Decorating Tips to Turn Any Home into a Country Dream

Trista - March 26, 2019

Photo: Credit: Decoratorist

Install a farmhouse-style towel rack.

Farmhouse décor is not all about frills and wood. There is also a touch of industrialism that can be used to achieve the perfect rustic effect. Just attaching some pipes to a wall that would usually go under a sink can add that kind of flair. An appropriate place for this is the bathroom. Add any color towel to it that would go with the rest of your bathroom, and there you go! Where else would a pipe towel rack go?

A kitchen, that’s where. Instead of crumpling up your kitchen towels on the counter so that they don’t try properly, consider adding one of these under a cabinet to have dry kitchen towels whenever you need them. Add a shelf over the pipe and put a small potted plant or candle on the shelf to give it a little sprucing up. You could even put a picture frame or a cute little sign or jar on top if you wish.

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Wow everyone with a reclaimed wood wall-hanging.

On the journey of creating your best home, it is always a good idea to be mindful of the environment. How better to do this than by hanging some reclaimed wood on your wall? It will add a touch of color and style without impacting the world around you. Furthermore, it puts some old wood to some fair use. You can reclaim this wood from old pallets or crates you find at the side of the road. Just hammer or glue them together into a unique shape and add a touch of paint to dress it up. It couldn’t be easier than that.

Paint some designs into the wood, or even words that welcome others into your home. If you can’t find any wood lying around on the side of the road, you can always pick some up at your local hardware store. Just ask if they have any wood they are throwing out. You could even repurpose an old shelf that you aren’t using anymore to hang on your wall for a different look. You can get as creative as you like when it comes to wood, paint, and decorating your home.

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Create homemade cotton branches.

Cotton branches are soft and delicate and can add a touch of whimsy to any home. With this tip, we head back into the realm of handmade pieces. This piece is effortless to create. It would only take just a couple of minutes to put it together, but the result will be wildly more impactful. The idea here is understated and natural. You could always pick some cotton branches from outside to bring in, but it may stir up some allergies you may have or even just cause a mess in your home.

The good thing about this item of decor is that you can use twigs that you have lying around in your yard, which means you’ll get to do some outdoor spring cleaning while creating a lovely wreath or vase decor that looks quite nice during the springtime. This project’s cotton part can be bought from the dollar store, making it cheap and easy to create. Just add a little bit of glue to the ends of the cotton balls to stick to the branches before putting them into a vase, and there you have it!

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Everyone will love a wooden tray.

Again, we have a piece that can be made in the comfort of your own home. While a lovely whitewash is elegant in an understated way, there is no need to stick to this exclusively. You can use any paint shade that strikes your fancy or add stencils to the mix to add some elegance. You could even just stain the wood instead so that it gives it more of a rustic look if that’s what you’re more into. Alternatively, add color to it so that it matches the rest of your home.

Moreover, what could you use this wooden tray for? The answer is just about anything. Keep it by the front door for your keys or even for your mail, use it in your kitchen to carry breakfast items to bed, or rest it on the side of your tub so that you can enjoy a snack while you’re having a good, hot soak. You could also keep it near the couch in the living room to keep your TV remote and any other magazines you may have, keeping your coffee table clutter-free as well.

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Use picture frame hangers reclaimed from old drawers.

Those old drawers from dressers already have handles on them. Why not use those handles to hang a couple of things on them? While we are on the topic, they could be the perfect place for your picture frames. Mix and match them to give the room some character. You can choose to put photos of your family in there, use random pictures, or leave them empty. It’s the frame itself that’s providing the character. You could even draw or paint a little something to hang up as well.

Just don’t forget to take out the glass first. You don’t want an accident happening, and you end up having to clean shattered glass up off the ground. Also, make sure that the handles are firmly attached to the frames not to come loose and cause your frames to fall and break too. You can leave the old drawers with the handles and knobs plain or even paint them to go with the rest of your decor if you choose to. Alternatively, even keep it a simple white to go with anything in any room you put it in.

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Communicate through a message board.

How do people without message boards even remember to buy milk and other things when they run out? With this simple DIY message board, you will luckily not become part of this group any longer. Throw some wood, chicken wire, and paint together, and you have yourself a useful board and a delight to look at. Furthermore, if any part of it gets damaged, it’s pretty easy to replace. You should be able to get all these materials at your local hardware store too!

Add nails to the wood and some bulldog clips, so you have an easy place to store messages. Some small clothespins make it easy for you to attach notes to the chicken wire as well. Make grocery lists or leave behind inspiring messages for your family to carry with them throughout the day. You can even hang up cute little photos that you just got printed out if you don’t yet have a frame to put them in either. You can place your message board in any room as well.

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Make the perfect country chic ladder.

Yes, you read that correctly. A ladder. Not one that firefighters use, though, but rather an old ladder made of wood that no longer has any use for climbing on. You can put it to use by placing it up against a wall and then hanging blankets or towels on it. The options are endless. You can even use it as a shelf, as long as the steps to the ladder are sturdy enough to hold whatever you plan on setting on them.

Whether you choose to leave it unpainted as well as a choice is up to you. However, you can give it a nice fresh coat of color to make it match your decor or distress the paint for a more rustic look. And if you’re tired of it in one room, you can easily move it to another one to add some more flair to the environment. If you don’t like the way it looks but also don’t want to give it a freshly painted look, you could sand it down and stain it, giving it more of a rustic look as well.

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Hang a beautiful door basket.

A door is not generally the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to decorating. That is a mistake, and it should not go uncorrected. This lovely little basket is the perfect thing to give an otherwise bland doorway some personality. Use real flowers to freshen up an entryway, or use fake flowers if you wish to instead, and change them out when you want to add different colors and styles to that area. Mix and match any flowers and plants you put into the basket as well. Nothing says you have to stick to just one simple kind.

First, you will want to pick a basket that has a flat back to it so that it can sit comfortably against the wall without flopping around too much. The basket can be of any color you would like, keep it simple with a lighter tone, or go big and bold with something bright that stands out and makes a statement! You can also add some ribbon around it if you’d like. A nice simple bow also adds a nice touch and can be changed during the seasons as well.

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Add more mason jars on the walls.

As you can see, mason jars can be used for absolutely anything. With this piece of decoration, you can change the mood of the season. Pick a pretty and seasonal flower, and your home will feel like it is one with nature. There is nothing like a bright flower on a blue day. If you want your flowers blooming for longer, add some water to the jar to keep them fresher. Suppose you’re worried about having real flowers, swap them out with fake ones that will never die and will look perky all year round!

If you do go with real flowers, your flowers will wilt over time. You can take the flowers out and always drop in a tea light to add some illumination to the area. It’s a soft romantic touch that keeps your mason jars being versatile. Furthermore, if you’re concerned about the flames from the candle, you could always put in a fake LED tea light instead, they even make ones that flicker, so they still look like real candles. Put it anywhere in your house to give it that cozy country feels.

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Re-purpose your side tables.

To create balance with the rustic theme, it is a good idea to mix and match when it comes to metal and wood. Use too much wood, and your home will look more like a cabin than a farmhouse. This repurposed side table will help you achieve this balance. It’s made of an old metal milk barrel, but you can use just about anything you can find. You could probably find an old barrel similar to this one at your local flea market, or maybe even at a rummage sale or thrift store.

Old oil barrels also work well as side tables, but be sure that they’re thoroughly cleaned first before bringing them into your home. You don’t want to end up with oil leaking out and ending up all over your charming wooden floors. Once you’re sure your old barrel has been properly cleaned out and is ready to serve its next purpose in life, it’s time to decide where you’d like to put it in your home. You could use it as an end table next to the couch. Alternatively, you can use it as a bedside table for a lamp or alarm clock.

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Make wall chevrons from reclaimed wood.

Not all farmhouse decorations need to be functional. It is completely allowable to include something because it is exciting or unique directly. Using reclaimed wood to create these chevrons will surely be an interesting addition. People will wonder where you get your ideas from. Want to change things up? Turn them in any other direction without telling anyone, and they’ll notice that something is different. You can leave them the color they are, or even paint them something completely different if you’d like.

You can also use metal to make these chevrons, but you’ll need stronger tools to cut the chevrons out. Feel free to mix wood and metal to keep these chevrons looking interesting. Your guests will be sure to wonder where you get your many incredible house decorations from. Be careful, though, when using tools to cut through the metal. You don’t want to hurt yourself while working on your home project. Have fun, but remember to be safe as well.

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You need a vegetable stand.

On a farm, people love to eat, and they do it a lot. It will come as no surprise if you think about all the work done on a farm. In the spirit of this, take out your veggies and display them for all to see. A farm-style rack like this will be the perfect place to put together this display. You’ll notice what you have available to eat. However, it’ll also add some color into your kitchen without your food being stashed in the corner of a cabinet or the fridge.

It may seem like a bad idea, considering people are used to putting their vegetables in the fridge, but out of sight is out of mind. You may not even remember what you have in your fridge, allowing your vegetables to get moldy in the crisper bin. Having them out on display reminds you of exactly what you have so that you can use them up accordingly. You’ll be able to eat them while they’re still fresh, and they won’t end up going to waste.

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Don’t forget the coffee table.

What is a living room without a coffee table? A wildly non-functional room that is what it is. If your living room is sadly lacking in a coffee table, then take the opportunity to inject the room with a rustic edge. That can be quickly done by including a farmhouse coffee table. I just have one thing to ask first though, where do you put your remote, your drinks, or anything else when you’re sitting in your living room if you don’t have a coffee table in front of you?

Add a nice dark varnish to it, or leave the wood as is for the “exposed, weathered” look. The great thing about wooden tables is that they can be dressed up any way that you like and still have a rustic element to them if it’s done right. Now you have a terrific solid coffee table to rest your mugs on or decorate with other rustic accessories. If you were to get one that has shelving underneath, you’d even have space to put your magazines or games if you chose to as well.

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DIY wooden curtain rods.

Let’s be real. The eye is not always drawn to the curtain rods. They exist relatively high above eye-level. However, with the right materials, you could effectively draw people’s eyes up to your newest attraction without making it obvious. This attraction being none other than wooden rods that you created yourself. It’s not a very difficult task either, but it does require you to measure things properly. So be sure to have a ruler or measuring tape and a pencil first before getting the materials to start this project.

Too long, and it may look like your curtain rod is much too big for your window; too short, and your curtains won’t effectively cover the windows at all. It doesn’t hurt to start longer and then gradually shorten the rod to see what suits your windows best. Once you decide where to place them properly, you will also need to decide whether or not you want to paint them or leave them the way they are before nailing them up. You could make them blend in with your walls and curtains or have them stand out and make a statement.

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Install a wooden wall sconce.

This item will require wood again instead of mason jars. That should come as no surprise, considering that rustic and wood are ultimately inseparable. To make the perfect farmhouse wall sconce, take some wood and give it a coat of whitewashed paint. You can bend a nice metal container to fit the wood so that the surfaces are flush with each other. You should be able to find the wood on the side of the road or go to your local hardware store and ask for scraps of wood they may have.

Then just add a few sprigs of eucalyptus to add some green to your home, as well as a lovely fragrance. Home decor can smell nice as well as look nice, so don’t be afraid to try out new and different ideas to keep your home unique. If you’re not a fan of eucalyptus, you can add any other type of plant or flower that you would like to add some color and some refreshing fragrance to your home.

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Leave the dining room table barren.

People mostly resort to covering their dining room table with a tablecloth to cover up any imperfection that may have occurred over the years, but rustic is the time to show them off. A single table runner down the middle is nice enough, exposing all of that rich wood for everyone to see. Sometimes tablecloths just add too much to the table when you’re trying to keep it simple. Not including one also helps to save money too.

Add some nice and simple placemats to keep any stains off. Now you have the perfect setting for your next meal. Moreover, if you’re concerned about protecting the wood of your expensive table, consider putting a glass top on it to save it from all those spills. Knicks in the wood can tell a story and give it an older and more rustic look. Be sure to keep centerpieces down to a bare minimum to make the table look too crowded and cluttered.

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Hang pendulum lights.

If you have a high enough ceiling, having pendulum lights can add some nice rustic flair. Go with metal and glass to keep with the aesthetic and make sure that you know how to set them up properly. The last thing you need is hanging lights that don’t work because they’re not wired correctly. Be sure to have an electrician put the lights in so that you don’t hurt yourself not knowing how to install them properly.

Line then up over the middle of your dining room or kitchen table for a well-lit meal and atmosphere. This illumination idea will have you wondering why you never tried it before. These lights will add style and a story in any sort of room. Remember, you don’t have to keep it strictly for just a dining room or kitchen either. Maybe you’re feeling unique and creative and want one in your den or even in your bedroom! Go for it if that’s what you want!

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Consider adding a daybed.

A day bed in your living room can provide a lot of much-needed comfort after a hard day of work. You can use it as a couch to rest your feet, or you could even resort to a scandalous nap in the middle of the afternoon. Dressing up your day bed accordingly will also add a nice rustic element to the room. Add some fluffy pillows for some extra comfort and style, along with a fleece blanket for some extra warmth when you’re snuggled in.

Go with neutral sheets with some gold accents on the cushions or pillows. The lower to the ground the day bed is, the better. A bright, colorful throw will finish off the look. Add a small table to put next to your day bed, and you have the perfect setting to snuggle up in with a good book and an ice-cold drink or even a hot steaming cup of hot cocoa on a cold evening. You won’t regret adding this into your living room or den.

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Love being home thanks to a rustic powder room.

Even the bathroom can be dressed up to look like it belongs in a cabin. A stone sink sets the room apart from the rest of your home, and the simple wooden cupboards are a great place to store extra toilet paper and other toiletries as well. If you have things sitting on top of your countertop, add some cute wooden or wicker baskets to store stuff in, or even mason jars for items such as toothbrushes, makeup brushes, cotton balls, or q-tips.

Add neutral tone colored accessories like soap and tissue dispensers so that the rest of the room can shine—the more simple, the better. Furthermore, don’t forget the faucet and taps as well; bare black metal will finish off the look nicely. Add a small wicker basket to place next to the toilet for trash. Also, try a couple of small rugs to place in front of the sink and tub. It is an easy way to add finishing touches and tie your bathroom together.

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Fill up a wall with books.

Nothing is more attractive than a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf. It’s even more impressive if you have high ceilings. If you are handy with tools, you can always incorporate one into one wall of your home, giving your books a new place to live instead of in boxes in the basement, collecting dust and being ignored. Plus, it also gives you the chance to show off your collection of books as well. Put a small succulent plant between books here and there to add a little freshness and nature to the look.

White wood works best, and you can play around with different-sized shelves to keep your bookshelf looking interesting, too. Not interested in books, in any case? You can fill those cubby holes with whatever knick-knack collections you may have so that you can show them off to your guests. Add photos you may have taken of family and friends, or even nature or pets. Trophies and certificates can be neatly placed next to small plants and framed smiles, too.

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Bon Appetit with a pizza oven paddle.

Even if you don’t have a pizza oven in your home, you can still dress it up with a nice pizza oven paddle. The distressed wood adds to your kitchen’s aesthetic, though you may get some questions about having fresh pizza for dinner. All you need is a pizza oven paddle and enough wall space to hang it on. You may be able to find one at your local thrift store or even at an old pizza place that may be going out of business.

You can even leave it propped up in the corner, hang it up above your stovetop, or prop it up on an empty counter for everyone to see. Whether it’s made of metal or wood doesn’t matter either; they will both go well with the rustic aesthetic. If it’s wood, you can even paint it if you wish to add it to your home decor with a word, making it a sign in your kitchen. Moreover, a unique-looking sign it would be.

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Don’t be afraid of fake fur.

Animal pelts may not be your thing, but they still add a nice rustic element to any living room or dining room. Go for the fake fur instead and lay down a nice rug in the middle of the floor. Some are made to look like real fur, so you may not even be able to tell the difference. You don’t have to stick with just one room when deciding where to place a fur rug either; you can put them throughout your home.

Fur rugs go best with bare wood floors, but they can make for a nice accent rug on a carpeted floor in your bedroom. Consider different fur color options to see what fits best with the decor in your home. There are many options for fur rugs, ranging from shaggy to more smooth, and some are striped while others are spotted or solid colors. They can be made to match any type of decor as well. The options are truly endless.

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Focus on nature.

The main rustic element is using things that look natural, so don’t be afraid to pull something from your yard to use inside. Bare branches, rusted metal, and plain wood finishes can be used to help decorate the inside of your home, bringing in that rustic aesthetic look without breaking the bank. Just be sure that there aren’t any insects on anything you bring in from your yard first. Nothing like setting up something pretty in your living room only to find out it’s crawling with bugs a few minutes later.

Have a collection of bird feathers you found in your backyard? Why not string them up and attach them to a bare branch? Then you can hang that up in your bedroom to add both color and texture to the walls. If you’re into art projects, you could make your very own dream catcher to hang up above your bed, using feathers you find outside in your yard. Furthermore, instead of filling your house with knick-knacks, replace some of those things with small indoor plants.

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Stack up some suitcases.

If you have any hardtop suitcases you’re not using at the moment, why not stack them up together? That is a unique way to create a side table in your coffee room, den, or on your patio. Add a potted plant to the mix, and you have a wonderful addition to any room. You could even add a simple little picture frame with a photo taken from a trip you may have been on recently to finish up the look.

To make it extra special, leave on all those travel stickers too. It will let your guests know that you’re well-traveled and give your suitcases that weathered, “found on the side of the road” look. Those suitcases will have many stories to tell. Your guests will be asking about your travels, which may help if you’re not good at making small talk. And how convenient, in a hurry and need a suitcase? Just grab part of your end table and start packing!

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Include deer antlers on the wall.

Maybe you’re fortunate to live somewhere where a lot of deer traverse the area. When the seasons change, the bucks shed or lose their antlers in a fight, and you may be lucky enough to find a few lying around your yard. Clean them thoroughly first with soap and water, and consider adding them to your home. If you cannot find any lying around, you may be able to purchase some from a hunting or fishing shop near your home if one is available.

You can leave them resting on top of a storage dresser or hang them up on your wall with a nice brass hook and use it for a coat. The natural look of antlers is a suitable replacement for wood since there are more textures to it. Furthermore, because no antlers ever look the same, you’ll have a unique shape to use just for your home. Moreover, there is no need to polish, stain or paint them before putting them up on display.

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