The most important thing to remember is that the room is small, and keep furnishings on a par with the room. In other words, no huge pieces, nothing that dwarfs the room.

Go for wood framed furniture in pine or maple with loose cushions, simple, plain and comfortable. Use clean lines, and give the room that lodge feeling with wall hangings and curtains that carry out the motif. Stay clear of frills, and use braid rugs, unless you have carpeting. The key is the use of wood, rather than overstuffed pieces.

Take a look at furniture catalogs like those put out by Ethan Allen or Yield House, both of which should have web sites. Also, T.David Smith in Ohio manufactures reproduction colonial furnishings, everything from deacon's benches to tables, to accent pieces. Bring the lodge theme to it subtly, as I said, with signs, other wall hangings (mounted old pistols--usually replicas), pictures of wild life (keep them small), and use fabrics in both upholstry and curtains that have a small outdoorsy print or simple, small check.

Nothing, no one item, unless you have an antique desk or something of that nature, should completely overwhelm or control the visual impact of the room. Look for ideas in a magazine called Early American Life, because much of what is used in those settings are what could be called primitive, and can easily move into the kind of setting you want to achieve.

About the Author

www.RusticDecorating.com

Pat Stelzer is a former writer, columnist, reporter, and retired school teacher, currently an adjunct instructor at a community college. She has a long running interest in home decorating and in rustic or folk art pieces, her own 175-year-old home a veritable collection of many types of Americana and folk art.