If you love being outdoors, then why not make the inside of your house as fabulous as the great outdoors? This does not mean that you need to plant a tree in the middle of your den, but it does mean that you can bring elements of the outdoors inside to create a rustic style that is all your own. When you consider rustic style, think of a log cabin with log walls, wooden furniture, animal skin area rugs and a wood burning stove for heating. With a mountain cabin as inspiration you can turn your den into your own retreat. 

Pull Color and Texture from Nature

Cabin colors are most typically rich, dark colors like burgundy, hunter green and dark brown which are drawn from the forest and help to enhance the rustic feel of a cabin. Natural elements like leather, roughly woven wool plaid and canvas all make excellent upholstery choices for a rustic aesthetic. Decor in this type of room is natural and organic and can include distressed furniture, carved wood wall panels, well-worn wood and antique accessories.

Cabin Themes

There are many decorating themes that can work with rustic style. To get inspiration for your rustic den picture a log cabin, and then picture where it is located.  A mountain cabin in the dead of winter may have a pair of skis standing in the corner, snowshoes displayed on the wall and artisan wool seating. A hunting cabin may have a shotgun displayed over the mantle, photos capturing the great hunter’s moments, and leather seating. And a lake cabin may have paddles mounted on a wall, shelves stuffed with books, board games, canvas seating and an old sap buckets standing in for metal wall planters. Rustic style enjoys vintage accessories, rich outdoor colors and sturdy furnishings. The rooms are practical, comfortable and evoke a sense of history and generations gone by.

Adding the Glue

When you sit down to design your own den you can make it easy on yourself by doing a little planning.  Use graph paper to draw out your floor plan to scale. By cutting out furniture pieces also to scale, you can move furniture around at the touch of a finger and save your back. Then look at cabin environments and the outdoors for color inspiration, and then set the stage by adding color to your walls and floors. A fresh coat of paint brings your wall to life while an old, braided rug brings the floor into your design.  Now look at the windows and add curtains in a heavy fabric or even shades or shutters. Bring in your big pieces of furniture and arrange them to suit your taste. If you have a fireplace you can use is as a focal point, otherwise consider using a large couch, bookshelf or piece of art as a focal point for the room. Add personal accessories and task lighting with lamps, and you are ready to settle in with a good book or break out a board game to enjoy with the entire family.