How to give your home a rustic feel

Go antiquing for wood furniture and accessories

Some pieces and decorations for your home can be challenging to find at the usual decor stores. And even if you do manage to track them down, chances are they'll be more expensive and less unique than if you found them at an antique shop. Antique store owners are more open to bargaining, so it will be easier to score yourself a lower price. And refinishing furniture to make it work in your space is a lot easier than you might think. So whether you need it to be smoother, rougher, lighter, darker or painted a different colour entirely, you can make any good-quality piece work for you. And don't forget to ask the store owner if he has anything tucked away. Often the best pieces and greatest deals are hidden from view, so don't miss your chance to check them out!

Use fabrics

Buying entirely new sets of rustic furniture may not be within your budget, so use fabrics to achieve a country feel. Fabric covers a lot more of your space than you may initially realize. Curtains, blankets, sheets, couches, pillows, table covers, carpets and more are all made of fabric and can easily be altered or dressed up to look more rustic on a budget. Understated shades of green, yellow, blue, red and brown all work well at achieving a rustic look. Patterns that incorporate plaids and nature themes can also do a lot. So get yourself some rustic bedding, a few throw pillows and drapes to change your home's look in a flash!

Wood vases

Flowers in vases are an easy way to add some colour and life to your home. Although glass or plastic vases are easy to come by, they can leave a space feeling cold and modern rather than warm and rustic. Instead, opt for vases made of wood, clay or distressed metal to achieve the cottage feel you're looking for. A set of vases such as these three copper buckets is an additional asset because they can be placed next to each other or scattered around the space to fully establish the feel you are going for (amazon.com, $129).

And rather than picking out flowers that are too over-the-top, go for simple wildflowers, such as sunflowers and daisies. Or if you don't want to worry about organizing a collection of flowers, opt for decorative branches, such as brown willow sticks, which can easily be tossed in a large vase to great effect (decorativebranches.com, $11).

Incorporate colours

Because a rustic feel is based in natural products, your home can fall into the trap of being a little too brown. And that can leave you with a dreary feel rather than a country chic escape. So make sure to include pops of colour in the space. Look for artwork that incorporates yellow or red tones, find decorative pots or frames with gold or white trims and track down throw pillows with blue or green patterns. Remember: It doesn't have to be brown to feel rustic!

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