Rustic Antiquities
For some, the phrase “rustic style” suggests a house like “La Pitchoune,” the late chef Julia Child’s cottage in Provence, with its exposed wooden beams and well-worn antique furniture. For others, rustic furnishings and decor prompt images of a place like the Lake Placid Lodge in Upstate New York, with its stone fireplaces and knotty pine paneling. Indeed, rustic furniture design takes many forms: twig furniture, a plank trestle table, a hand-stitched quilt, a chandelier made of deer antlers.
The rustic style originated in the late 1800s in England, where it was heavily influenced by Romanticism. By the 20th century, it had spread to the United States, adopted by wealthy New Yorkers and the National Park Service alike. Although there are many categories of rustic furniture, one of the most popular and familiar manifestations of the style is Adirondack furniture and the low-slung 1903 Thomas Lee Adirondack chair.
Rustic design is perhaps mostly about texture and humble materials: hand-hewn reclaimed wood, woven rush seating, wrought iron, coarse stone and weathered metal. As a decor, it exudes warmth and honesty, while a single piece of countrified design adds an intriguing visual counterpoint in a sleek, modern environment.
Easily identifiable by its rough textures, earthy colors and natural materials, rustic wares help bring the beauty of the outdoors inside.
As you can see on 1stDibs, vintage rustic chairs, dining tables and other pieces of rustic furniture offer endless inspiration.
Late 18th Century American Antique Rustic Antiquities
Wood, Ash, Oak
Early 20th Century American Rustic Antiquities
Iron
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Antiquities
Wood
19th Century American Antique Rustic Antiquities
Brass
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Antiquities
Willow, Bentwood
1790s Swedish Antique Rustic Antiquities
Birch, Pine
Early 20th Century Rustic Antiquities
Wood
20th Century Chinese Rustic Antiquities
Bamboo
Early 20th Century English Rustic Antiquities
Brass
20th Century Rustic Antiquities
Steel
Early 20th Century American Rustic Antiquities
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Antiquities
Willow, Bentwood
Late 19th Century American Antique Rustic Antiquities
Early 20th Century American Rustic Antiquities
Antler
Late 19th Century Finnish Antique Rustic Antiquities
Metal
Late 19th Century American Antique Rustic Antiquities
Horn
Early 20th Century American Rustic Antiquities
Plaster
1970s American Vintage Rustic Antiquities
Brass
Mid-18th Century Mexican Antique Rustic Antiquities
Iron
Late 19th Century American Antique Rustic Antiquities
Bronze
Late 18th Century Mexican Antique Rustic Antiquities
Iron
19th Century American Antique Rustic Antiquities
Paint
20th Century American Rustic Antiquities
Brass
Mid-18th Century Mexican Antique Rustic Antiquities
Iron
Late 19th Century American Antique Rustic Antiquities
Antler
Early 20th Century German Rustic Antiquities
Leather
Early 20th Century Turkish Rustic Antiquities
Copper
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Rustic Antiquities
Paint, Wood
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Antiquities
Pine
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Antiquities
Wood, Willow, Fabric





