Rustic Décor: Using Nature’s Colors

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay 

A big part of creating the peaceful, relaxing ambience of a rustic-style home is the use of color. What makes a color “rustic?” Usually softer tones, neutral colors and colors taken from nature make up the basic color palette of  rustic decor. While nature can be very colorful, depending on where you look, we tend to think of soft blues, greys and greens as well as earth tones like sand, off-white, brown and beige. These are the colors that we find soothing, calming, restful.

How to incorporate those colors into your home? Of course, the use of white and off-white walls, rock and wood are traditional. A little creativity influenced by the outdoors can add some nice touches. Pay attention to details: the color of the rocks along the river, the bark of trees, the muted grey of water and fog – all are inspiration for your home’s color scheme.

macrame cord and lichen

I have been gathering ideas and patterns for a macramé wall hanging. It is to be a piece knotted around a curved stick taken from our forest. The stick has grey-green lichen still attached and I spent some time searching for a matching cord color for the hanging itself. I discovered the shade I wanted, finally, as “sage,” and it seems a perfect match for the lichen-covered stick.

While colors in nature always seem a bit muted and subdued – gray green rather than bright green, pale gold, soft robin’s egg blue – there is always that pop of color, especially in the spring when you get the bright yellows of buttercups, or the clear blue of bachelor’s buttons. While your home might have the softer, more neutral colors as background, add a pop of color here and there: the large sunflower, the window box of pansies, a shelf of brightly colored crockery.

The effect of color on mood and our emotions has long been studied and documented. The colors you use go a long way toward creating the peaceful, welcoming home you desire.

Margaret