Rustic Wall Treatment

Rustic Decorating

• Decorating a rustic space requires a great deal of logs, twigs and similar products. Seek out cabinets and furniture pieces in knotty pine, cedar or birch, which are accented with wicker and slats. Everything should have a well-worn look, and mixing and matching pieces works better than purchasing a complete set. Select fabrics with a rough or handmade look -- wool, burlap and linen are ideal, usually with animal or nature prints, plaids or solids.

Dry Brushing

• Dry brushing is a painting technique which will give the wall an aged appearance and look as if it has been marked with several decades worth of paint. The process begins with a base coat which is allowed to dry. The color of the base coat doesn’t matter, but should fit with the room as this tone will show through the top coat. A light tone underneath a darker hue will give a more dramatic look. The top coat is comprised of one part color to three parts glaze and is applied using a hard-bristled brush. The technique requires the use of short, random strokes to create a non-uniform look. Some areas will have more coverage than others.

Wood Paneling

• Wood paneling has been used as wall material in homes for decades, but most modern décor favors something a bit simpler. When designing a rustic wall, however, wood paneling is a fairly common choice. It is paintable and stainable, meaning it is diverse enough to fit with most rooms, and when stained a dark pine hue, will work well to make the space feel rustic and casual. Prior to selecting a color, it is key to consider how much natural light is present in the room. Darker rooms, for example, tend to feel confined with dark paneling.

Shaker Paneling

• Shaker style embraces a bit of distressing on furnishings and bright, bold colors on the walls. The best way to pull off a Shaker look is to select two colors which are from contrasting families -- yellow and red are good -- and use the lighter shade as the base coat, then a bit of beeswax and a layer of topcoat. The technique is similar to dry brushing, but produces a more distressed look. The more beeswax, the greater the distressed effect will be. Once the top coat is dry, a good scrubbing with steel wool will remove the beeswax, revealing the base coat underneath.