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24 Rustic Bedroom Ideas for Designing the Most Relaxing Retreat

For the most cozy place to lay your head, go for an authentic, homey style.

By Amy MitchellPublished: Oct 24, 2024

There’s something so charming about rustic decor. This popular room style, with its friendly “come on in!” spirit, tends to make one feel right at home. To achieve that warm, relaxing feel in your sleeping spaces, we’ve rounded up our favorite rustic bedroom ideas with loads of country charm, understated elegance, and good ol’ grit, too.

Unique rustic bedroom ideas show up all over the bedroom starting with the bones of a room. Character-rich wood shiplap or beadboard or paneled wainscoting brings an instant cozy, cabin-like feel. No wood paneling? There are plenty of cozy bedroom paint colors to create warmth. Lovingly scuffed wood floors are layered with perfectly imperfect vintage rugs. And don’t forget to look up. Wood ceiling ideas—whether new or reclaimed—might just be the ultimate clutch move of all simple rustic bedroom ideas!

What’s great about rustic decor is that you go all in or add just a few rustic, yet refined touches. Weathered wood furniture, antiques and vintage treasures, and collected quilts provide a sense of history, as well as smart rustic bedroom ideas on a budget. Modern rustic bedroom ideas—clean-lined furniture, whimsical wallpaper, fresh white paint on the walls—feel just as authentic and are a favorite of many farmhouse decor enthusiasts. Perhaps this anything-goes approach is why rustic decorating is trending—and here to stay for good.

Here are more bedroom decorating ideas you’ll love:

Go For Wood, Wood, and More Wood

texas guesthouse bungalow bedroom with wood walls and two beds

Chase Daniel

To match the rustic charm of the original section of the house, this new bedroom addition was built with similar-looking pine floors and shiplap walls. Texas couple Melissa and Roy Duckworth, with their builder son Clay (Duckworth Custom Homes), left the walls raw and simply added an oil finish to the floors. “We wanted to preserve that old patina,” Clay says.

Get the Look:
Trim Paint Color: Lehigh Green by Benjamin Moore

Incorporate Timeless Antiques

a bedroom with an antique screen as a headboard

Roger Davies

This hand-painted French screen was unearthed at a local antiques store just as designer Alexis Garrett was putting the finishing touches on this bedroom. The piece acts as a headboard as well as a focal point in the small bedroom. A bobbin-style table holds bedside guest essentials.

RELATED: See why bobbin decor is having a moment.

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Cover the Walls in Reclaimed Wood

a rustic bedroom has walls covered in reclaimed barnwood

Annie Schlechter

In this primary bedroom, designer Amy Meier added instant age to the new construction by wrapping the room in vertically installed reclaimed barn boards. The woody walls also feature built-in bookshelves and a writing desk nook.

Layer Lots of Texture

a rustic bedroom with exposed stone walls and neutral bedding

This primary bedroom boasts the ultimate rustic backdrop with its original stone walls and exposed ceiling beams. To soften the hard edges, the homeowner mixed in quilted bedding, a cashmere buffalo check blanket, and a sheepskin-style rug. A chippy bedside table and weathered iron bed frame add an extra dose of humbleness.

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Embrace Historic Color

guest room with green worn walls and two twin beds

Tara Donne

Sometimes a room’s rustic charm is just waiting to be uncovered, like in this New Hampshire farmhouse bedroom. After removing dated wallpaper, the homeowners discovered a pretty green shade that they ultimately decided had to stay. Brown wood furniture and a vintage wool rug bring extra layers of rusticity to the guest room.

Pick Weathered Wood Furniture

a rustic bedroom design with a black vintage spool bed

David A. Land

This black spool bed could have gotten a fresh coat of paint to give it a new life, but with its perfectly imperfect weathered wood finish, it’s right at home in this 1800s farmhouse. Yarn-dyed striped bedding brings a tailored look to the the chippy bed frame.

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Choose Homespun Bedding

anne and richard de wolfs barn home on willapa bay washington second bunk room

Sara Ligorria-Tramp

For added rustic flair in this bunk room, patchwork quilts top the beds along with leather bolster pillows. The custom built-ins feature wood left unpainted, which keeps the room feeling lodge-like. The stained glass windows came from an antiques store that specializes in architectural salvage.

Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: Lamp Black Milk Paint by General Finishes

Open Up the Ceiling

Dane Tashima, styling by Frances Bailey

During the renovation of this 1730s home, the homeowners removed the existing 6'5" drop ceiling and took the space up to the rafters for a soaring 16' vaulted bedroom. Reclaimed wood for the ceiling, windowsill, and even the headboard brings rustic charm.

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Whiten Up

attic bedroom with twin beds and suitcases stacked as the table

Marta Xochilt Perez

Sometimes the most rustic of spaces just needs a glow up to feel fresh again, like this lofted bunk room in a Michigan lake house. A coat of crisp white paint highlights the architectural details while hiding any imperfections in wood that has seen better days. Outfitted with a set of twin beds bookended with camp stools, this sleeping space is just right for indoor “camp outs.”

Wrap the Room in Woodland Wallpaper

a rustic bedroom design with woodland wallpapers

Max Kim-Bee

With its whimsical woodland wallpaper, this sleeping space evokes a forest-like feeling. A rustic wood-paneled bed frame and natural woven accents like the window shades and rug add even more rich texture.

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Get Creative With Storage

Marta Xochilt Perez

In this rustic Wisconsin cabin, the tiny wood-clad guest room was lacking essential clothing storage. Thanks to a slim corner shelf and a walk in the woods, a stick-turned-hanging-rod now provides a fitting place to hang shirts and jackets. Plaid curtains frame the windows and a colorful wool camp blanket dresses the bed.

Add Instant Age With Wood Paneling

a mountain house bedroom with plaid pillows and a grid of artwork

Annie Schlechter

For a room that looks like it’s been around forever, add instant age and architectural interest with classic board-and-batten paneling. In this guest bedroom, designer Amy Meier intentionally left the knots in the wood untreated so they would show through the paint and reveal the natural timber beneath. The salvaged floor boards came from an old sewing factory.

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Store Books in Makeshift Shelves

bookshelves made of sweet potato crates in a bedroom with a fireplace in the middle

Helen Norman

Introducing the world’s most charming homespun bookshelves—made from vintage peach crates! If mimicking the same creative concept, make sure to secure the containers to the wall. Black bamboo chairs from the 1980s provide a perfect perch for catching up on reading by the fire.

Camp It Up

rustic bedroom design ideas cabin bunk room

Brian Woodcock, styling by Natalie Warady

When you can’t camp under the stars, take it inside! Tucked under the eaves, a pair of camp cots outfitted with wool throws and plaid pillows makes for a comfy sleepover or napping spot. Exposed stone and wood walls maintain a rustic, outdoorsy feel.

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Keep Nostalgia Alive

a 1819 barn home in maine with a woodsy bedroom

Sean Litchfield

From the antique Early’s of Witney point blanket to the tramp art frame hanging over the bed, this boy’s bedroom feels like stepping back in time. Other nostalgic touches include pinned-up animal sketch prints and a pair of deer mounts. Reproduction Swiss Army blankets make cozy curtains thanks to simple clip-and-ring sets.

Hang Old Signage

Max Kim-Bee

Bring loads of instant personality to a new bedroom with a cool old sign like this perfectly weathered railroad crossing example. The X-pattern on new barn doors mimics the vintage sign.

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Bring Outside Elements In

a rustic bedroom design with red shingle walls

Max Kim-Bee

Clad in the same rusty red shingles as the home’s exterior, this sleeping porch has become the most coveted space in this New York lake house. Whether for a quick night or an overnight stay, the porch (also dubbed “the boathouse room”) sleeps a crowd, with two additional beds in the loft area accessed with a library ladder. A pair of oars above the bed and a nautical light fixture are a nod to the lakeside setting.

Get the Look:
Wall Siding: Countrylane Red from James Hardie Siding

Choose Humble Fabrics

linen roman shades hang in a neutral bedroom

Tara Donne, styled by Olga Naiman

Humble fabrics like a grain sack pillow, old horse blankets draped over the end of the bed, and nubby linen Roman shades bring an understated sophistication to this farmhouse primary bedroom. A wood headboard, side table, and antique trunk create beautiful contrast.

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Incorporate a Rustic-Meets-Refined Headboard

Max Kim-Bee

For the perfect rustic-meets-refined effect, incorporate a dramatic headboard as a focal point in your bedroom design. Here, the red oak boards brings the “rustic” while the sophisticated shape brings the “refined.” A mix of everyday materials (canvas drop cloths as curtains, grain sack and dishcloth pillows) makes up the bed linens.

Display a Trophy Mount

two twin beds in beige and blue with a deer head hanging on the wall above

Laurey W. Glenn

Horizontal paneling painted a rich creamy shade offers a warm background for a mounted deer head surrounded by framed wildlife art.

Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: Cat’s Paw by Farrow and Ball

Amy Mitchell

Managing Editor

Amy Mitchell is the managing editor for VERANDA and Country Living, where she writes articles on a variety of topics—decorating and design, gardens, and holidays. Amy’s experience in the shelter magazine category spans more than 20 years, as she’s previously held positions at Coastal Living and Cottage Living. Her personal pursuits include cooking, gardening, and hunting her favorite tag sale spots for the next piece of Pyrex for her prized collection.