How to Create a Rustic Pub Design

The rustic look is back - though, did it ever really leave the world of pubs? Either way, creating a rustic pub look is easy if you just know how. A stripped back, bare-brick, hardwood floor base is your friend, but it’s not the only option. In this guide, we’ll be sharing some of our favourite ways to create a rustic pub design, whether you’re renovating an old building or injecting some charm into something brand new.

Highlight Original Features

The key to achieving a rustic pub design begins at the most basic level: floors, walls, and ceilings. The raw, rugged, stripped-back look of bare brick walls, old wooden floorboards or stone and slate tiles will instantly put you on the path to rusticism. Think of those grade-II listed buildings dotted about old market towns. That’s the effect you’ll be going for. 

The great news is that this can be a lot cheaper than replastering or forking out for fancy cladding - as long as these features are already there!

If you’re setting up your rustic pub in a new build or don’t want to strip away existing paint, plastering and cladding, never fear - there are ways to add these features without having to take anything away. You can install pre-distressed oak floorboards, or even reclaimed wood flooring, and everyone will think it’s been there for decades. Brick effect tiles or wallpaper can be used to emulate the raw brick wall effect - just make sure you get one that is textured and 3D so it looks as authentic as possible.

Ceiling beams are another classic period feature found in old English pubs, and another that can be added. You can even buy decorative ceiling beams which look like the real thing, but are hollow, so they weigh far less. A feature fireplace will also help add a rustic feel to your pub - if the property doesn’t have one, you can install a faux fireplace with a beautifully rustic surround, and either get an LED fireplace or flame-effect wood burner installed, or simply fill the space with candles and lanterns.

Reclaimed Wood Furniture

Now you’ve got the perfect rustic base, the next stage of your pub renovation involves choosing the right furniture. For a rustic vibe, it’s all about reclaimed wood. Chunky slabs of history-imbued oak and pine, finished with a live edge, and each completely unique from the next. You can’t get rustic with flatpack MDF furniture - you need the quality and rawness of real wood. Of course, this is even more important in a pub or restaurant environment, where you need your furniture to withstand how much they’re used by your customers.

Of course, the rustic look isn’t the only reason you should consider solid wood furniture for your pub. Spills are a fact of pub life (and in fact, in most British pubs, they’re celebrated - “waheyyy!”). There’s no point in buying a nice table if the surface is just going to bubble up or crack after it first meets a pint. Solid wood furniture, when correctly finished - for example, with a water-repellent hard wax oil which doesn’t flake or peel - will stand the test of time (and beer). 

Solid wood takes nicely to a variety of stains, from cool greys to dark browns. For a rustic style, however, you want to go for a warmer finish. This, combined with the natural charms of reclaimed wood furniture, will provide the look you’re going for.

Pair your solid wood dining tables or coffee tables with a matching reclaimed wood bench, built to tuck under the tables when not in use.

Mix and Match Furniture

As well as rustic pub benches, consider looking for a variety of different shapes, styles and colours of chairs. Go for some with armrests, some without; some with built-in cushions, others where you can place one on top. Find some chairs which are more ornate, and combine them with simpler designs. Whatever you do, do not place an order for 30 uniform, identical dining chairs!

A rustic pub design needs to look like everything has organically ended up there over time. Everything should seem as though it’s steeped in history with an interesting story behind it. The answer to the question “where did you get that chair?” shouldn’t be “I bought it from IKEA.” It should be “an old friend of mine used to volunteer at a church which closed down, and they managed to sell all but one chair, and that’s the chair.” So, what’s the best way to do this? Well, to go out and look for stories of course!

Source your pub furniture from various places, from charity shops to car boot sales to auctions to the aforementioned closing down churches. Ebay and Facebook marketplace will also be key places to look for stragglers of one or two chairs, as well as reuse shops, which often partner with local recycling centres to reclaim furniture that would otherwise end up in landfill. This is also exactly what we do with our reclaimed wood - we source it specifically to stop it decomposing away in landfill, and to get rid of the need for us to chop down any trees for our furniture.

As well as mixing and matching furniture, consider mixing and matching your actual seating areas. Have a range of places for people to enjoy meals, drinks and conversation, whether on sofas and armchairs around a coffee table, typical restaurant tables, or a tall bar table and stools.

Use Warm, Ambient Lighting

Have you ever been in a brightly lit pub? A lunchtime visit doesn’t count!

Rustic-style pubs use dim, warm, ambient lighting to achieve a supremely cosy look. Candlelight flickering; a roaring fire; stylish, mismatched floor lights and even fairy lights all emit warm, soft threads of light which create the perfect evening vibe. A blend of ambient, task, and focus lighting will create layers of light rather than a few harsh overhead bulbs.

Over each table, consider a pendant light to illuminate the immediate area so guests can see their food and each other’s faces. Focus lighting can be used to light up shelves and pictures, whilst task lighting can be used in and around the bar area so you can see what you’re doing.

LED bulbs are the most sustainable option, as they last far longer than traditional bulbs. However, make sure you look for warm LED bulbs rather than bright white as this will create a much more cosy ambience. 

Natural Materials and Plants

Natural materials like rattan, burlap, cotton and leather all lend themselves very well to a rustic style. Just as with mismatched furniture, mix up the materials so you have a combination of soft, plain, patterned, rough, and even furry or fluffy. 

Rugs, throws, cushions, and blankets are all necessities for a rustic pub, as this style comes hand-in-hand with cosiness and comfort. Curtains and blinds are also important for making your guests feel protected from the cold, loud outside world. These materials will all soften any hardness in your furniture, making people want to stay in your rustic pub for longer.

Bringing nature into the space with plants is a fantastic way to add even more of a rustic feel to your pub. You can opt for a range of tall plants in pots on the floor, hanging plants, and smaller pots or vases placed upon shelves or tables. Just make sure they aren’t too close to the candles, and if you’re placing them in an area which doesn’t get as much sunlight, that they can survive. There are a number of ‘shade-tolerant’ indoor plants such as various species of Monstera (also known as cheese plants), Philodendron, and Fern.

Rustic Wooden Shelving and Vintage Decor

Last but not least, we come to the final touches of decor in your rustic pub. Rustic wooden shelving - also, ideally, made from reclaimed wood - are the most ideal holders for any bottle and glasses behind the bar, as well as any other decorations set throughout the rest of the pub. 

Rustic reclaimed wood sideboards or cupboards can also be placed to be both beautiful and practical through storing those extra blankets or even board games, puzzles, and books. If you’re really committed to the rustic theme, go for ones which are classics themselves - think Backgammon, Rummikub, Scrabble, and Ludo. A chessboard will also make a beautiful and practical addition to your rustic pub.

Like how we recommend you obtain your mismatched chairs, trawling charity, vintage, and second-hand shops will be the key to finding the right decorations which already come with a story. Antique mirrors or frames, wall art of vintage posters or old pub signs, black-and-white photos of the local village or the original pub, if you’re refurbishing. Find space to display vintage glassware, even if it’s too valuable to be used, and use old wine casks or barrels as side tables or even bar tables if they’re big enough.

Our final recommendation for a rustic pub design is a chalkboard menu, handwritten to showcase your specials, any deals, or your entire cocktail menu behind the bar. You want it to look good, but not quite perfect - if it seems as though one of the pub’s team may have written it, all the better! It will show that you have put love and attention into your rustic pub, and if someone in your team really did write it, it will mean you can constantly change it up with the seasons or when new dishes or drinks become available.

The Bespoke Carpentry Co. Rustic Pub Furniture

Our experienced carpenters take our hand-selected pieces of genuine reclaimed wood and rework it into stunning pieces of solid wood furniture, perfect for any rustic pub. Each piece is made to order, providing you with a piece which fits right into your space. 

To get started, browse our range of pre-designed reclaimed wood pub furniture online, give us a call on 01305 849386 or fill out our online contact form.