45 Rustic Decorating Ideas to Add Charm and Character to Your Home

Warm wood elements, weathered linens, and vintage accents with a story—who doesn’t love a rustic-inspired space? If you love rustic style but are struggling to find the perfect way to incorporate accents into your home, you’ll undoubtedly want to look at these stunning rooms full of delightful decor.

Whether you’re in the market for stylish storage solutions, cozy bedding, chic tabletop pieces, or something else entirely, you’ll draw plenty of inspiration from the vignettes featured below.

Fill a Vase With Fresh Blooms

A vase full of cheerful blooms is a must in any rustic home. Vases can be placed practically anywhere, whether you’re looking to jazz up your entryway, kitchen counter, nightstand, or dining room table. Sweet, simple clusters of baby’s breath couldn’t look more delightful.

Display Dried Flowers, Too

While fresh flowers are beautiful, dried flowers are commonly used in rustic spaces, too. This kitchen features several gorgeous dried bouquets. Best of all, these will last for months on end, if not longer.

Lean a Blanket Ladder Against the Wall

A blanket ladder is equal parts pretty and practical and is another rustic essential. (and if you’re feeling crafty, you can even build your own). No matter whether you place one in your bedroom, living room, nursery, or somewhere else entirely, you won’t want to pass up on this lovely storage solution.

Embrace All Things Woven

You will find woven baskets and accessories scattered all throughout rustic homes. If you’re incorporating some new green friends into the mix, why not pick up some woven planters to finish off the look?

Bring on the Animals

Who can resist an adorable duck or chicken-shaped sculpture? Animal-themed accessories often make an appearance in rustic spaces, adding a dash of whimsy to any room.

Swap Out Clear Containers for Cute Baskets

Rather than opting for plastic containers, place woven baskets in your hall closet to corral the essentials, such as extra washcloths, bottles medicines, jars of nail polish, travel toiletries, and so much more. You can also add a small chalkboard label to the front of each basket to easily identify what is being housed inside.

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Invest in a Beautiful, Simple White Vase

A simple yet gorgeous white ceramic vase will shine in any room of a rustic home. Pieces like these are excellent picks given that they’re season-less and classic.

Hang Cutting Boards in the Kitchen

In rustic kitchens, cutting boards double as decor, and you don’t need to be a master chef to appreciate them. Install a hook-like system inspired by the one above to keep favorite pieces handy; when they’re not in use, they’ll add a welcoming, lived-in look to your cooking space.

Add Baskets and Trays to the Walls, Too

Rather than keeping favorite woven baskets and trays behind closed doors, consider adhering them to the walls with hooks to add some personality to your space. And when you do need to access a basket, it’s readily removable and easy to access.

Display Favorite Finds

If you’re a collector, don’t be shy about putting all of your favorite things on display. A large piece such as a wooden hutch is a no-fail storage solution.

Don’t Forget the Little Details

Not looking to make any big changes at the moment? You can easily add small, rustic touches to any corner of your home. For example, why not use a hanging basket as a means to display some dried or faux florals? You could also designate a basket of this kind to house magazines and letters so that they don’t end up scattered all over your entryway table.

Place Mugs on a Charming Shelf

A rustic home is meant to be comfortable—it’s the perfect spot to sit back and enjoy a warm cup of tea while flipping through a favorite book or magazine. Place your favorite mugs or teacups on a small shelf like the one shown here so that they’re always accessible—visitors will feel right at home knowing they can help themselves to a cuppa.

Shop Your Own Backyard

Sometimes, the best accessories are entirely free. Forage in your backyard for some tall branches, and place them in a favorite pitcher to add a bit of life to your entryway without even spending a penny.

Let Your Trinkets Do the Talking

Rustic spaces generally lean more maximalist in nature and feature bits and bobs galore. There is always room for another small canister or vase—the more whimsical a piece is in style, the better.

Style Stone Vessels

Stone vessels are everywhere in rustic homes and add a storied touch to any nook.

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If you’re looking to fill an empty corner, opt for a larger-sized pot and place a faux olive tree or fiddle leaf fig inside for more of an impact.

Opt for Open Shelving

Open shelving is quite popular in rustic spaces, but note that it isn’t just for the kitchen. Install a wooden shelf above your bed, desk, or in the entryway for instant storage and character. Adding hooks to your shelving comes in handy, too.

Style Your Fireplace

To ensure your rustic living room appears as warm and cozy as possible, place extra firewood in a woven basket beside the fireplace—hello, instant cabin vibes.

Source Unique Floral Artwork

Floral artwork looks stunning in rustic homes. If you’re having trouble sourcing the perfect piece, consider going the vintage or antique route—flea markets are full of excellent, unique oil paintings and drawings at affordable prices.

Get Clever With Storage Solutions

Why not tuck away unsightly essentials in a woven picnic basket or vintage suitcase? Shop your home for an unused trunk or bin that speaks to your rustic style and deserves to be on display.

Bring on the Stripes

Every rustic home needs a striped accent or two. Here, striped blue and white pillow covers add a subtle pop of color to this neutral kitchen.

Blend Together Tons of Textures

Blending various textures is key in a rustic home. Pair terracotta with wicker, wood, and jute, for example; this living room proves that these materials all look great styled in tandem.

Think Industrial

Rustic homes often feature industrial style accents, such as the mirror and sconce shown here. These metallic pieces pop against this bathroom’s stunning stone wall. Take down that bland medicine cabinet that isn’t serving you and create a space that’s much more your style.

Light a Candle or Two

Don’t forget about the candles. Whether traditional or flameless, candles are timeless and signify comfort, making them a rustic staple.

Choose Checkered Prints

Like stripes, checkered prints are also popular in rustic homes. If you’re feeling crafty, sew your own checkered tablecloth, set of pillow covers, or curtains. You can use any leftover fabric to design placemats or napkins.

Make a Statement on the Front Porch

The outside of your home should reflect what’s to come indoors. Not sure where to begin? Wicker is a material that looks fabulous both indoors and out. Give visitors a rustic-style welcome by decking out your front porch with woven seating, planters, and more.

Fill a Blank Space With a Mirror

The walls of rustic homes are adorned with mirrors of all kinds. This Louis Phillipe-style mirror fits perfectly above a kitchen countertop.

Make Your Sink Look Chic

To add rustic influence to a small kitchen, remove your under-sink doors and opt for a skirted look instead for some instant elegance.

Go Multipurpose With a Wooden Bench

In lieu of a standard console, consider placing a wooden bench in the entryway. It offers all the function of a standard table while serving as a spot to take off and lace-up shoes, too.

Bring a Wreath Indoors

Wreaths aren’t solely for the holiday season, nor do they just need to live on the front door. A simple wreath made from branches is the perfect year-round accent pieces for a rustic space.

Use Crates as Decor

Make use of vintage wooden crates and turn them into decor. You can even fill them with holiday decor and seasonal tabletop accessories that you do not need to access often but wish to store within your dining room.

Accessorize With Clocks

While we most often see wall clocks in rustic homes, this assortment of tabletop timekeepers fits in with the aesthetic, too. Do not be shy about displaying a collection of any kind in your rustic home.

Replace Builder Grade Light Fixtures

A statement making chandelier like this one makes for a fabulous finishing touch in the dining room. Replacing standard, builder grade lighting with a rustic-style fixture will go a long way in making your house feel more like a home.

Skip the Usual Coffee Table

There’s no need to settle for a basic coffee table when you can designate a rustic, wooden trunk to serve the same purpose. And as a bonus, the interior makes for an ideal spot to store blankets and extra throw pillow covers.

Bust Out Some Blue and White

Blue and white porcelain isn’t just for grandmillennials—those in rustic spaces appreciate this color scheme, too. Add hooks to the backs of some of your favorite plates and hang them on the wall so that they can double as art.

Get Practical With a Jute Rug

Jute rugs complement so many different aesthetics and look fantastic in rustic style rooms. They’re durable, easy to clean, and make for a great base if you wish to layer another style of rug on top.

Select a Textural Lamp

We’ve already noted that stoneware vases are a rustic must, but lamps of this style are equally stunning. Here, an oversized table lamp adds instant texture to this entryway vignette.

Give Your Windows the VIP Treatment

When designing any rustic space, say bye-bye to blinds and introduce beautiful curtains instead. You can’t go wrong with a nature-inspired fabric pattern featuring florals or leaves.

Scatter Brass Candlesticks Around the Home

You can never have too many brass candlesticks in your rustic home. Group two or three together on your desk, mantel, or dining room table, or gather a bunch and place them inside a nonworking fireplace.

Try a Turkish Rug in the Kitchen or Bathroom

Woven Turkish rugs in warm tones pair wonderfully with the wooden hues in rustic homes. Grab a small mat like the one shown here for your kitchen or bathroom.

Pile on the Knit Blankets

Chunky knit blankets are everywhere in rustic homes. Purchase several and scatter them throughout the house so that the entire family stays nice and comfortable.

Design a Wow Worthy Wall

If you’re not sure how to fill an expansive living room or dining room wall, take a queue from this setup, which proves that a large wall clock makes for a great alternative to an oversized piece of art.

Try This Accent Table Hack

Turn a woven basket into a side table by setting it between two accent chairs and placing a small tray on top. You may also wish to get glass cut for a piece like this one.

Give Old Stools a New Purpose

Baskets aren’t the only household item that can easily be turned into a side table of sorts. Here, a nesting set of industrial style stools serves a similar purpose.

Style a Show Stopping Headboard

Repurpose a rustic-style door that is no longer in use and place it behind your bed so that it can serve as a unique type of headboard. This tall, grand accordion door certainly makes an impact.

Get Nice and Snug

When styling your rustic bedroom, ensure that your bed is nice and plush—layer on the throw pillows and blankets to create a snug, retreat-like space in which to unwind from the day.

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