Rustic Furniture offers a welcome departure from the classic, traditional styles we often talk about on Vintage Furniture Guide.
Of course, with so many of us using nature as our outlet these days, rustic furniture and rustic decorating styles look all the more appealing.
And, honestly, with so much time spent at home, many of us want to de-stress and feel the warmth and relaxation of rustic interiors. We want to bring the outdoors in, with rustic wooden furniture that is easy to care for, sturdy and comfortable.
So, this article is dedicated to helping you achieve a lived-in country-style interior. So, if you are seeking a rustic style living room, or relaxed rustic furniture bedroom, you have come to the right place! No doubt it will look as good as it feels!
What is Rustic Style Furniture?
So, just what is rustic style furniture? When most people consider this style, they envision a home in the Poconos, in the wild prairies of Texas or the beautiful Adirondacks.
In other words, Rustic style furniture is often closely tied with the great outdoors.
So, for instance, rustic style furniture may feature raw wood, branches or a simple more natural (clear) finish. Additionally, rustic style furniture shows signs of hand-crafted goodness. Chiseled marks or simple carvings often play a role. Sometimes, you may see knots and “imperfections” in the wood that other furniture companies might reject.
Instead of rich polished furniture (think: shiny or dark polished pieces that hide the grain), rustic furniture often plays up the rawness and natural patterns in wood grain. Sometimes, this furniture can veer towards an aged look. Sometimes, it is even distressed with chains and hammers, to give it a more used and vintage appearance.
Obviously, this is not furniture for stuffy, formal interiors.
Why is Rustic Furniture so Popular?
You may be wondering, if so raw, imperfect and unfinished, what is the appeal of rustic style furniture?
Well, rustic style is not going anywhere, my friends. Sure, it is not the stuff you would expect to see in the White House.
However, rustic furniture invites people to loosen up the tie, kick off the shoes and just be.
As cheesy as that may sound, people naturally feel calm in their happy places. And, guess what? These happy places are often under the canopy of hundred year old trees, near majestic rivers, by crystal clear lakes, and where the night sky is lit with hundreds of stars!
Rustic interior decorating fits in cabin homes, vacation homes and country homes with treed lots. It is used in high-end Lodges, log homes, pole barn homes and farmhouses. Heck, I have even seen it employed with success in regular development homes!
Another theory regarding this popular style has to do with our modern dependence on technology.
Of course, because of modern industrialization, it is easy to lose touch with the way things are produced. Food comes in a can or shrink-wrapped in plastic. Furniture comes from a store. As for materials, sales people can confirm that, “yes, I believe there is some wood in there.”
But with rustic furniture, you are plainly reminded of where things start: the raw materials.
Tree branches can form bed posts. Live edge table tops follow the way of the tree, not a tee-square. And extra ornamentation, like curvy legs and special inlay, is left out.
Rustic Furniture Store? Where to Find Rustic Furniture for Sale near me?
Rustic Furniture stores exist, but are rare these days. Typically, you will find these types of specialty rustic furniture stores in vacation spots. The Poconos of Pennsylvania, for instance, may have a few stores like this.
Of course, even there, it may be tough to find a store dedicated to rustic style near you. Because many of these locales have tourist seasons, they may not do enough business to justify an expensive storefront.
Additionally, you may find that these types of storefronts have surprisingly high prices. Indeed, just because something is rustic, does not make it automatically affordable!
Therefore, depending on your needs and budget, you may wish to go the vintage furniture route.
Top Rustic Furniture Vintage Furniture Brands
So, we have compiled a short list of the best quality Rustic Furniture Brands to consider, if you do wish to purchase gently used vintage furniture in Rustic style.
In order to source these pieces, we suggest you search:
- Vintage and Thrift Stores
- Flea Markets
- Ebay and Chairish
- Online Antique Stores
So, without further ado, the best vintage furniture brands that carried rustic or country-style lines are:
- 1. Pulaski Furniture
- 2. Broyhill Furniture
- 3. American Drew Furniture
- 4. Ethan Allen Furniture
- 5. Nichols and Stone Furniture
- 6. Bassett Furniture
- 7. Cushman Furniture
Pulaksi Rustic Style Furniture
Pulaski Furniture originated in Virginia, and for most of their history, the company made their furniture there. If you like rustic furniture with painted and distressed finishes, designs by Pulaski are a great choice!
Pulaski made some really unique accent furniture that will fit a Western style home, farmhouse or relaxed Vacation spot. If you are surrounded by pine walls, you may wish for a bit of contrast in your decorating. So Painted Pulaski furniture will have the right feel. Its relaxed, often distressed painted finishes can handle everyday use, and fit in with the unpretentious feel of your home.
Likewise, Pulaski rustic bedroom furniture can feature light whitewashed finishes, or simply driftwood looks. Pulaski’s take on rustic can feel a bit beachy, country or farmhouse. So, if that type of lived-in feel adds to your relaxation, you cannot go wrong with vintage furniture by Pulaski.
Broyhill Rustic Furniture
Broyhill Rustic Furniture is another fantastic company to look for. Broyhill made great furniture in a plethora of styles. However, if you need that relaxed, lived-in feel, you definitely want to look for their “Attic Heirlooms” line.
The Attic Heirlooms line by Broyhill Furniture captures the simpler life in such a great way!
Using nice quality hardwoods like maple and oak, Broyhill made great rustic furniture that fits in any country or natural setting. Broyhill hutch cabinets often feature simple wooden knobs, light distressing to the wood finish and simple cabinet and drawer profiles.
Additionally, their simple bedroom pieces fit right in a rustic bedroom. Of course, the chunky beds, light finishes and simple armoires and dressers are a great fit.
Finally, find planked farm-style tables from Broyhill Attic Heirlooms and no doubt, your dining area will be complete!
American Drew Rustic Furniture
Now, I know American Drew might seem like a stretch for rustic décor. Indeed, American Drew made many fancy Federal and Colonial style lines that absolutely do not fit the bill when it comes to rustic decorating.
However, American Drew was no one trick pony!
In fact, the company made a whole line featuring knotty pine dressers, and bedroom pieces. And, these pine pieces made in the 1980s were made well enough to last for decades.
If pine is not your thing, the company also made some rustic bedroom furniture in solid oak. Thus, the vivid grains of oak really stand out on these American Drew rustic pieces.
Ethan Allen Furniture
Like American Drew, Ethan Allen also dabbled in several types of furniture styles. So, you may not instantly think of Ethan Allen as the best company to go to for rustic styles. But, you may be surprised at some of the great quality rustic designs the company made.
Some key lines by Ethan Allen that really captured the country aesthetic would be their Pine Normandy Collection, their Old Tavern line and their Heirloom lines.
The Pine Normandy Collection by Ethan Allen features knotty pine wood in a medium to light finish. Often, these rustic pieces still have a bit of a feminine twist. You may find light carvings and curved doors.
The Old Tavern Collection by Ethan Allen definitely brings the old timey look to any home! This collection was originally introduced in the 1960s and 1970s and features a very dark finish on pine. The Old Tavern Collection consists of shelves, dining room furniture and even living room furniture that most definitely gives a rustic look!
Finally, the Heirloom Ethan Allen collection typically consisted of maple, cherry and oak furniture. Taking inspiration from simpler Colonial times, this line still most definitely fits in the right rustic décor.
Nichols and Stone Rustic Furniture
Nichols and Stone, while certainly one of the finest furniture companies on our list, can still work in the right rustic homes, with the right accessories.
Nichols and Stone is known for their beautiful farm tables, simple wooden chairs and fine case furniture.
They use mostly birch and cherry to craft their furniture. Again, while some of their catalogues can look a little refined for homes in the deep woods, it no doubt still works because of their beautiful wood finishes.
Because of their mostly light finishes, and relaxed styles, Nichols and Stone vintage furniture can be a great choice for your home in nature.
Seek out Nichols and Stone dining room sets. I especially love their “wheat-back chairs” for casual dining.
Bassett Rustic Furniture
Bassett Furniture Company, also sometimes called Vaughan-Bassett has spent heavily investing in styles that suit all tastes. Indeed, they have developed a nice rustic line in recent years.
The rustic bedroom pieces made by Bassett often feature “rough” looking wood fronts and barn-style tops. Even their beds can look very country rustic. Bassett weathered coffee tables will fit right in the cabin or lodge.
Mountain style furniture by Bassett can fit the living room, bedroom or even dining room.
Cushman Rustic Furniture
Cushman Furniture is an excellent choice for rustic furniture. Cushman made primarily birch and solid maple furniture in Vermont, so you know it is going to be great quality.
Often, Cushman made furniture with a distinct look. Cushman dressers typically have wooden knobs and simple rounded edges. Also, their chests usually had very simple profiles.
Cushman tables can feature trestle styles, farm styles or simple round maple tables. Indeed, Cushman is a great choice for a cabin in the woods!
Creating a Relaxed Interior with Rustic Décor
Now that you have some ideas for the furniture that would best suit your dream cabin or mountain home, you may have to do a little bit more to bring that homey look together.
These final thoughts can help you achieve that Rustic interior you wish for.
- Consider oriental rugs in tribal style. Geometric rugs (especially vintage rugs with a bit of wear) can really bring color and life to a rustic living room.
- Think about other natural materials that make sense for the spot your home resides in. For instance, if you can bring in natural stone, hand-hewn beams or real wood flooring, you no doubt will feel a cohesion in your home.
- Try to add some other signs of life. Woodland themed lamps, pictures, or even taxidermy can really make sense in your rustic home.
- Add locally-made art or functional objects to your home. Folk art and whimsical pottery can really make your house feel tied to real artisans in the community.
- Layer in the warmth with vintage blankets, and cozy pillows, and flannel shirts. Can you feel the stress melting off you, yet?
Rustic Decorating: A Simple Choice
Well, I really hoped you enjoyed our guide on rustic decorating. While not for everyone at all times, I do believe that rustic interiors can really bring an ease and joy to most peoples’ lives, even temporarily.
Please, let us know in the comments, do you like rustic styles? If so, how have you added a touch of rustic elegance to your home?