Home Tree Atlas: Home Decor Ideas and Mood Boards

Rustic Storage Ideas and Organization Tips

Some simple rustic storage ideas include using:

Wooden crates. These can be stacked up to create makeshift shelving
Stone bowls and wooden trays to group clutter items together (remotes on the coffee table | watches, phone, keys on the bedside table | toothbrush/paste, lotions in the bathroom).
Glass bottles and glass jars can be used to store kitchen items, as seen in picture (1). They can also replace plastic bottles around the bathroom or kitchen sink (soaps, lotions, etc.). For some inspiration, have a look at my mood board post here: Home Decor Ideas: Using Vintage Glass Bottles.
Vintage style wire baskets can be used around the house. For more vintage storage ideas have a look at my mood board post here: Vintage Storage and Organization Ideas.
Large wicker baskets (2) can store: magazines, fire wood, living room blankets, shoes, toys, dirty laundry, or be used as a trash can.
For rustic storage cabinets, there are wooden ones like the floating cabinet in picture (3) or the free standing one in picture (4). Or you could put reclaimed planks of wood on top of iron shelf brackets.
Hang up some iron clothes hooks.

The DIY Route

Upgrading Furniture Pieces: A simple way to add a subtle rustic touch to your cabinets, closets and draws, is to add leather pulls. You can see how The Brick House created the leather pull seen in picture (5) here.

Another way to upgrade your draws is to replace the front part with reclaimed wood (6).

Repurposing: In my DIY Rustic Decor post, I talked a bit about using ladders and reclaimed windows.

Ladders can be used all around the house, from hanging blankets and magazines in the living room, hanging towels in the bathroom, to hanging clothes in the bedroom. You can even hang pots and pans from them in the kitchen with some hooks. Use an iron or wooden ladder for a rustic look, just like the one in picture (7).

Another way to hang clothes is to screw together some wooden poles. You can see how the clothes hanger in picture (8), with the leather detail and metal hooks, were made here.

Reclaimed Windows: Old windows can be turned into elegant rustic coffee tables with storage or cabinets. For pictures and more ideas, have a look at my mood board post here Home Decor Ideas: Using Reclaimed Old Windows.

image credits: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

More rustic and storage mood board posts:

April 2, 2015 in Storage

Rustic Paint Colors and Textured Wall Designs

In a rustic room, you’ll see a lot of natural materials. There will be a lot of old and reclaimed woods, stone, and metal. Because of this the color schemes of a rustic space will be made up of neutral shades and earth tones – white, greys, dark browns, iron black. Natural green shades can be mixed in by adding plants. So use that as inspiration when looking for rustic paint colors. Avoid man made bright colors – like bright blues, orange, and bright red.

Going Simple – Classic White

A Neutral Color: Go with white walls. This way any rustic pieces in the room, like exposed beams or wooden window shutters, will really stand out. Check out the bedroom in picture (1) – the white walls make the beams and the wooden bed the focal points in the room.

For a more modern and cozy look use a darker wall color. The bathroom in picture (2) has had its wooden wall panels painted black. Just like the white walls in the bedroom, the black walls in the bathroom contrasts well with the rustic brown mirror – making it stand out.

Rustic Wall Designs and Paint Ideas

Some ways of creating a rustic wall is to use stone or brick. The walls in the room can be made out of them, or you can decorate existing walls with stone or brick tiles. You can paint over them for a more toned down rustic look, just like the living room in picture (3). Wood is another design option. But use large log pieces – as seen in picture (4), for an authentic rustic look.

Exposed beams can also decorate the walls, not just the ceilings. They can be used as rustic crown molding, or to create a rustic support and valance over a window (5).

Another way to create a textured wall is with rough natural plastering (stucco) (6), or use wall paint to create textured finishes and effects (Textured Wall Painting Ideas: From Faux Wood to Linen Effects) (7).

Subtle Rustic Walls

Tone Down the Rustic: If you have a small room with standard height ceilings, you might want to tone down the rustic walls so they don’t become overwhelming. One way to do this is to have half of the wall (top or bottom) using something rustic like stone, brick or wood. And have the other half plastered over and painted white – creating a rustic/modern combination design.

A Feature Wall: Another way to add some subtle rustic style to a room is to use a feature wall. This is one wall in the room that is decorated, say in stone, brick, or wood, while all of the other walls are simply styled – say painted in white. Because there is only one rustic wall, it really stands out and becomes a focal point in the space. Just like the hallway in picture (8), and the stone wall feature in the bathroom in picture (5).

This feature wall could be the headboard wall in the bedroom, the wall behind the TV, or you could create a stone chimney column in the living room. It could also be the backsplash wall in the kitchen or in the bathroom.

image credits: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

Rustic Bedroom Ideas and Furniture Designs

You don’t need much to create a rustic bedroom style. If you have exposed beams, then you are all set. But there are some other rustic bedroom ideas that can help transform your space – from simple decorating ideas, the materials you use, to how you style your bed.

Materials

The best and really only way to create a rustic bedroom, is to use as much natural materials as possible. Materials such as reclaimed wood, metals (iron, brass), stone, leather, and concrete. Use these materials when it comes to choosing rustic bedroom furniture such as the bed, use them for the walls, and the ceiling.

Color Scheme

Because of the use of natural materials, the color scheme you’d expect in a rustic bedroom would be of neutral earth tones. There will be dark browns, grey, iron black, white, and add in some green with plants. Avoid bold unnatural colors such as blue, red, and purple. Keep to the neutral and natural shades.

Around the Bed

The Bed: When it comes to the bed, use an iron frame or a wooden bed like the one in picture (1). If you can’t get your hands on a bed like this, then just cover the bed frame with simple skirting. A lot of the beds in the mood board above have white fabric covering up the bed.

The Headboard: Ideas here include using reclaimed wood (2), live wood (3), or iron bars. A lot of the beds in the mood board, don’t have a headboard.

Bedding: Because the bed is the main focal point in the room, as it takes so much space, even the bedding you use will play a big role in the style of the room. For the bedding use neutral colors like white, light and dark grey, tan, or black. Use fabrics that have a subtle texture to them to add a touch of style and elegance. Neutral colored and textured bedding fabric is another thing all of the rustic bedrooms in the mood board above have in common.

Side Tables: The side tables you have next to the bed will frame the bed area. Look to have stylised pieces like a log stump table (4), a metal stool, a wooden one, or a trunk.

The Walls and Ceiling

Here are some rustic ideas when it comes to the walls and the ceiling of the bedroom:

Exposed brick walls can add a rustic flair to a bedroom. The bricks can be painted over for a more subtle rustic look (5). Another design idea is to have half of the wall (either the top or the bottom) exposed brick, while the other half is plastered over. Have a look at this mood board post for design ideas: Industrial and Rustic Charm: Home Brick Wall Designs.You can easily create your own brick wall by attaching brick slices to an existing wall
There is rough Italian style plastering (stucco). Or for a more industrial rustic look, have rough textured concrete walls
There are also stone walls, or stone tiles
For a more modern look, have plain white walls, and let the rustic pieces in the room (the bed, bedding, side tables, exposed beams) create the style
A great design feature to have would be exposed beams. Have a look at picture (6). The exposed beams and the hardwood floors are the only things that are needed to create a modern rustic bedroom style. The beams are able to stand out in the room because of the toned down color scheme – just dark greys and white.
One last rustic design idea would be to use a sliding barn door as the bedroom door, or going to the bathroom. Kind of like the door in picture (7) but darker.

image credits: 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

3 Super Easy Ways to Create Romantic Decor in Your Home

Whether it’s for valentines day or year round, there are simple ways to create a romantic setting in your home. Below are some super easy ideas. For ideas based around romantic style furniture/color schemes/shabby chic decor check out the links to other mood board posts at the end of this post.

1. Romantic Mood Lighting

To create a more relaxed and romantic vibe in any room, you’ll want to use lighting that is closer to the ground. So avoid using the ceiling lights. It’d be great if you had a dimmer switch but if you don’t here are some simple ways to create romantic mood lighting:

Enchanting Lights: String lights add a whimsical feel to a room as seen in picture (1), and are inexpensive and quick to put up. These can be hung on walls, over furniture, bunched up into a wine bottle/bird cage, or wrapped up in lace. Have a look at these posts for more ideas and photos:

Home Decor Ideas Beautiful Ways To Use String Lights Indoors
Home Decor Ideas Creative Ways Of Using String Lights Outdoors

Painting the Walls: A simple mood lamp, like the Philips Mood Lamp, can instantly change the color of a room (2). For a romantic setting, set the mood lamp to a dark purple/blue/red and instantly transform the room.

The Glow From a Flame: Nothing is more romantic than sitting by a flame (3). So set up some candles. To reduce the risk of a fire you can place floating candles into a glass bowl of water. Or you can put candles into lanterns. And use tiki torches outdoors.

2. A Cuddling Space

Here are some ways to create your own cuddling space at home:

Create bohemian style floor seating by using large floor cushions (4)
Use soft fluffy rugs
A canopy/4 post bed is a romantic statement piece in the bedroom
Soften your rooms by hanging fabric over furniture (like the canopy bed), or lace over lamps
Arouse another sense in your romantic cuddle space by using aromatherapy oil burners
Don’t forget about including the mood lights from the section above