A rustic theme centers around warmth, character, simple outdoor living and wholesomeness. If a rustic design style is something you’re looking to achieve in your outdoor spaces, these elements are a great way to contribute an authentic, rustic appearance and picturesque quality to any landscape.

Natural Stone Patio

Incorporating natural stone into your patio design is a great way to achieve the earthy tones and rich texture so prevalent in the rustic theme. The warm colors and organic shapes of uncut flagstone, for example, is ideal for contributing to a patio in the rustic style and can be used in either the laying of the patio floor, walls or other vertical features. Bluestone, quartzite and slate are equally well-suited to a rustic theme, each contributing their own assortment of unique qualities while remaining rugged and unassuming.

Boulder Retaining Walls

In true country style, a boulder wall offers a bold and rough hewn division for your outdoor spaces. As their name suggests, boulder walls are built from large, unprocessed boulders or rounded chunks of tumbled rock in order to give the impression of age, simplicity and timelessness. Boulder walls work well as both retaining walls for flower beds or slopes, or as low walls to divide a space or serve as an open boundary wall between properties. This ancient method of wall-building continues to provide a rich aesthetic and reliable structure even today and is a perfect addition to a rustic landscape design.

Stone Slab Steps

Instead of carefully constructed concrete steps that are then veneered to appeal to a backyard’s aesthetic, stone slab steps offer a simpler, more paleolithic design. Stone slab steps are simply landscape stairs laid from flat, solid slabs of rock. These can then be locked in place with cement for additional durability, although some designs don’t require the use of cement. The irregularity of the steps and natural character of each individual slab makes this design great for a number of designs theme but particularly compatible with a country/rustic look.

Stacked Slate Outdoor Fireplace

The addition of a fireplace alone is an excellent accompaniment to this style, introducing verticality and the dynamic element of fire. With the addition of the rich texture of stacked slate, your rustic outdoor fireplace is sure to be a winner. Stacked slate offers a texture profile that perfectly complements the larger, coarser textures of uncut flagstone or boulder features, while remaining in line with the rustic aesthetic. The light and dark charcoal and earthy brown coloring of slate go well with a wide range of colors, particularly the hearty, organic shades of rustic designs.

Rock Features

Whether it’s a waterfall cascading over a rock face, a simple zen garden or a naturalistic boulder arrangement, rock features introduce a subtle decorative element to your landscape design. They can serve as either central features or a backdrop to brightly colored flowerbeds or handcrafted ornaments. Rock features can also be used as fillers for plant beds and even support the growth of ferns and other plants that prefer growing from fissures in rocks to growing in soil. Rock features are a must for a rustic backyard theme that draws inspiration from the natural world.

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