Knotty, grainy and full of character, rustic wood brings warmth to cabinets, countertops and floors.
Long popular in traditional and country decors, rustic wood is now
being seen in myriad interior design styles for a modern, timeless
aesthetic.
“Because of the economic downturn, we are going back
to our roots, such as slow food, farm to table,” said interior designer
Kasey McCarty, ASID, of Kasey McCarty Interior Design Studio
in Austin, TX. “We are getting back to basics, and rustic is another
form of that. We are realizing that we have overdone things, and let’s
not overdo it anymore,” said the designer, who recently completed two
interior design projects using rustic wood. “We want to make our houses
feel warm and inviting because we’ll be spending a lot of time at home.”
TIMELESS STYLE
While
one of McCarty’s recent projects featured rustic wood in a traditional
way—suitable for the classic Hill Country house in which it is
featured—the other project put a modern spin on the material for an
urban Austin residence. “The client was a real cowboy at heart,” she
said. “He saw the spalted pecan and mesquite wood and they reminded him
of his ranch house, so he wanted to bring a little of that into his
city house.”
For the flooring, custom made by Artisan Hardwood Floors,
McCarty used random butcher-block end-grain pieces of mesquite to
create an overall pattern. In some areas of the house she transitioned
into planks of mesquite arranged in a more formal European chevron
pattern. “The flooring is so full of pattern and creates its own
texture, so I pulled back on other areas,” said McCarty, who worked
with contractor Nick Burkhalter and architect Jay Corder, AIA, on the
home’s design. “But every room has one other focal point, like a strong
textural treatment on the fireplace in the living room and a strong
headboard in the bedroom.”
Spalted
pecan cabinetry and mesquite flooring bring a taste of a rustic ranch
to this home in Austin’s city limits, designed by Kasey McCarty, of
Kasey McCarty Interior Design Studio. (Photograph by Paul Bardagjy,
www.bardagjyphoto.com.)
In the kitchen,
the strong element is the spalted pecan cabinetry, custom made for the
home by a local craftsman from Jeff Roebuck Custom Designs
(512.517.8407). The other design elements McCarty used—such as
backsplash tile from Walker Zanger, simple hardware from Colonial Bronze, a custom limestone countertop from Berthold Haas and furniture from Scott+Cooner—contrast with the cabinet and flooring’s rustic feel, creating a clean, sleek look.
“I
like using rustic materials in a more modern way, but it has to make
sense where you’re putting the rustic elements, like in old lofts,
warehouses, factories, raw spaces or a home that the period speaks to,”
said McCarty. “You have to speak to the architecture and the
vernacular. It has to look seamless and like it belongs.” For example,
McCarty believes rustic floors work in her ranch-loving client’s city
home, but rustic barn beams would not. “Use rustic materials to hearken
back to something that’s been there a long time,” she said. “If used
appropriately, it can capture the timelessness.”
BUILT-IN CHARACTER
Jean M. Buchen, CKD, of K T Highland, Inc.
in Lancaster, PA, has designed kitchens with rustic wood cabinets,
floors and countertops throughout the last decade, depending on client
requests. “Clients want the rustic look because of a feel of
homeyness,” she said. “They want it to look more lived in and warm—less
sleek and clean where they are afraid to use it. If it already has
character, when the family uses it, it just adds more character on top.”
In
addition to using reclaimed wood on floors, Buchen has used standard
alder, cherry and pine wood that has been separated from the normal
lumber stock because it had “too many knots and character marks and too
much wild graining” to create rustic cabinets. “It is a little less
expensive, but that’s not why people choose it,” she said. “It’s the
look they want.” Plus, Buchen recently used a rustic cherry countertop
from Grothouse Lumber
that featured a lot of knotholes. “The client was looking for a more
aged look, preferring that to a more fine finish on her countertop,”
said Buchen.
Rustic
cherry cabinets create a warm and cozy space in this Lancaster City,
PA, kitchen renovation, designed by Jean M. Buchen, CKD, of K T
Highland, Inc. The homeowner refinished the original pine floorboards
himself after scraping away layers of linoleum.
PLANET-FRIENDLY DESIGN
About a year and a half ago, The Craft-Art Company
rolled out a line of reclaimed wood countertops, including antique hard
pine, beech, chestnut, cypress, red gum, red oak, white oak and
redwood. “We decided to launch the line because we were getting
questions about green products and the use of reclaimed materials from
the design community due to interest from their clients,” said Dan
Coats, VP of corporate accounts and strategic partnerships at
Craft-Art. The company also produces the Heritage Wood Collection of
countertops, which includes reclaimed wood options, for the Artisan Group, said Coats. Plus, Craft-Art offers a popular line of distressed countertops that can give a rustic look.
A
reclaimed beech countertop from The Craft-Art Company added warmth to
this eco-friendly, modern and fun kitchen remodel by designer Janice
Donald, of Eren Design & Remodeling (www.erendesign.com) in Tucson,
AZ. (Photo Courtesy of Janice Donald.)
Since
launching the reclaimed line, about 20 percent of traffic to the
Craft-Art website goes to that product section. “While not all buy it,
we have seen a significant amount of interest in the offering,” he
said. “Some people are really interested in a green renewable product,
but the reclaimed countertops have also drawn a lot of interest from
designers and homeowners who are looking for something unique and
different.”
While Coats said reclaimed wood is most often used
in a traditional-style design, the trend of combining multiple surfaces
works well with rustic wood countertops. “In the kitchen, combining
wood and granite is very popular,” he said. “They are both natural
products and go well together. In a bathroom, a wood countertop
combined with tile looks absolutely stunning. Just as people react to a
piece of fine furniture in your living room, when they see a reclaimed
or distressed wood countertop, they like the beauty and warmth of it.”
