Rustic Decorating With Natural Wood

Rustic decor is as popular now as it has been for generations. Rustic style decor appeals to those who have a deep appreciation of the great outdoors and want to bring a feeling of this rugged beauty into their homes.

The most common theme found in rustic decorating is the use of natural wood. Some common types of wood that are found in rustic homes include Pine, Aspen, Oak and Maple. Two popular types of Pine used in wood paneling, furniture and fencing are Northern White Cedar and Western Red Cedar.

Decorating

Northern White Cedar is the lightest commercial wood in the U.S. Found in primarily in Southeastern Canada and Northeastern United States, this type of wood is naturally resistant to decay and insect infestation. It has an appealing creamy white color that will weather to a beautiful silvery gray if left untreated. It glues well, holds paint well and like all cedar wood, has a wonderful natural aroma. This makes Northern White Cedar an excellent choice for rustic diningroom, livingroom and bedroom furniture.

Rustic Decorating With Natural Wood

Western Red Cedar is another common wood used for rustic decor because of its beautiful natural red color and its resistance to weather. This makes it a great choice for garden furniture such as arbors and trellises. Like Northern White Cedar, Western Red Cedar is easy to work with and has one of the longest life spans of any North American softwood.

Aspen is another softwood known for its beautiful white color. Aspen is a popular wood used to make rustic decor such as picture frames, candle holders, mirror frames, wine racks and more. Quaking Aspen, the western species commonly found in the Rocky Mountains of North America is famous for the striking color change of it's leaves in the fall. Aspen trees grow in stands of clones, meaning they are genetically identical and share a common root system. They need full sunlight to thrive, making them intolerant to shade. Without the help of naturally occurring wildfires, Aspen stands have been on the decline. Forest fires, while unpopular with people, are important to the ecosystem. This is where careful, controlled harvesting of trees like Aspen can actually help restore the natural population in the absence of wildfires, which are hard to control.

Deformities on wood can actually enhance its appearance. This is the case with burl wood, a rare, highly sought after material for rustic furniture makers. Burl wood is formed by a growth commonly found on tree trunks, branches and roots that cause the grain to grow in a deformed way. Mold or insect infestations are the most common cause for this condition which is found on species such as Redwood, Spruce, Walnut and Maple. This deformity results in spectacular patterns that make unique and stunning rustic furniture.

No matter what type of wood one prefers, the natural beauty of wood never goes out of style. While natural wood is dominate in rustic decorating, it can be found in many other decorating styles as well.

Rustic Decorating With Natural Wood

Michelle Radcliff is the owner of HomeTreasureCove, an online home decorating store. For more information on purchasing home decor and home furnishings, visit http://www.hometreasurecove.com or email sales@hometreasurecove.com.

How to Find Beautiful Southwest Mexican Rustic Home Decor

Southwest Mexican rustic home decor can give your home the true look and feel of being south of the border. Mexican decor has a rustic appeal and works wonderfully with hardwood flooring or dark brown colored rooms. It is often enhanced with southwestern style rugs, lamps, vases and wall paintings. Furnishings usually blend colors of brown, red, orange and yellow, matching other Mexican decor items in the room. Here are some tips to find great bargains on beautiful Mexican decor products for your home.

Get Ideas Online

Decor

A great place to find ideas for Southwest Mexican rustic home decor is the Internet. Look up various articles and photos with this decor theme to see how other homeowners decorate their rooms. Photos can give you ideas about what products to buy or avoid, and where to place decor items in a room without making the room look tacky or crowded. You can also gather ideas about sofas, chairs and tables that will blend well with your theme. Take notes while reading tips or viewing photos, and write down the products you'd like to add to your home's room arrangements. This will help you narrow your search when shopping for these items.

Shop at a Specialty Store

Some home decor stores offer such a broad selection of products that it's difficult to find specific items for a Mexican decorating theme. It's best to shop at a store that specializes in southwest Mexican rustic home decor. Shops such as these will enable you to browse hundreds or thousands of products...all related to the Mexican decorating theme! So you won't waste time sifting through non-related items. Even if you normally shop at local home decor stores, you can still visit the Web to buy those hard-to-find items you can't obtain locally. An online specialty Mexican decor store will allow you to supplement collections or complete a set of figurines, glassware, etc. So don't rule out online shopping, even if you've never tried it before!

Types of Mexican Decor Items

Some items to check out for your room decor include Mexican glassware, margarita and blue rim drinking glasses, Mexican tin mirrors, Pueblo scenery paintings, colorful clay pottery, pigskin leather furniture, western design door mats, rustic sconce light covers, Talavera pottery and figurines such as geckos, frogs, etc. You can also add worm wood boxes, glass candleholders, Equipal furniture, rustic wall decor window frames, hand-woven baskets and ceramic candle spheres.

Consider buying all or most of your southwestern decor items at the same online store. This enables you to save on shipping costs and build trust with one particular specialty shop. One shop can usually provide every decor item you need if you find a store with a large inventory. Look for special offers, holiday sales and gifts while shopping to save even more. Start decorating your home today for less with gorgeous southwest home decor!

How to Find Beautiful Southwest Mexican Rustic Home Decor

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Learn more about Southwest Mexican Decor.

Rustic Country Decor - How to Decorate Cottage Style Homes

Rustic country decor and how to decorate cottage style homes are extensions of American country style decorating. In addition, traditions are borrowed from French, English and some Swedish country looks. Rustic country decor can be defined as coarse, charmingly simple, unfussy, unfinished and yet with endearing qualities. Rustic country decorating includes the use of natural woods, aged surfaces, rough finishes and simple lines. Cottage style homes are comfortable, modest, quaint homes that can be made of thick stone or log wood.

Floors in rustic country decor and cottage style homes are made with stone or wood materials. Wooden floors were traditionally constructed with boards that were bare and simply waxed and hand-polished (high-gloss varnishes did not exist). Sometimes the boards were painted with light colors. If you like floor coverings, use oriental rugs and throws for visual warmth and color. Rustic country decor is about handcrafted objects, simplicity, furnishings that you enjoy and connecting back to nature.

How To Decorate And Live Well

Rustic cottage furniture is commonly made with pine and perhaps painted with hand-painted designs such as flowers, birds, animals, country scenery or leaves. Use ladderback chairs, rocking chairs, benches, wicker furniture and Windsor chairs. A large rectangular table made of pine is a good option for your kitchen or dining room table. To give your furniture a rustic look, brush a coat of paint on the furniture piece, then rub most of the paint off. After it dries, apply wood stain unevenly for an older weathered appearance. It will be perfect and rustic looking!

Baskets can be used to store wood, pine cones, flowers, plants and needlework. Brass candle holders, oil or kerosene lamps, sconces, hurricane lamps, tin lanterns, recessed ceiling fixtures or a vintage wrought-iron or metal chandelier provide successful lighting for rustic country decor and cottage style homes. Colors used in rustic country decor or cottage style homes are neutral tones ranging from white to bone, earth tones, red barn, blues and greens.

For rustic country decor in the kitchen, use open shelves, hutches, buffets, plate racks and cupboards for storage. Often, country kitchen storage is crammed with stoneware pots, plain glazed earthenware and glass jars. Kitchen pots should be made of copper, steel or cast iron -- cookware tends to be large and plain. Use open shelving in the rustic country kitchen to display plates, dishes and dinnerware collections. Natural woods, light colors and bright fabrics work great for window treatments. Adding a rustic butcher block island creates a wonderful visual effect as well as provides useful functionality.

A rustic country decor bathroom has neutral tones or soft colored walls, antique-looking lighting, and wooden antiques or antique reproduction cabinets and vanity. Knowing how to decorate cottage style homes and bathrooms can result in creating a calm and elegant atmosphere. Clawfoot tubs, pedestal sinks, country style antique brass faucets and old-fashioned country cabinets provide the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to spend time there. Plain white towels are recommended instead of patterned or bright modern patterns. Use wicker or wire baskets to keep your sponges, loofas and shampoos handy near the tub or shower.

Understanding how to decorate cottage style homes means including items like quilts, antique furniture or reproductions, flea-market pieces, trunks, chests, armoires, stenciling, wallpaper, adirondack chairs, flower wreaths and bistro chairs. These types of elements give cottage style homes the kind of rustic country decor that is simpler, very personal and warmly inviting.

Whether in a seaside setting, an urban environment, a countryside location or a wooded mountain retreat, cottage style homes are cozy and unassuming, combining the past with the present. Read all you can find and learn what creating the rustic country cottage means to you no matter where it's located. Enjoy expressing your personality and showing what the definition of home means to you.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

Rustic Country Decor - How to Decorate Cottage Style Homes

David Buster is VP of InfoSearch Publishing and webmaster of http://www.yourdreamloghome.com - visit the website and learn more about rustic country home decor and design, rustic kitchens and bathrooms, log cabins, fireplaces and firewood and much more.