For some, the phrase “rustic style” suggests a house like “La Pitchoune,” the late chef Julia Child’s cottage in Provence, with its exposed wooden beams and well-worn antique furniture. For others, rustic furnishings and decor prompt images of a place like the Lake Placid Lodge in Upstate New York, with its stone fireplaces and knotty pine paneling. Indeed, rustic furniture design takes many forms: twig furniture, a plank trestle table, a hand-stitched quilt, a chandelier made of deer antlers.
The rustic style originated in the late 1800s in England, where it was heavily influenced by Romanticism. By the 20th century, it had spread to the United States, adopted by wealthy New Yorkers and the National Park Service alike. Although there are many categories of rustic furniture, one of the most popular and familiar manifestations of the style is Adirondack furniture and the low-slung 1903 Thomas Lee Adirondack chair.
Rustic design is perhaps mostly about texture and humble materials: hand-hewn reclaimed wood, woven rush seating, wrought iron, coarse stone and weathered metal. As a decor, it exudes warmth and honesty, while a single piece of countrified design adds an intriguing visual counterpoint in a sleek, modern environment.
Easily identifiable by its rough textures, earthy colors and natural materials, rustic wares help bring the beauty of the outdoors inside.
As you can see on 1stDibs, vintage rustic chairs, dining tables and other pieces of rustic furniture offer endless inspiration.
$1,339Sale Price|20% Off
Rare Italian Furniture Ebonized, with Original Mirror and Carvings
Located in Buggiano, IT
Rare Italian furniture from 1880, ebonized, with original mirror and carvings. Flower holder at the bottom. The cabinet was at the entrance of a larg...
Beech, Fir
$2,306Sale Price / set|30% Off
Early 19th Century Rustic Giltwood Mirrors, Hand-Carved, Italy, Pair
Located in Malibu, CA
Early 19th Century rustic giltwood antique Italian mirrors: a pair Hand carved giltwood surrounds the mirror in mosaic with small, embedded mirror & elaborate carving.
Giltwood, Mirror
Antique 19th Century French Whitewashed Pine Boiserie Trumeau
Located in Dallas, TX
Antique 19th century French Whitewashed Pine Boiserie Trumeau is the perfect choice for the clean, uncluttered look, especially today's modern decor! Hand-crafted from solid pine and...
Mirror, Pine
19th Century French Louis XVI Style Trumeau Mirror
Located in Houston, TX
19th century French Louis XVI style trumeau mirror. Stunning large 19th century French Louis XVI style painted and giltwood trumeau mirror. This fabulous full-length Neoclassical st...
Giltwood, Wood
French 19th Century Trumeau Mirror
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This fantastic trumeau is a lovely combination of a piece that is equally artistic as it is functional. The oil-on-canvas painting in the top is set within the low relief carved fram...
Canvas, Mirror, Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century American Hand Carved and Gilded Mirror, circa 1820s
Located in San Francisco, CA
Early 19th century American hand carved and gilded mirror, circa 1820s Wonderful early American antique mirror. Beautifully carved and gilded. ...
Wood, Giltwood
$84,500
H 121 in W 72 in D 6.25 in
Palatial Italian 19th Century Rococo Carved Giltwood Figural Mirror, circa 1850
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Very Fine and Palatial Italian 19th Century Rococo Carved Giltwood Figural Mirror, the sectional arched mirror plates within scroll and foliate deco...
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Empire Giltwood Mirror
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A large French Empire carved and original water gilded Empire picture frame inset with a modern mirror, the corners of the deeply scooped sides set with palmettes.
Wood
French 19th Century Empire Trumeau Mirror
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A large 19th century French Empire trumeau mirror that is bold yet refined, using Neoclassical decorative elements to project a respect for history and luxury. Across the frieze alon...
Gold
$22,950Sale Price|46% Off
H 96 in W 58 in D 6.5 in
French 19th Century Louis XV Style Carved Giltwood & Gesso Trumeau Cherub Mirror
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A very fine and palatial French 19th century Louis XV style carved giltwood and gesso figural beveled mirror frame trumeau. The arched plate within a main...
Mirror, Gesso, Giltwood
19th Century Large French Trumeau Mirror
Located in Madrid, ES
A large antique French trumeau mirror with grey paint and decor with musical trophy and the top, made in hand carved in pine.
Wood
French 18th Century Louis XV Boiserie Trumeau
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A fine, large, and stunning trumeau dating back to the Louis XV period in France. Typical of the period, the trumeau has tastefully carved Rococo accents which house the double stack...
Mercury Glass, Canvas, Giltwood
French 19th Century Gilt and Painted Trumeau
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A unique trumeau mirror from circa 1800 century France featuring an assortment of gilded, low-relief carvings in the panel above the glass. This amalgamation consists of a satin ribb...
Gold
19th century French Painted and Giltwood Trumeau Mirror
Located in Savannah, GA
Impressive size French Trumeau mirror in the Louis XVI style dating from the early 1800s. The oil on canvas painting depicts a musician dressed in court attire, a young gentleman pla...
Canvas, Glass, Hardwood
$2,506Sale Price|20% Off
H 57.09 in W 26.38 in D 1.97 in
19th Century Gold Green Painted Giltwood Empire Trumeau Mirror
Located in Madrid, ES
An old French Directory period, hand-carved trumeau mirror in gilded wood and painted in green, and its base in off-white. The mirror glass is origina...
Giltwood
French 19th Century Fruitwood Trumeau
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This attractive fruitwood trumeau was crafted in France, circa 1850. The vibrant patina and inset brass banding beautifully compliment each other. The original mercury mirror plate f...
Brass
Large Over Mantle Mirror, France, Mid-19th Century
Located in New York, NY
Lovely patina comprised of original paint and faint remnants of gilt work, which reveal the wood texture below. Original antique mirror has a wonderful patina as well. Large, strong ...
Mirror, Hardwood