Rustic Lighting: Fixtures and Lamps

Rustic lighting of today is an upscale, affordable alternative to vintage or antique lighting that we once scoured the internet and local second hand shops to help create the right ambiance in our new homes and renovated living spaces. These new fixtures and lamps are made of UL tested materials and wiring and offer a wider range of styles than the rustic lighting of days gone by.

If your life is stressful and you yearn to get back to the country and a simpler lifestyle – turning just one room of your home into a rustric retreat is a great alterative to packing in your city life altogether. Such a room can take you back to the times when we were children; getting packed up in the car with our brothers and sisters for a weekend getaway to a lakeside cabin or a visit to Grandad’s farm.

Of course the old furniture, light fixtures and decorations back then were considered ‘tired’ and old by city girl standards, but today they are nothing short of charming. Back then the cabins and old log houses on forgotten ranches were only occupied during the summer months. It wasn’t fashionable or desirable to make a lifetime commitment to turning those buildings into year round homes.

Rustic Decor is On the Upswing

Log cabins and cottage retreats have come a long way since I was a kid. Back then whatever furnishings were in the house when it was bought was kept and used on those summer weekend jaunts.

If the rustic cabin or farmhouse was empty then pieces were picked up from local Salvation Army outlets or second hand furniture stores and lighting and wiring left intact. In fact look at any old offer to buy document and you’ll see referance to “existing ELF” meaning the building was to be sold with its existing electrical light fixtures. Today, no one seems to know what an “ELF” is.

Nowadays we generally don’t just bring oir old junk to the cottage or cabin. We shop for our retreats separately and furnish these summer homes with a style and personality all their own!

When we’re shopping for the cabin we’re shopping for charming country accents – reminiscent of days gone by – when every song had a story and every piece of furniture had sentiment or purpose.

It’s no wonder, once you start to see some of the fun and whimsical log cabin decorating items. No where is this more true than in the area of rustic lighting.

The chandelier above is my favorite of all. It will last in our house for many generations of decorating trends. (No longer for sale, but to see more like it, check out the beautiful rustic chandeliers over here.

Rustic Chandeliers from the Country Experts

Perfect for the front entranceway…	Awesome over the dining table…

I think lighting has always been a passion of mine. There’s always a right light, chandelier or lamp for the room or area you’re decorating to bring it all together or add a little punch of fun into the room. Get the lighting wrong though and the entire effect is lost.

I own the cabin lamp above. Just couldn’t resist it. Any of these work for a whimsical accent in country decor though.

A few other, older favorites that I used to have in the house are below. They were more of a kitchy country style and not as cohesive in the ambiance I was working towards.

I’m not just talking form either – I mean function. The light I work by is not the same light I read or watch TV by. I’m getting off topic, here’s some ‘form’ lamps – lights that you buy not only because you need lights in your cabin, but because they are beautiful and lend themselves so well to your cottage or cabin decorating style.

What’s your next step? Define your style in rustic lighting by consider the options from the list below, then stop into the country store lighting catalog to find your favorite at massive discount prices.

• rustic lamps
• farmhouse lighting
• cabin chandeliers
• french country
• primitive rustic
• whimsical, country accents.

You might also be interested in...

• Rustic Lighting for Country Homes
• Why Rustic Lighting?