My Favorite (Surprising) Styling Trick

design: Jacobson Arquitetura

Take a look at this room. It’s envy-inducing—those windows, that sliding glass door system, the floating fireplace, the vintage chairs, the clean lines!

You might be surprised where my eye goes among all this beauty. That’s because I’m always looking for what makes a space come alive, and often enough it’s not the most expensive or luxurious elements. What can really make a space come to life is the way a bit of contrast can highlight those elements, creating unexpected interest that ultimately adds up to character.

While there are any number of ways to create this beautiful friction, I have a favorite. In every space, I love to add something rustic. And by that I mean something hand-hewn or heavily patinated, something you might find washed up on a beach or left out on a curb. Clients can balk, but they are always won over when they see it in situ.

Have you found the ‘something rustic’ in the above photo yet? That’s right—it’s the distressed wooden bench in the foreground. That bench is doing some heavy lifting. Without it, the space becomes a bit more expected, almost one-note. In fact, I bet if you look through your own design inspiration now, you’ll start seeing the ‘something rustic’ quite often. I hardly invented the idea, but I get so much joy implementing it. Read on to understand how it works, its origins in design, and how you can exercise its magic in your own home.

1.

The“SomethingRustic”
Trick: Why Does it Work?

I once read an interview with an English designer who declared that every space needed something ‘vulgar,’ and I understood immediately what she was speaking to. Every space needs some contrast, some frisson, in order to sing. A meticulously designed space in which every element is aligned simply doesn’t speak to, or invite in, the human. And our spaces are meant to be human, to be be lived in and to live themselves. They need to be touched by time and the elements, curated by human curiosity, and capable of mystery and contradiction.

Go ahead and place your hand over the blackened wooden stand and its earthenware jar in the opposing image. You’re left with a lovely bathroom—with no character. By contrast, the ‘something rustic’ makes the soft clean surfaces of the bath feel more necessary and appealing than they might on their own.

design: Lindsay Gerber Interiors

2.

What are the Roots of this Aesthetic?

The Japanese concept of wabi sabi perhaps best captures the profound and rich expression of rustic elements. The term translates to austere beauty (wabi) and rustic patina (sabi). The celebration of a wabi sabi aesthetic in traditional Japanese arts (such as naturalistic Ikebana flower arranging, cracked and irregular ceramics, and rock gardens) emphasizes and embraces the impermanence and imperfection of life. Learning to find joy and peace in life’s natural form is the practice of wabi sabi.

design: Betsy Brown Inc

3.

How to Source Wabi Sabi

Of course, a love of the rustic can be found in many creative traditions, and is native to many design styles. You can find interesting rustic elements in nature, at flea markets, or antique shops. I keep a lookout for the following textures and materials:

• Rusted metal
• Peeling paint
• Textured ceramics
• Driftwood or reclaimed wood
• Patinated brass
• Tarnished silver
• Foxed mirrors
• Asymmetry or organic forms
• Worn handmade textiles
• Found objects from nature like shells, nests, and rocks

design: Cassandra Ellis

4.

How to Style it

When it comes to styling, wabi sabi elements pack the most punch when in contrast to cleaner lines or more tailored furnishings. Opposite, you can see how a burl wood table set gives idiosyncratic charm to a traditional room. Think also, of how beautiful every exposed stone wall in every modern European renovation looks. It’s tension and contrast that create liveliness. Here’s some ideas for pairings:

• A reclaimed wood coffee table with a sleek modern sofa
• A vintage milking stool on a refined marble hearth
• A wabi sabi vase on a DWR table
• A seashell collection in a trimless window sill
• A piece of driftwood mounted above a midcentury door
• A patinated brass lamp on the counter of a modern kitchen
• A vase of tall branches in the corner of a minimalist bedroom

design: Jane Hallworth

5.

Trusting the Process

Take a look at the photo opposite, from our Modern Drama project in the Oakland Hills. When the client originally received the large wabi sabi vase, she wanted to return it, citing a ‘moldy appearance’ and crumbling glaze. Always happy to please my lovely clients, I refunded her and took the piece back, bringing in onsite again for the project shoot. When the client saw the same vase she had rejected styled on her her sleek corner table, amid her silk drapery and rug, she asked to buy it back.

All this to say—even if the rustic object is itself outside your comfort zone, I recommend having some fun styling it with diverse objects to really understand its effect. You might surprise yourself.

If you’re so inspired, here are a few objects I think would serve as a beautiful counterpoint to any elegant space. But shopping isn’t always necessary—you may just find your own ‘something rustic’ on your next walk.

Take care,
Elizabeth

1. 19th Century Butcher’s Table, Elsie Green

2. Barnacle Vases, Anthropologie

3. Antique Naga Table, Patina Maison Shoppe

4. Ceramic Lamp Shade, Gapasso Ceramic

5. Antique Stool, Ceasar’s Living

6. Lyon Silk Trader’s Cabinet, Elsie Green