This Popular Color Is Perfect for Fall — Here’s How to Use It (It’s So Cozy!)
When you hear the word “rust,” old metal objects or a bygone car might come to mind. Rust, however, is actually an incredibly chic color and has gained tons of popularity in recent years. Not quite orange, not quite red, and not quite brown, it’s a warm hue that was popular in 1970s interiors, and is ideal for those who want to capture retro or boho vibes in their space today.
“Rust is a subdued, versatile color that [can be infused] into interiors to create a balance between bright and moody,” says Elizabeth Cross-Beard, founder of Palm Henri Interiors & Products. “Whether a light terra-cotta or a deep copper bronze, rust pairs equally as beautifully with neutrals, blues, greens, and burgundy tones.”
If you’re looking to inject more of a fall feel into your home, rust is the ideal way to do just that. Cross-Beard agrees, saying, “Rust is the perfect, cozy fall color, exuding the feeling of being wrapped in warmth as the seasons change.”
While a wall painted in a shade of rust is nothing short of gorgeous, there are also plenty of ways you can take it down a notch and dip your toe in the water.
“Rust is wildly successful on a large scale — painting walls, trim, and the ceiling all in the same tone — but can also be incredibly successful and impactful on a smaller scale. Pillows or a throw blanket with rust tones will enhance the warmth of a space without the commitment of paint,” Cross-Beard explains.
For inspiration on how to bring rust into your space, either by going big or embracing hints of it, read on.
1. Bring in a rust sofa.
Brittney Morgan and her wife, Sara, didn’t shy away from the color rust in their living space. Instead, they’ve allowed rust to be front and center through this sofa that’s equal parts stylish and cozy.
2. Pair it with earth tones.
In this Brooklyn loft, an earthy palette creates a soothing yet modern vibe through greens, taupes, and blues. Rust footstools and a rust throw blanket punctuate the space for a strategic pop of color that still fits within the earth-tone scheme.
3. Consider flooring.
Melanie Porthun wove plenty of charm into her Hamburg apartment, and the existing kitchen flooring just happened to fit that feel. Get inspired by this flooring by laying down rust tiles amid white ones in your kitchen or bathroom.
4. Simply hang a rust picture frame.
If you don’t want to “go big or go home” quite yet with rust, take a page from Megan McCluskie’s book and just hang a picture frame in a rust hue, as seen in her coastal family home. The color plays beautifully with the moody blue wall.
5. Lay down a rug.
Whether a rug is entirely rust-colored or if there are rust details that lend visual interest, the color is always a good choice when it comes to what’s underfoot. Katy Maiolatesi’s Michigan home features a gorgeous cream rug with pops of rust detail.
6. Think about barstools.
Shades of rust can also fit beautifully into a living room, as evidenced by these rust bar stools in this Brooklyn rental belonging to modern dating and relationship coach Alysha Malik that flawlessly tie the palette together. Plus, how cool do they look in an otherwise neutral kitchen?
7. Cozy things up with a rust lampshade.
A lampshade is another easy and simple way to capture the rust trend in your home, and as a bonus, it’ll cast a cozy hue as you relax in the evening. It’s something that Griffin O’Neil did in this Phoenix apartment, with other shades of rust seen in the supergraphic on the wall and around the living room.
8. Choose a rust-hued wallpaper.
Rust also livens up bohemian wallpaper, and acts as a great backdrop for a wood-framed mirror and other vintage finds. It’s demonstrated particularly well with this rusty palm leaf wallpaper seen in a retro home perfected by Becky Morris.
9. Include bedding.
If you’re really going for that warm, snug feel, look no further than rust linens and bedding. Pairing nicely with olive green, it’s what Mitch Wiesen, an artist and designer, did in this rowhome.
10. Embrace throwback visuals.
Perhaps you want your shades of rust to look as if they’ve been transported from another era. In this case, be sure to partner it with a shade of avocado, which is what designer Casey Keasler did in her Portland home.
11. Go for broke.
Maybe you’ve fallen in love with rust and you can’t get enough of it in your home. In that case, you might as well go all in and paint a room a lovely shade of rust, creating a warm feel as seen in Courtney Pentimalli’s Chicago home.
Further Reading
I Just Discovered the Smartest Way to Store Paper Towels in Your Kitchen (It’s a Game-Changer!)
See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room
