Rustic Lodge Dining Room Design Ideas

How great is it to get away to a cozy lodge for a weekend to enjoy nature, the outdoors and a warm hearth? A great way to have that feeling in your home and get to enjoy it all the time is to create a rustic lodge theme, and the dining room is an excellent choice to do it in.

Creating a theme in a room requires planning so you don't make the room kitschy and over the top, but rather evoke the feel of a rustic lodge that your family and friends will want to enjoy. As with all things in life, the little details really add up, so to get a rustic lodge feel, putting in some of the items below will give your room a warm, outdoorsy feel. And remember, just because the room is rustic does not mean you can't add touches of elegance if you want it to be more upscale. Your idea of rustic can anything be from a real barnyard feel all the way up to an elegant Aspen retreat that the fabulously wealthy enjoy. Your lodge, your home, your creativity rules.

Rustic Lighting Ideas

There are a few key items that give a rustic lodge feel right away and one of the quickest and most conversation starting is a fabulous chandelier with antlers or a deer or moose head. Set over the table, the chandelier can provide lovely ambiance lighting to add to the warm feel of the room, while the animal elements are right out of a rustic cabin.

Depending on the size of your room you can also use lamps that are made with wrought iron or items from nature, say sticks or rocks, so that you bring the outdoors to the room. Often times there are great artisans making both lamps and chandeliers so you can really find unique pieces that bring in the outdoors to your rustic dining room. Check online for local home décor retailers specializing in this style, or purchase rustic lighting online from home décor stores in rural, mountain areas featuring this style of furniture and lighting.

Rustic Furniture Ideas

You can find some great wood tables that have a finish that evokes a more textured, natural feel. Avoid purchasing highly polished tables, or ornately stylized chairs. If you opt for a rectangular table you can consider having a bench on one or both sides of the table for your seating. It's a fun alternative to chairs and is very common in rustic lodges. It instantly adds a cabin like feel and sometimes means you can fit more people at the table with more ease. Again, for the wood finish, consider something less refined and with a more natural feel. Another seating option is to purchase great chairs made from tree branches. Many artists create chairs that are made out of raw materials found in nature and these make great pieces for your dining room seating.

If you have the space and a dining room with a fireplace in it, you may want to upgrade the look of your fireplace. Nothing says lodge like a fireplace and if you have one in your dining room already, you definitely want to make it a focal point of the room. Install a large, rugged wooden beam as the mantel, and surround with natural stone. To have a large fireplace (even better if it's working) in the dining room will give it that lodge feel and give it instant design charm.

Rustic Accessories

In addition to the big pieces, you can add a number of items to the room to give it a rustic feel.

• Use dried flowers as a wall art arrangement, or accessory on a side or buffet table.
• Display colored pottery as serving pieces and to eat your meals with since, as a handmade item, it goes well with the artisan tone of the room and the natural look of the pieces.
• Place large, neutrally colored area rugs under the dining room table, made of natural fibers.