Your living room is the heart of your home, where you gather with family and friends, laughing and swapping stories. It’s usually the first room guests see when they enter, and you want it to have a timeless ease where guests feel relaxed and at home.

If your living room doesn’t make you and your guests feel this way, maybe it’s time for an update!

At The Amish Craftsman, we know that deciding on a furniture style can feel overwhelming. But if you’re drawn to earth tones, natural wood, and layers of texture, we think you may be interested in rustic furniture.

In fact, that’s why we’ve written this article! We’d love to answer all your questions about rustic living room furniture, so you can decide if it’s the right option for you.

Let’s get started!

What Is Rustic Living Room Furniture?

Rustic furniture is all about finding beauty in nature and showcasing it in your home. Typically made of wood, it tends to be rugged and rough-hewn, and it uses natural finishes so the unique beauty of the wood can shine.

Rustic sofas and chairs are constructed with cozy comfort in mind. They’re usually upholstered in leather or earth-tone fabrics to complement the wooden accents. 

Key Aspects Of Rustic Living Room Furniture

So what differentiates rustic style from other styles of furniture?

Although there is some overlap between rustic style, farmhouse style, and other types of wooden furniture, here are some key aspects of rustic living room furniture:

• It uses natural materials, typically wood
• It emphasizes the natural designs in wood and is sometimes rough-hewn
• It has a sturdy yet comfortable look
• It evokes the feel of more natural environments such as a log cabin or a barn
• It is timeless, earthy, sometimes weathered, and looks like it will last for generations. Any imperfections are highlighted rather than hidden away. 

When To Use Rustic Living Room Furniture

Maybe you’re drawn to the rustic look, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s right for your home!

Let’s look at some things you should consider when deciding if rustic furniture is a good fit for your living room. 

Are you in a rural or urban environment?

Although you can make rustic style work in an urban environment, it pairs well with a rural setting. The perfect complement to rustic living room furniture is a picture window with a gorgeous view of nature.

Do you tend to host more formal or informal events?

Rustic furniture has a laid-back, informal feel. If you’re used to hosting buttoned-up, formal events, the rustic look probably isn’t right for you. Instead, rustic style works well if you have friends who want to hang out and feel relaxed and cozy.

Do you have a fireplace?

You can incorporate rustic furniture into any type of living room, but it pairs especially well with fireplaces. If you have a fireplace in your living room, think about how to play it up by incorporating rustic furniture into your space.

What is the style of the rest of your home? What pieces do you already own?

If the rest of your home is full of delicate Victorian furniture, rustic furniture in your living room will seem out of place. 

However, if your home already utilizes wooden furniture and some rustic elements, rustic living room furniture will fit seamlessly into your home’s aesthetic. 

Also, since the rustic look is all about layered textures instead of being matchy-matchy, it pairs well with farmhouse living room furniture or other simple wooden furniture styles. You can incorporate them into a rustic look by adding a few rustic pieces and some rustic decorations.

How To Style A Living Room Using Rustic Living Room Furniture

You’re considering purchasing some rustic wooden living room furniture.

Now what?

Let’s go over some tips for styling your living room around rustic living room furniture. 

Plants

Rustic furniture is all about celebrating nature, so a good way to style it is to bring nature indoors by adding plants! Since rustic style uses a lot of dark wood and stone, plants help keep the room looking fresh and airy.

Natural light

Rustic style pairs well with a lot of natural light. Make the most of the natural light in your space by ensuring your furniture doesn’t block windows and hanging your curtains at the sides instead of over your windows. 

Fireplace or wood stove

Nothing says “cozy” and “rustic” like a fireplace. 

Of course, in the Texas heat, you won’t typically need the warmth of a fireplace. But as a design feature it still exudes cozy comfort, so if your home already contains a fireplace, consider playing it up to its best advantage by adding stonework. 

Also, thanks to “the freeze,” we’ve all learned the importance of a backup heat source! Even if your fireplace is nonfunctional, you can get a wood or pellet stove insert to make it functional and efficient as well as beautiful. 

You won’t need to use it often, but it will give you peace of mind to know you have a backup heating option, and it will look nice with the rustic design of your room. 

Layers of texture in natural fibers

Although rustic furniture is heavily wood-based, rustic living room style is all about coziness. You can accomplish this by adding layers of texture in natural fabrics and warm colors.

Make sure your living room features plenty of rugs, throw pillows, and throw blankets made from natural fibers such as wool, linen, and cotton.

Wood, pottery, and wicker

Add texture to the rest of the living room by adding rustic and natural objects. Examples include:

• Wicker baskets
• Antlers
• Pottery vases
• Wooden trays and bowls
• Brass figurines of deer or other woodland creatures

Reclaimed materials

Another staple when it comes to rustic style decorating is to use reclaimed items. If you’re renovating at all, consider using reclaimed barn wood. 

You can also decorate with crates and old farm tools. 

For more great styling tips, read our related blog post: How To Style & Design With Rustic Furniture.

Choosing Quality Rustic Living Room Furniture

Remember, the rustic look is about celebrating and finding beauty in imperfection. But in order to find this imperfect beauty, you must start with something high-quality.

Think of it this way: 

Rustic style celebrates things that were built to last and continue to function even after a few dings and scrapes. That’s why it pairs well with reclaimed wood and old farm tools. 

Thus, choosing high-quality pieces that last for generations is the key to getting a genuinely timeless rustic feel.

But how can you find these high-quality pieces?

Here are some things to look for:

• Is it made from solid wood? Solid wood furniture has a timeless sturdiness outmatched by anything else.
• Is it mass-produced? Mass-produced furniture is more likely to be trendy, soon going out of style or falling apart, while hand-crafted furniture is more likely to be timeless and of impeccable quality.

Who made it? By learning how your furniture is made, you can ascertain if it was dashed together by someone hoping to earn a quick buck or expertly crafted by a skilled woodworker.

With these things in mind, it’s always best to buy your furniture in person instead of online, so you can examine the craftsmanship for yourself and ask good questions about who made it and how it was constructed. 

Conclusion

At The Amish Craftsman, bringing quality custom furniture to the Houston area is our top priority. Our furniture is made of solid wood and hand-crafted by skilled Amish craftsmen using traditional woodworking methods. 

We have a whole line of gorgeous rustic living room furniture. Or, if you’re interested in similar styles we also offer:

• Modern farmhouse living room furniture
• Traditional living room furniture
• Mission-style living room furniture

Besides that, we offer furniture for all areas of the home, including the dining room, bedroom, and office.

Are you interested in checking out our furniture for yourself? Visit our showroom in Houston, Texas, today!