By starting off with a neutral colour palette as a base you can ensure that the design doesn’t look too over the top or garish. Greens, taupes, browns and greys make a great backdrop to wooden accent pieces and will bring an extra feeling of warmth to the room. If you want to steer away from a plain backdrop, incorporate a simply patterned wallpaper into your design scheme. The ‘Woods’ wallpaper, part of Cole & Son’s new contemporary collection, makes for the perfect rustic backdrop thanks to its forest design and neutral colour scheme.

There’s no greater base for a rustic aesthetic than a brilliant wooden floor to start things off. Wooden flooring adds character to a home and luckily for you, there’s plenty of styles to choose from to suit your own personal taste and fit a country-style home. Consider warm oak planks, dark chevron flooring or even go for a more modern white-washed bamboo – the great thing about a rustic style is that mixing and matching will work in your favour when it comes to wooden home decor.

A feature timber wall is a sure way of making an impression in your home and giving that rustic decor a little bit more “wow” factor. Panelled reclaimed wood is a popular choice right now but make sure you opt for a light and clean style to stop the decor from coming across to log cabin-
esque. Style the wall with leather accents such as our Monty Chair and subtle textures such as a patterned woven throw to complete the look.

Wooden kitchen countertops or splashbacks are the perfect way of getting the rustic look into your kitchen while also remaining practical. We’re big fans of wooden countertops with traditional Shaker-style cabinetry. If you’re not ready to take the leap yet, or just want to add a few pieces to your kitchen, consider adding a few pieces such as platter boards or trays to get the rustic aesthetic started.

Whether it’s your wooden coffee table, dining chairs or desk, always opt for high-quality pieces that are made to last for a lifetime. Investment pays off in the long-term and while the ultimate goal is rustic, you don’t want your furniture to be falling apart. Our own top picks include the Hardy range from British design studio Another Country which incorporates steam bent wood as well as our star piece, the custom Josephine Dressing Table which features a dark oak wood finish with a shagreen-styled, grey, natural leather under the glass and chrome inlay.

At AUTHOR we celebrate all things handmade and the rustic style is extremely welcoming to all things craft. Handmade pieces automatically bring a luxury feel to your interior and in keeping with the natural theme, the furniture tends to be wooden. Choose pieces simple in design but
with statement twists that you can talk about such as the Perfectly Imperfect Stool handcrafted by Galvin Brothers in East Yorkshire or the Australian Jarrah Table Lamp beautifully handcrafted in London by Iluka Lighting. Truly handmade pieces with a narrative will always bring a luxury feel to your design scheme.

If you are only looking to incorporate a little bit of the rustic style into your interior, choose to style your wooden coffee table up with some other wooden, metal or stone accessories. A great place to start with your styling is with a wooden tray such as this oak design by Tom Trimmins expertly made from reclaimed wood. Simple touches such as these leather napkin holders hand-crafted by the Lanyap studio will also be a huge help to creating a subtle rustic feel.

Don’t stop with wooden accessories. Materials such as slate, stone, leather and metals are also perfect for accessorising with a rustic interior decor. Texture is also a vital element of this style of design so remember to layer in soft furnishings to balance out the harsher lines of the wooden furniture and design elements.