If you have ever been to a romantic mountain cabin, or stayed in a hunting or fishing lodge, you may have been surrounded by rustic interior decorating. Whenever you enter a country style home, cottage, or log cabin, beautifully decorated in a rustic theme, you get a sense of warmth and coziness.

I myself, have stayed in a hunting lodge with this very type of decorating style. The walls, ceilings, and floors were all natural wood, mainly pine, with a light coat of a clear finish. The walls were adorned with many trophy buck mounts, all taken from the same areas I hunted.From the furniture to the linens, the whole country theme was relaxing.

Many people who like this decorating style, also need ideas to help them get started. There are several things to consider before you start your project. You will want to be sure to co-ordinate furniture, color, and accessories so that your finished interior suits your taste.

When choosing to go with a rustic theme, you will want to choose your colors very carefully. Natural colors are the choice for that truly rustic feel. Two examples that I have seen are those of knotty pine and cedar walls and ceilings. Both wood types were only covered with a clear dull wood finish. The lighter, natural colors really open up any room. Darker colors and stains can give a room a dreary, closed in feel.

Before you start buying furniture and decorating supplies, go to your local paint center. Choose some pallets that have the same color as your interior walls will be. These are very handy to have when you start choosing furniture and accessories that will compliment your decor.

Now, unless your are decorating from start to finish, old giving your old look a makeover, don’t rush out and replace all of your furniture. You can accessorize what you already own. If you are planning on getting any new furniture, be sure to check out all the log furniture and accessories available. Cabelas, Bass Pro Shops, Gander Mountain, and many other outdoor stores carry these items.

Antler-shed chandeliers, log bunk beds, or a tree trunk coffee or end tables, all make nice additions to the rustic look. Quilts are a nice touch to a country decor. Old homemade quilts are definitely a plus. Don’t worry if Grandma didn’t get into patchwork, most linen stores, as well as supercenters, carry nice country patchwork quilts in a variety of color schemes. Nice color choices for the country look include: country blue, dusty rose, burgandy, and forest green.

There are a number of accessories that can help add warmth, coziness, and rustic charm to your home. Taxidermy mounts are a popular item in most of the country themed homes I know, including my own. Skull mounts are also a nice rustic addition to wall. If the whole idea of dead animals on your walls creeps you out, don’t worry, there are plenty of other items that will give you ideas for rustic country decorating.

Flea markets, antique shops, and sometimes right around your own home, all these places can be a gold mine for finding antiques and other items to use for decorating. Old paintings, clocks, rifles,, and even an old checker board, set up on a small table with two chairs, make nice accessories.

Antique or country style lamps with rustic looking shades can add a warm feel to your living room or bedroom. You can even transform plain neutral color shades into rustic craft project with a little know-how about crafting. Use lower watt, soft white light bulbs for a truly cozy setting.

An old wooden quilt trunk, adorned with a patchwork quilt at the foot of your bed, gives you rustic charm as well as added storage space! The old timey tin milk cans make a good floral or craft arrangement. Wagon wheels and nature paintings can add character to walls.

There are so many things you can find or use to turn your country cottage or home into your very own step back in time.