The rustic style has gained vast popularity in the recent years for its natural, warm and comfortable ambience. At the end of a hectic day’s work, you want to come home to a relaxing environment where you can feel one with nature. And, nothing works better than the rustic style for bringing the great outdoors, indoors. Though there are many variations to this style, this article focuses on the use and benefits of lodge décor for your home.
The biggest priority with lodge décor is to maintain an aura of comfort and leisure. This effect can be created with the use of specially designed lodge furniture and accessories. Colors you may choose to include in the decor may range from earthy shades of browns, reds and greens, to pastel shades of cream, white and blue. As far as materials go, one could experiment with exposed stone, metal or wood. However, wood is the most preferable as it comes in a huge variety suitable for every style. It is not very expensive and does not necessarily entail the total renovation of your home. Here’s how lodge furniture can be used in every room of your house.
In the living room
One of the most identifying parts of lodge décor is a fireplace. The area around the fireplace too, can be strategically decorated to enhance the look of the room. Fireplace screens, especially those depicting wildlife or hunting scenes, are very popular. Other accessories like ewers and baskets or even a pair of elk antlers hung on the wall above the the fireplace, is ideal for this look.
Stand alone fixtures are easily available in the market and are a great option for those who do not have a fireplace in their living area. They are quite affordable and give you the satisfaction of owning this regal piece of art.
Lodge furniture is supposed to be comfortable. Thus, the sofas, chairs or other seating you may have around the space should be soothing and evoke a sense of relaxation. Now that you have a fireplacem you can create a seating space around it. An antler sofa, if strategically placed in the foyer, can also make for a very interesting focal point. Another option is a cloak/hat stand with antler hooks. Using throws over couches and chairs may be a good idea.
Though it is more of an accessory, finding an appealling area rug to cover a major part of your floor would work wonders.
In the dining
Most times, our dining areas are either small rooms or attached to our living room space. Either way, that does not leave us with enough leeway to experiment too much with design in this part of the house. For precisely this purpose, it is imperative to choose few but unique pieces of furniture.
One option is having a dramatic dining table supported on antlers. You can surround it with high backed wooden chairs. However, if you are more simplistic in your taste, incorporating log wood furniture is practical and afforadable as well. It is very stable and highly durable.
If space permits, you can also introduce a crockery cupboard or etage with a rustic design. Make sure that it blends in with the rest of the furniture in the room.
Table cloths with animal motifs, antler chandeliers and candelebras and framed pictures of hunting scenes are a few good accessory options.
In the kitchen
The focal points in a kitchen are usually the counters and the cabinets. If you have a the space, incorporating a small wooden dining table with small stools or chairs is a good idea. If you have children around, it is best to use as little fancy upholstery as possible. Leather is a great material for the lodge look. However, it is expensive, not very durable and impractical in the midst of children. The good news, though, is that faux leather is easily available in the market. It looks just like real leather but can be easily maintained.
In the bedroom
Like mentioned before, stick to natural wooden furniture in the bedroom as well. This is the most personal part of your home. When creating a lodge style bedroom, the purpose you are trying to achieve is one of warmth and comfort. Wooden beds are ideal not only are they good insulators, they are also very sturdy. Choose unique pieces like a cosy armchair that you can place in the corner of your room. Or, an antler nightstand with a wildlife theme lamp atop it.
In the bathroom
The use of furniture in the bath area is limited due to obvious reasons. Cabinets below the sink can be made from exposed wood. An antler mirror can be placed above this area.
