Bring some rural charm into your modern city home

If you're lucky enough to have an exposed brick wall in your home then we hope you are using it to its full potential!  Brick walls show charm, character and an exposure to materials that not a lot of modern-day homes offer. If you're considering adding a faux brick wall to your apartment, then consider partial overlays or texturized wall paper.  Check out this open-concept, modern living space and noticed how the existence of one brick wall changes the entire appeal of the room!

Wall paper has really upped its quality and style in recent years and most of the time your guests won't even be able to tell the difference! For an extra charming addition to your brick wall, think about exposed piping and hanging planters to offset the roughness that brick walls can add. As seen in this example, for a more rustic look, the homeowners have decided to white-wash the wall for a softer feel – it also brings more light into this space! 

For ideas on how to properly utilise a beautiful brick wall – check out this special ideabook!

We are pretty sure that the definition of charming will always include a fresh flower arrangement – but as these can last you two to three weeks at most, you should start looking at the more permanent items; pottery and ceramic vases.  Pottery and ceramic vases are one of the most fun decorative elements to add to your modern city home for several reasons: they're a versatile size and can be moved/placed anywhere, they're typically affordable and it's super fun to hunt them down – either online, at boutique stores or at flea markets!

If you decide to keep the rest of your home modern, minimal or even traditional, it is always an option to let your wild side go with plant holders and vases. As seen here, it's the interesting and imperfect looking vases that will draw the most attention to any room and prove to your guests that you truly incorporate all the details of a well-curated environment.

Check out this Scandinavian-style apartment and how the addition of flowers and vases soften it up for a more cosy feel!

Recycled furniture is one of the most interesting and cost-effective ways to bring charm into your city home. Take a look around your home and look at the pieces you are considering throwing out – do any of them have a great design base you can work with? For example, if there's a special chair with a great body, but a horrible printed/patterned textile finishing – don't throw it out! Think about lots of different fabric options and even sanding, staining and/or painting the base yourself to transform it from drab to fab.

Even the cheapest items around your home can more than likely be turned into furniture in one way or another. We do suggest that you keep recycled furniture to a minimum – night stands, chairs and tiny tables –  to make sure the classic appeal and charming (rather than messy and trashy) nature of the room is kept intact.

Washed-out walls are a quick way to add a charming feel to your home. Washed-out walls can bring a warm and cosy feeling to your home year round and they will also instantly brighten the entirety of any room they're a part of. Surprisingly, washing-out a wall or two, (even of decent proportions) can easily be a weekend DIY project – and best of all, it's nearly impossible to make any mistakes because they just add to the look!

We suggest that if you want to try washed-out walls that you consider placing them in the kitchen area or bathroom area due to the fact that these rooms will require less decor than most other areas of your home and then the washed-out walls do not become a dominant design feature in your home.

Stone fixtures in a bathroom do the exact same thing as adding washed-out walls to your kitchen – charm it up!  If you want to stay within a particular budget but would love to try the look of raw stone, consider a hollowed-stone sink, or stone legs for an adorable claw foot tub. Stone accessories are also a great choice for restrooms because they're easy to clean, unique and can handle the humid environment quite well!

If you're looking for a more permanent and refined look, think about natural stone back splashes and floors.  These projects can also be DIY but will more than likely take more than one weekend depending on the size of your bathroom!  Either way, they will add a rustic charm and appreciation for raw materials to the feeling of your home – remember, it's all in the details!

For the most unique touch to your modern, city home, we have a unique suggestion – adding a Tulsi-style garden area to your home. Typically, a Tulsi courtyard is one that is incredibly important in Hindu culture and society and is both a reflective and contemplative environment that usually includes the likes of Holy Basil – this plant is usually shown in the corner of the garden or in ceremonial, potted holders for use in medical capacities and for its essential oil.

If you're thinking, ’Oh yeah, sure, I don't have near the space for an outdoor endeavor such as this!’ We understand, but the inclusion of plants, and maintainable gardening techniques are an essential part to any rustic, charming home.  The charm is in the beauty and liveliness that gardens provide, including their undeniable functionalism. 

For the smallest rustic and charming addition to your modern city home, consider traditional utensils. This can mean anything from kitchen appliances and utensils to hand-woven blankets and throws, to handmade vases and pottery.  The traditional nature of such items and their classic functionalism really becomes a design technique all of its own!

Grab a retro-style apple peeler or mixer, throw some wooden cooking spoons in with some hand-painted ceramic Spanish spoons, and place your pasta, baking spices, and other ingredients in transparent containers.  An eclectic mix in your kitchen will highlight fact that you respect the functional nature of such objects and they deserve a respectable place in your home – because as always, you're about quality, not quantity.

For some more shabby-chic inspiration, check out the rustic home that fuses with nature!