Bring The Outdoors In With Rustic Pieces

The right furniture can change a room from dull to dynamic, from stuffy to welcoming. Bringing a touch of the outdoors in can make a room feel relaxed and cozy while still looking chic. Repurposing outdoor and rustic pieces is a huge trend right now, and even better - it's cost effective and environmentally friendly!

Consider incorporating some of the following trends into your next room design:

Natural tabletops. Creating a custom coffee table or even kitchen table out of a natural stone or wood slab is a great way to create the feeling of outdoors, inside.

Image via Trendspanarna

Reclaimed wood pieces as art. Whether it's small "barn door" style pieces or a rust picture/window frame, these simple items can add a lot of warmth to a design. Try hanging them, or even propping them, up as an accent on side tables.

Carved wooden benches and stools. Incorporating custom carved wooden stools and benches into a design, perhaps around the kitchen table, or as accents in the living area, is an easy way to bring the outdoors in. Made of one solid piece of wood, these pieces also have the added benefit of being very durable - great for high-traffic areas.

Image via Apartment Therapy

Wooden beams. Reclaimed wood ceiling beams are a huge shabby chic trend. The beams create a feeling of warmth, while also elongating the feeling of the space.

Create contrast. Try incorporating both rustic and modern pieces into a room to create a really interesting contrast. Something like a natural dark wood coffee table in an all-white room, maybe even some chrome accents, creates a dynamic design.

Image via Nordic Design

For some more woodsy inspiration, be sure to visit Artemano at the Ottawa Home & Garden Show, March 26-29 at the EY Centre. Artemano is a Canadian luxury furniture provider, specializing in modern and contemporary exotic solid wood furniture and home decor, with a collection that's sure to impress. Don't have tickets for the Ottawa Home & Garden Show yet? Get 2-for-1 on Facebook and treat a friend or family member to the show!