History Of The Rustic Design

The rustic furniture movement developed during the mid to late 1800s.  Rustic furniture was originally made from whatever natural materials were in greatest supply, and often by poor people as items of trade for food or cash. The style is associated with the Great Depression and other hard times in America; however, it is also associated with the Great Camps built by wealthy Americans in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, of which the most familiar modern form is the Adirondack chair.  Various rustic styles reflect the personality of their maker, with techniques such as chip carving, silver or gold brushwork, milk paint, peeled bark and other decorative enhancements.  Many different wood species were used including willow, hickory, mountain laurel, and Alaska cedar.  In the American South, palm fronds were occasionally employed. Historical examples of rustic furniture may be found in museums and antique shops, although fine historical pieces are rare outside a museum setting.  Typical items of rustic furniture include chairs, love seats, tables, desks, smoking stands, clocks, chest of drawers, rockers, coat racks, mirror frames and lamps.