Rustic Furniture Pro

One way to adorn your home with rustic home furnishings is to strategically place rustic furniture in the rooms. They exude a warm, comfortable feeling that you, your family and visitors will certainly enjoy.

Here are eight pieces of rustic furniture that can enhance the décor of your home:

• The Cheyenne Wall Table sets a room’s mood. It’s made of recycled teakwood, featuring a genuine half wagon wheel. Surely it could tell some fancy tales if it could talk. But the conversations it will inspire can fill the air instead.
• For your western styled home, the Junipine Glass Top Coffee Table is made from a real wagon wheel. Visible through its clear glass top, it adds a touch of the Old West to a room, very easily creating the ambiance other furniture and ornaments can merely hint at.
• The Bardean Dining Table comes in sizes to fit either six or eight people. Each one is handcrafted in a rectangular shape from recycled barn teakwood.
• Complimenting the Bardean Table above, several Blacksmith Chairs are just what the wagon master ordered. Made from recycled plow handles and wagon wheel spokes, they show off a rustic table, maintaining that western feel to your home.
• Little cow punchers will enjoy the Wagon Wheel Bunk Beds Twin Size. The rustic feeling of your home can extend into your children’s bedroom with these bunks made from recycled wagon wheels.
• For the master suite, consider a Cabazon Bed. This King Size bed is made from rugged, recycled teak fence post from the days of yore. You can immerse yourself in history when you rest at night in this bed.
• The Bardean Back Bench comes in a variety of sizes, thereby able to fit most needs. Although different in length, they share in common the recycled teak wood and ox yoke that’s incorporated into each piece.
• There’s no reason why western décor needs to be confined to the indoors. The Lazy Laramie Swing looks great on your front or back porch, or even out in the garden. It’s made of recycled teak wood and built to take the ravages if the weather.

Rustic furniture can add beauty and warmth to any home. To complete the look and feel you are trying to portray, consider chests, book cases and a foot stool, as well. For instance, the Dawson Four or Six Drawer Chest provides additional storage space while enhancing the look and feel you strove to present. It’s handcrafted and made of recycled teakwood. Each drawer retains the natural wood appearance that’s so pleasing to the eye.

Instead of shelves on a wall, enhance your décor with the Lone Prairie Bookcase. Old teak fence post holders create a unique flair, as their uneven tops preserve a rustic ambiance. And to wind things up, the Axel Foot Stool, made from old teak log and reclaimed wagon wheel hub, will let you prop your feet up at the end of a hard day…while maintaining a western flair at the same time.

Enhance your home with rustic furniture and rustic home furnishings.

Rustic Furniture Pro's Bluffdale Table

It doesn’t take too much to preserve an environment. One of the ways to make sure that you maintain a pleasant atmosphere is to intersperse rustic chairs and rustic coffee tables around your home. These are sure fire ways to keep the mood in your rooms.

The Bluffdale table immediately adds a spark of the Old West to your living room. Hand crafted from recycled wood, it creates an ambiance unmistakably related to that period because it’s constructed of an authentic wagon wheel. A true conversation piece, the spokes are inlayed with old teak planks. Running your hands over its textured finish put you in contact with an era known for its slightly untamed nature. Four people can sit around this masterpiece that also boasts a shelf underneath for storage. Need it for outdoor use on your porch? No problem, as it’s been designed for either your indoor or outdoor pleasure.

Another table that makes use of old wheels that once transported wagons out West is the Junipine Wood Top Coffee Table with Drawer. You, your family and guests can enjoy a cup of java or even a meal on its top with discernable spokes interlaid with old, recycled teak. The drawer underneath is sturdy and can store your magazines, odds and ends or whatever you desire. Reminisce about the days of yesteryear as you relax around your table in the comfort of your home.

Rustic coffee tables come in all sizes and shapes. Perhaps best exemplifying this statement is the truly one of a kind Root Coffee Table. Made by hand from recycled teak wood, this work of art looks the part it’s meant to portray. A large, gnarled tree root supports a flat table top that you can sit around, savoring a beverage or having a bite to eat. If you opt to leave it outside, don’t worry if it starts to rain because it’s made for outdoor use, also.

When you kick back around your coffee table, you’ll need a place to sit. Preserving the ambiance that the table makes in your home are rustic chairs. There are a wide variety of items you can choose from in this category. For instance, the Cattleman’s Chair simply exudes a rustic feeling. It’s hand made by attaching old, weathered teak planks to the back and seat of the chair frame. This gives the chair the well deserved and very appropriate reputation that it’s seen a great bit of the outdoors. But don’t let the quaint, rustic look fool you; each of these chairs are newly constructed and can stand up to regular wear and tear.

The lattice work back of the Summit chair informs you immediately that this is an unusual piece of furniture. Assembled with recycled teak wood, its strong legs and sturdy seat are testaments to its durability.

For the home owner that wants to present a feeling of the Old West to friends and family, using rustic chairs and rustic coffee tables can only enhance whatever other decor you might employ.

New Cushions for Rustic Furniture

Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day. As always, I use Sunday as my day to catch up on the housework and laundry. I spend a lot of time getting the house in order for the week. I was vacuuming every room, doing the dishes and considering tackling the mountain of laundry in my closet. Then I looked outside and realized I just could not clean the inside of my home on this fabulous day.

So, the pups and I headed outside. A few blogs back I gave a lot of tips on spring cleaning. Well, yesterday I tackled on of the things on that list: my back patio. Winter had made its mark on my back patio for sure. The patio was covered with leaves, dust, dirt and more. So, it was time to get this back porch user friendly again.

First I pulled everything off of the porch and filled my yard with a bunch of rustic furniture. Then I swept all of the leaves into a big pile and started bagging all of them. Next it was off to clean my outdoor rug. I sprayed it down very well and then set it out to dry. I headed back to the porch and blew off the remaining dirt and a few stubborn leaves. The back patio was looking better and better with every step. Then because I am obsessed with rearranging rustic furniture, I started moving things around to create a warm and inviting outdoor setting that was functional as well.

I have a rustic table and benches that were moved over to the far side of the patio to create a larger seating area. I did not want to remove the table from the porch, but I wanted to push it to the side. You see I love to eat outside during the spring so the table is a necessity. I can still bring out the table when we have a lot of guests over, but for now it is set up for just a few people, which is perfect for my husband and me. Then it was time to arrange more rustic furniture such as my end tables, chairs and rocking chair. I got my clean rug and placed it down in the center of my seating area. This automatically sets the stage and creates a cozy feeling.  I spread the chairs out more than usual to create the illusion of a larger space. Then I purchased some comfy orange, red and white cushions for the chairs so people can comfortably enjoy sitting out in the spring weather for quite some time. To top it off I placed the two side tables in the center of the chair setup to act of coffee tables. And lastly I flanked the seating area with two large rustic lanterns.

I absolutely love my new back patio. It has a fresh new vibe that is fun and inviting. Now, I can’t wait to get some plants in all of my pots to add even more color. I feel like I arranged the rustic furniture in the most successful way that offers and large seating area as well as a dining area as well.

Beautiful Flowers Add Color and Life to Living Room

So, the other day I had to go to the dentist. It’s not that I wanted to, it’s that I had to. You see, Thursday night I started having extreme pains in my jaw. It wasn’t a tooth ache, but instead this deep pain in my bones. So, I knew this was a bad sign. I have had a lot of trouble with this particular tooth in the past, so I wasn’t feeling that great about what would be happening. Well, the pain got to be so bad I called my dentist the next morning only to find out he was out on vacation. Not exactly what this Rustic Furniture Pro member wanted to hear. So, I explained the situation, and was given some pain killers to try to make it thought the weekend.

Well, I will be honest the weekend wasn’t very productive at all. I spend most of the time laying in front of the TV with my dogs trying to forget about my mouth for a bit. It was definitely not a weekend of projects.

Monday finally arrived and I was off to the dentist to try to fix my pain. Things got started and then the laughing gas tube burst, so I was going to have to tough it out on my own. This seemed like a pretty scary idea to me, but I just wanted to get everything over with so I could return to Rustic Furniture Pro. Well halfway through the root canal, the dentist found that my tooth was broken which was why I was in so much pain. I had an infection now and the root canal wouldn’t work. At this point I just felt like crying. I was already not a very big fan of dentists, now they are one of my biggest fears! When everything was all said and done, I had to get the tooth pulled. It was not a fun experience at all as you can imagine. I was then back at home drugged and just lying on the couch. I couldn’t even watch TV because I just kept falling asleep.  It has been a long hard and painful day.

Well, then my husband came home with a bouquet of flowers he had selected for me. This gave me enough energy to get off the sofa and arrange some flowers. I set them up on my turquoise piece of furniture and the room came alive. It was a very simple thing that just accented my rustic furniture and helped bring life and color to the space. Now I kind of want fresh flowers on a weekly basis because of how good they looked by my rustic furniture.

So, if you are looking for an easy way to brighten up a room and add a splash of color, flowers are the perfect choice. Right now, there are all kinds of beautiful flowers out that can really spice up a room.

So, don’t wait for a tooth to get pulled to get fresh flowers for your home. Go out today and buy yourself a small treat: fresh colorful flowers. Your rustic furniture will love you.

Bright Blue Piece Which Accents Rustic Furniture

I love to do projects and get my hands dirty. There is nothing like having a project to work through on the weekends. Projects of all sizes and levels of difficulty are fully welcomed in my house. You see right now I don’t have kids and my husband works a lot on the weekends so I need something to keep my occupied. Of course I have my two pups that love to keep me company when I am working on a new project.

In a recent blog I showed you one of my newest projects to take on to enhance the rustic furniture in my master bedroom. I have been thinking for about a year now what I could do to make an awesome headboard that really fits in with my bedroom. Then an idea hit me and I am determined to make it happen. So my dear husband gathered me a bunch of twigs that I will transform into an organic bed. I can’t wait to compliment my rustic furniture with an amazing rustic headboard.

Well, for today I thought I would share a project I took on about a year ago. I love garage sales and I am a big fan of bulk trash pickup. You see, if you have a little vision and creativity, you can turn someone’s trash into a beautiful statement piece in your home. And the best part is – it’s free! Well, one lucky dady my husband and I were driving down our alleyway and low and behold, a beautiful piece of furniture. We quickly snatched it up and ideas started flowing.

This used to be a brown ugly chest of drawers with gold trim. It was definitely nasty, but the potential was there. I knew I wanted something bright and bold to help accent my rustic furniture in my living room. Well my favorite color is turquoise so I thought that would be a great place to start.

First I had to strip the entire piece down and get rid of the nasty gold trim and hardware. I then filled in small holes from years of use and then I got to painting.  

I selected a very bold blue color that complimented the rustic furniture and my blue walls perfectly. My husband was a bit questionable o f my color choice, but he always has faith and lets my ideas flow. He is always happy with the results it just takes some time getting there. I painted several coats of the bold blue and then sanded for a smooth finish. Once the piece had fully cured I topped it with a piece of beveled glass. Then I went and found the perfect hardware to accent the rustic furniture in the room.

I love the end result. This piece was someone’s trash and now it is a focal point in my living room. This as a very simple project, but sometimes a simple project is just what you need.

Maybe it’s time for you to do a project? Enhance your rustic furniture with a fresh pop of color, and have fun!

Bundles of Branches

Some of my favorite types of accessories are those that can be found in our own backyards. If you just stop and take a look around you, you will start to see all kinds of organic natural pieces that can be used to add color, texture and interest to your home. I love incorporating natural elements in my home, especially those that reflect the current season.

For example, during the fall and more specifically Thanksgiving, I just headed out to my front yard, plopped myself down under our huge oak tree and started gathering. After a few minutes I started feeling like a squirrel collecting all of my acorns, but I had a purpose and a plan. Maybe the neighbors thought I looked a bit strange, but I knew my guests would be impressed. After gathering a ton of acorns I put them in large glass vases with orange candles. Then I went out the day of Thanksgiving and gathered a bunch of colorful leaves for display. So I took the leaves and scattered them on my rustic furniture and put the acorn filled glass containers among the leaves. Immediate I created the feeling of fall in my living room for free! How great is that!

Of course, you can use tones of natural elements when it comes to decorating. Obviously you have flowers and plants. Then you have nuts that come in all shapes and sizes from a variety of trees. Bark is an excellent accent piece. Stones and pebbles make great fillers and add nice gray tones to your accent pieces. Pinecones are another fun free accessory that you can leave natural or paint. I personally love to put gold and silver pinecones on my rustic furniture. Fruits from a tree in your backyard make another beautiful and colorful accent on the kitchen table. I could go on and on and I would love to hear some of your ideas and what you use in your home.

Lately I have had a sight obsession with sticks. I love to decorate with sticks of all shapes, sizes and colors. Currently I have stick arrangements in my master bedroom, on my fireplace in the living room, in my guest bathroom and in my entryway. They are the perfect accent to my rustic furniture. So, yeah, I am obsessed. But sticks are a great and inexpensive filler. The create movement, intrigue and height. What more could you want?

Well, my husband also knows my obsession with sticks so today he had a surprise for me when I left for work. He was already long gone so I was just going about my morning trying to get ready for work. Right before I left I said goodbye to my dogs and then turned to head out the door. I open the back door and to my surprise and glee there were several bundles of sticks just waiting for me. I was so excited I just wanted to begin working with them and creating, but alas I had to get to work. Well the whole drive to work consisted of me thinking off all the various projects I will soon begin. So, stay tuned. I got some great ideas up my sleeve.

*Please excuse the mess in my garage. I just couldn’t help but take a picture for you of all my bundles of branches!

Ok, we are back with the rest of our spring cleaning tips for all of you rustic furniture lovers out there. Enjoy!

Ceiling Fans: When it comes to spring cleaning, ceiling fans are one of the first things I think of. All that dust that piles up on the fan blades drives me crazy. But, I really don’t take care of it until I have my big spring cleaning day. Cleaning the ceiling fans is very important especially if you are like me and suffer from allergies. Never turn a ceiling fan on after a long winter without cleaning it. You will send dust all over the room which will be a nightmare for anyone with allergies. My allergies are so bad; I often have my husband clean the fan blades just to reduce sneezing and wheezing for the next several days. Also, don’t forget to switch the direction of your fans if you used them during the fall or winter.

Windows: On of my favorite things about spring weather is the ability to keep all of my curtains pulled back and my shutters open so I can enjoy the beautiful spring sunlight. So, every spring I spend time cleaning the windows throughout my home. You want your family and friends to enjoy the outdoors when they look out your windows. Plus, your rustic furniture on the back porch always looks better when being viewed through clean windows. One thing I have found when cleaning windows is that newspaper works great and does not leave streaks!

Update: As you may already know from previous blogs, I love to decorate all of the time. So this tip is a favorite of mine. This is where spring cleaning can be very fun and involve some shopping! Update your home with fresh bed linens, pillows, throws over your bed and sofas, towels and chair cushions. These are simple things you can do that will have a dramatic effect on your home. Instantly you will take you home from dull to bright, warm and inviting. So, get out there and shopping for the fun colors to liven up you home After all, spring is coming!

Garage: Most likely you and your family will be doing a lot for activities outdoors. Camping, boat days at the lake, bike riding, picnicking, long afternoons by the pool and more. So get prepared by organizing your garage now. Spend an afternoon going through your garage and clearing out all of the clutter you accumulated. Now is always the perfect time to finally put those Christmas decorations back up in the attic. Get yourself some hanging bike racks, some metal racks for storage and some plastic bins to get your garage organized and more functional.

Back Porch: Getting the back porch ready for cookouts, dinners outside and a cup of coffee in the morning with the birds is a must! First clean out all of those leaves and the dirt. Then get a power washer and really deep clean your porch. If you have a wooden porch, it might be a good time to reseal the wood. If you have slate porch you also may want to reseal it. Then give your porch a new look with new chair cushions I have already mentioned and maybe try rearranging your rustic furniture.

Backyard: Now the most obvious thing about spring cleaning. Getting your yard ready for planting! Now is the perfect time to pickup those remaining leaves you didn’t get to. Get your flower beds ready for planning and double check your sprinkler system to make sure it is ready for those summer days!  In just a little while it will be time to start planting all sorts of beautiful plants, flowers and grass as well. Spend some time figuring out what you want to do with your backyard this spring!

I can tell that spring is on its way! Lately we have enjoyed some beautiful weather. Yesterday it was 81 degrees! It’s amazing! I really am not the biggest fan of cold weather so the thought that spring is on the way is absolutely wonderful! I cannot wait to enjoy the morning sunlight and my rustic furniture outdoors again. So, with spring on the way, what is on everyone’s minds? You guessed it, spring cleaning.

There are some people out there who dread this time of the year, the cleaning part I mean, but I really like it. There is nothing like having a beautiful, fresh clean home just in time for spring. So, all of you rustic furniture lovers get out your gloves, sponges and muscle. Its spring cleaning time and I have got 10 tips to help you get the job done right! 

I am going to begin on the inside of the home and work my way outside.

Cabinet and Pantry Organization: This is one of those places none of us really look forward to cleaning and organizing, but when we actually set aside some time to tackle our cabinets and pantries the payoff is immence. It is inevitable that when I clean out my cabinets I will find kitchen appliances, dishes or other gadgets I forgot I even owned. Suddenly I am thinking about various dishes I could make and all the different ways I could serve them in my new found platters. The pantry holds the same excitement. I always find things in the pantry I have forgotten about, and again I am thinking about the next dinner I will make! So, go out and get some organization for your dishes in your cabinets and your canned food in the pantry. You will be glad you did!

Laundry Room: This is one of those rooms that gets a lot of use (not always by choice) but not a lot of attention when it comes to cleaning. So, set aside some time to clean your laundry room. If it’s anything like mine, it could use a good vacuuming or mopping, dusting and some reorganization. This spring keep your laundry clean and fresh by giving a little love to your laundry room.

Carpets and Rugs: Since its spring cleaning, you cannot forget your carpets and rugs. Just recently my husband and I rented a carpet cleaner and went through our entire house cleaning the carpet. The results were amazing! Even with puppies our carpets can be clean and fresh this spring. If you have pets I would highly recommend a pet stain remover while you are cleaning the carpets. So, grab your spouse or a friend and get those carpets clean!

Dusting: It is time to dust your home, and I mean really dust your home. Throughout the winter dust has accumulated throughout your home and it needs to go.  Even the other day I was looking over my bookshelves and noticing all of the dust. So, dust those bookshelves, hutches, cabinets, footboards, books, picture frames, mirrors, furniture. Make your home clean and help reduce the allergies by dusting your home.

Check back soon to see the rest of the tips for spring cleaning!

Color Trends 2011 for Rustic Furniture

I have to admit I am ready for spring, and I am officially tired of the winter weather. Lately I have felt a little tempted by Mother Nature to start unpacking my spring clothes an bust out my flip flops. I really did consider wearing my flip flops today, but I am glad I decided against it. Winter is definitely not gone yet, but I can’t wait for the spring days with the beautiful sunshine, birds chipping and morning where I can enjoy my breakfast in my rustic furniture on the back porch.

Well, with all this thinking about spring and summer weather I got to thinking about color. You see I am already trying to slowing transition my home from winter to spring. I like to change out the pillows in my living room, the throws over the sofas, my accessories become brighter and more vibrant, and I like to change out the dishes on my table-scapes. With every season change I feel inspired to go out shopping for new things to make my home feel appropriate with the current season. So, with spring on the way, I wanted to find out what colors or topping the color trends chart for this year.

For 2010 the most popular colors consisted of various hues of purple, some pinks and then of course a soft green pallets which some say reflect peoples’ current emphasis on eco-friendly lifestyles.  I can definitely see the purples and obviously the soft greens working well with rustic furniture, but the pink had me a bit stumped. I guess if you wanted to do a really feminine rustic ranch than pink would be a fun color to use. It might take more creative than the purple and green, but I know that pink would compliment the rich browns of rustic furniture nicely!

So, what do we have to look forward to in terms of color trends for 2011?

Color experts are saying that this year’s popular colors will include both bright hues and then some more earthy tones as well. This will provide a great mix for all of you rustic furniture lovers out there. I can picture some beautiful rustic homes using this color mix. Color specialists were saying to look at natural elements such as fruits and vegetables for your 2011 color inspirations. Items like applies, turnips, peas, carrots, and greens. They are also saying that more earthy browns will replace the recent appeals of grey tones. Just like last years’ color trends green will be a big player this year for color in the home.

Well, for all of you rustic furniture lovers out there, I think these upcoming color trends really give us something to work with! The color pallets will allow you to accentuate your rustic furniture in your lodge, ranch, western retreat or cabin, and the brown emphasis will help you add some natural elements into your space as well.

Well, now that I know what the popular color trends are of 2011, I think I will hit the stores and get some new pillows, accessories, and perhaps even a new rug to help highlight my rustic furniture. Maybe I will even get some new colorful pillows for Rustic Furniture Pro!

Rustic Furniture: Preparing for Spring

Like I mentioned earlier, I am ready for spring… really ready. I am ready to pack away all of the winter coats, the sweaters and even the cute boots and colorful scarves. In fact I am even ready for spring cleaning. I mean, can you tell, I am really ready for spring.

Some of my favorite things about spring:

1)      Weather: I absolutely love the spring weather. There is nothing like waking up to a beautiful spring morning with fresh air a warm sunlight. In the spring, I pretty much spend every moment I can outside enjoying my rustic furniture. When I wake I want to go take the dogs out, where as in the winter, I kindly let my husband get that job. At work during my lunch break I go take a walk around the office buildings and get some fresh air. When I get home from work, I immediately go hang out in the backyard.

2)      Spring Mornings: I love waking up to spring mornings. There is nothing like waking up to the sunshine, fresh air and the sound of birds chirping. I must admit I am not a morning person, but that all changes when the spring comes around.

3)      Meals Outside: I love eating meals outside during the springtime on my rustic furniture. Whether it’s a picnic in the park, or coffee outside in the early morning, being outdoors in the spring is a must for me. My husband and I love to prepare meals outdoors for dinner and of course there is a lot of grilling at our house all spring and summer.

4)      Walks: Every spring I love taking walks in the evening. My husband and I take our dogs for long walks and enjoy the even longer evenings. Sometimes instead of walking we go on bike rides. Again, anything to be outside.

5)      Flowers: I don’t really have a green thumb, but boy do I try. I love to plant flowers and I have pots scattered amongst my rustic furniture on my back patio. Spring is a wonderful time to enhance the home with color and life through flowers.

6)      Wardrobe Change: I love to go through my closet and get all of my extra colorful spring clothes out as well as all of the cute shoes.

Well, that only begins my very long list of things I absolutely love about spring. But, I need to wait a little bit longer before I jump in. So, yesterday I just slowly started to welcome spring by going out and buying some new scents for my home. With spring on the way, I just cannot help but begin filling my home with fresh and even fruity scents. It is just a simple way to begin the slow and steady transition from winter to spring within the home.

How about all of your rustic furniture lovers out there? What do you like to do during the spring?