specific colors and textures when paired together can convey a natural look even though the material may not necessarily be natural. Case in point, in the image on the left in the above comparison, the surfaces look very rustic. Yet, it is
designed using a DEKTON® trilium surface. That material does not occur in nature. However, its texture and colors are very natural looking. As a result, it is commonly found in rustic style designs.
A Not So 'Shapely' Design Style
In addition to texture and color, the shapes in the design also contribute to the rustic look. Asymmetry and seeming randomness appear prominently in natural environments. So rustic style designs tend to lean that direction. Although, there may be some geometric shapes in the design, the rustic look is, for the most part not geometric.
All things considered then, the rustic style is one that conveys a natural look without too much balance (although there might be some) and that uses rough looking textures and materials that look raw in appearance. And, as we have seen, there can be a tremendous difference in two rustic designs.
