Rustic Furniture

Rustic furniture once used to decorate office cabins and lodges is now currently widely used in homes all over the world. In the heart of a busy and bustling city, you can choose to give your home a lived-in comfortable look - the look of a country home. Rustic furniture is appealing and lends a relaxed ambience to the surroundings.

Selecting rustic furniture

Furniture that is made from hard wood or roughly finished wood along with a rough or grainy appearance can be termed as rustic furniture. Rustic furniture is made mainly from wood such as hickory, cypress, cedar and pine wood. Cedar is a popular choice for rustic furniture as it is less sappy. Sometimes aromatic cedar is also used. Pine wood is the last choice as it is very sappy and soft and thus does not set in well to make furniture. You can bring a natural, rugged and organic feel to your living space. Rustic furniture can be natural, stained or painted.

Why choose rustic furniture

Rustic furniture lends your home the natural look of antiquity, comfort and warmth. Its natural look gives the room a lived-in and comfortable look.

• Rustic furniture is handmade and not factory produced.
  
  
• Each piece can be defined as a designer piece because it is made with different wood. Typically no handmade rustic furniture resembles another.
  
  
• Finer aspects of the wood such as knots and lines are beautifully displayed instead of being concealed as in the case of factory made pieces.
  
  
• The simple yet elegant look and beauty of rustic furniture makes it a popular choice among people who love to add a natural look to their homes.
  

Choosing rustic furniture

Buying rustic furniture means checking for various intricate details, not only to ensure the quality of the furniture but to ascertain the lifespan of the furniture.

• Check the wood from which the rustic furniture has been made.
  
  
• Ensure that the furniture is made from solid wood and that veneer plywood or particle boards have not been used.
  
  
• Solid wooden furniture show less damage at the joints and fixtures and adjust better to the seasonal changes in humidity levels.
  
  
• The coating on the wooden furniture has to be uniformly applied and should remain tough lest it wear off.
  
  
• Choose the right craftsmanship and the right shop to buy your wooden rustic furniture as a lot depends on them for the quality that they can offer.
  

Care for your rustic furniture

Rustic furniture, unlike other furniture needs some extra care and attention. Follow the simple guideline to do the same

• Dust your rustic furniture with a polish dampened cloth as this helps keep scratches at bay while cleaning and dusting furniture.
  
  
• Water should not be directly used on the furniture to clean it as this may cause the water to penetrate and spoil the rustic furniture. Also ensure that rustic furniture is cleaned immediately if any kind of beverage spills over it else it will damage the look of the furniture.
  
  
• Keep rustic furniture away from direct sunlight as the UV rays from the sun may damage the furniture.
  
  
• Do not place direct heat on the wooden surface of the furniture as this may result in white spots on the furniture.
  
  
• Humidity levels play havoc on rustic wooden furniture, high levels cause the wood to bloat and low levels cause the wood to contract. Keep humidity at controlled and desirable levels.
  

Warm rich tones of furnishing go well with this theme. Rustic bedroom furniture can be complemented with fabrics embellished with Native American motifs. Check out beddings in deep fuchsia, gold and robin egg blue tones. You can go in for accessories fashioned with leather patterns embellished with sculpted rope trim and stud detailing. You can choose to have braided area rugs in earthy motifs and colors. Avoid rich fabrics like damask with rustic furniture.