Creative Ideas that Bring Rustic Cabin Style to the Living Room

Rustic cabin style is a very unpretentious and cozy way to decorate your living room or family room. It features natural autumnal colors evocative of the deep woods as well as gently worn furnishings and natural materials that make it a comfortable, welcoming space for the entire family.

A Color Palette Focused on Nature

The muted colors of autumn are the basis of a rustic cabin color palette. Deep forest green, acorn brown, soft gold, and barn red can be introduced in fleecy throws, Native American blankets and rugs, baskets, wood wall sculptures and other accessories. Using a natural linen or caramel color for the walls will bring out the richness of these deep colors. In warm weather months, the palette can be lightened up by packing away the heaviest throws and chenille pillows and replacing them with lighter fabrics in cornflower blue, light green and sunflower yellow. Dark upholstered pieces can be covered with canvas slip covers in camel or off white.

 All text copyright angelaglancy. Photo from Flikr - "Country Home Nov 08.jpg" courtesy of Tammy Manet.

Showcase Antiques and Heirlooms

Rustic style heirlooms and antique accents will be right at home. Oil lamps and camping style lanterns, black and white portraits or photographs in twig or natural wood frames, camping, rough hewn log style wall art sculptures, wildlife and woodsy landscape paintings will also fit in. Thrift stores and flea markets are affordable sources for furniture that can be refinished or repurposed. Mismatched end tables and lamps are part of the look, and distressed furniture, twig furniture and painted wicker can happily coexist in a rustic cabin living room.

Navajo blankets or rugs can be stretched on a pair of rods and featured as wall art; open shelving can display antique tin ware or colorful enamelware pitchers, baskets, pottery, copper kettles, paintings and prints. Dried flower arrangements, wreaths, feathers and grasses can be displayed in vases, and tall pots and urns offer an element of vertical impact when they are displayed on the fireplace hearth.

 All text copyright angelaglancy. Photo from Flikr - "Algonquin Log Cabin Fireplace" courtesy of Voyageur Quest and the Algonquin Log Cabin.

Working with What you Have

While people think of log furniture when they think of rustic style, it’s not necessary to replace your existing furniture; smaller accent pieces of furniture can be used to accent your existing furniture. For example, a small wicker table from a flea market can be painted forest green or crimson red and used as a rustic side table. Navaho blankets and other wildlife theme throws and pillows can be tossed over the back of your couch to tie it into the rustic atmosphere; use a braided or rag rug over existing carpet to anchor a seating area and continue the rustic palette to the floor. An old trunk can double as a coffee table, and a bent twig desk or side chair adds instant rustic impact.

Top off the look by changing your window curtains for homespun fabrics, rustic plaids or fabrics with a Native American design. Simple swags hung across the top of windows can be used to accent wood blinds or neutral shades already in place.

When decorating your living room in rustic style, think first about how you can accent what you have rather than totally replacing it.

 All text copyright angelaglancy. Photo from Flikr - "Country Home Nov 08.jpg" courtesy of Tammy Manet.