Best Rustic Decor: Insider Interview with Interior Designer Jennifer Gainer

Nestled in the foothills of the north Georgia mountains, Jennifer Gainer has created a home inspired by the breathtaking natural serenity surrounding her.

Like many, Jennifer’s design journey has transitioned with the various phases of her life. She now finds comfort in the subtle aesthetics of rustic decor that offers her home incomparable resort-style tranquility.

There is something about rustic decor that inspires and relaxes the mind and body. It’s not new - the rustic decor style has been around for generations. These days, you can find rustic decor in inner-city apartments.

People want fresh, natural elements in the home so they can come home and truly disconnect. Unlike other decor trends, rustic decor allows you to break the rules and shift the fundamentals of design by combining various elements to create a casual and natural charm.

We recently interviewed Jennifer to learn about her rustic decor techniques and the art of what goes into creating the ultimate free-flowing rustic decor layout for the bedroom that’s full of natural hues and relaxing vibes.

You walk into your bedroom after a long day...what do you look forward to the most?

Well, we are so lucky that we both work from home and have for almost 10 years now, so this is not a new pandemic protocol. So we have tried very hard when we built our home to make sure it was built in a resort-style atmosphere, so where we worked would always feel like a vacation and be our own sanctuary. This of course lends itself directly into the bedroom. 

We wanted the best linens, the most comfortable mattress, a room that could be cooled or heated perfectly. We added sliding barn door window treatments to fully block sound and light out for peaceful sleep at any time of the day.

We wanted the ability to let the outside in on a beautiful breeze fall and spring day from our screened-in sleeping porch. All of these things go hand in hand to make a great sanctuary for yourself.

What inspires you when you redecorate?

Redecorating happens for a lot of reasons, and on various scales. I usually do a small refresh of my rooms seasonally just to keep my home feeling fresh and new.

Larger scale projects come where I feel a space has lost its appeal, is outdated or celebrates trends that are on the way out. Sometimes if I find a space no longer provides me visual happiness - it is time to redecorate.

When it comes to bedroom design, what would you say are the 3 biggest challenges?

1. Usually it comes when designing for couples, they can never settle on patterns, for bedding or wallpapers, or a color story for the bedroom as a whole. Honestly neutral is always the best in those and most scenarios then you can change out fun patterns seasonally and not get stuck with one pattern permanently.

2. There are always huge disagreements when it comes to a pretty chandelier, verse team "I need a fan to sleep". Some scientific studies have shown keeping your bedroom cooler will help you sleep more soundly through the night, but it still boils down to form versus function - an age-old problem for any designer.

3. I also would love to see more furniture companies embrace USB ports and charging stations for nightstands and lamp bases, this is really the wave of the future so more options would be great. Even though technology should really be left out of the bedroom, I find that is a hard sell, so you might as well embrace it.

Has your design style changed over the years? If so, what motivated you to change?

Of course! My design style might change by next week! Seriously, when I look back at my daring style choices in my 20's I realize the bold statements I chose were made due to my lack of having a lot of real furniture, I had some but when you are young you are still collecting and cobbling looks together. 

My thirties were very trendy, on point with the latest styles, and currently, I am celebrating the rustic decor and industrial farmhouse trend which I started about 6 years ago, and it still seems to be going strong. I find the rustic style very soothing and simple, not fussy and frou-frou, which I have found myself growing very tired of these days, plus it works great for life here in Georgia.

I do think you should embrace a little bit of your environment around into your home design. For example, an Spanish or Mediterranean beach-style home in the North Georgia Mountain may not have the right feel as you look out at falling leaves.

What decor essentials can transform the look of any bedroom? 

For my top 3, I find that decorative pillows, linen, and throws are some of the quickest and easiest ways to change up a bedroom from season to season. You can add in trendy pops of color without redesigning your entire space in the blink of an eye. I also love to add in-season flowers, plants, or greenery to add just a touch of something living in my bedroom. 

My fifth and final element is scent, which is sometimes overlooked when designing spaces, but I feel if it stirs your sense it must be considered as part of your design. I will either choose a signature linen water scent or a season smell to go with the season. Candles are great because they add an element of warmth as well as light.

How important is a quality mattress?

A quality mattress can really make or break a room and define the quality of your overall sleep. I am pretty sure that no one has ever spent the night on a lumpy fold-out sofa and thought wow that was the best night's rest I have ever had! Let's be honest you only have one spine and it holds you up all day long so why not take good care of it at night and allow it to rest properly.

You recently started sleeping on a Puffy Lux. How would you describe the style and comfort?

The Puffy Lux Hybrid Mattress has stolen our hearts. We have had some of the most rest-filled nights of our lives. It is also hypoallergenic and designed to reduce allergy triggers and prevent the buildup of dust mites and dust in the memory foam mattress which is a big deal since we are pet owners.

It has Puffy's Cooling Cloud™ which is designed to keep you at an optimal temperature which is perfect for us since Ron stays cold and I tend to run hot these days.

Sleep habits are changing and people are more focused on creating tranquility at home. What do you think will be the biggest bedroom decor trend in 2023 and beyond?

I think you will see people really start to invest in high-quality bedding items. Thread counts that can hold up to multiple washings, and only get softer as you wash them.

We celebrate #freshsheetfriday for #sleepinsaturday every week.

I think the whole "cleanliness is next to godliness" idea is going to really sink in. For that reason, maybe the white sheet and towel trend that we have celebrated for years for their bleach-ability might come into play.  

I think you will see a lot of ionizing fans and filters in these rooms as well for health reasons. More charger stations in nightstands possible on-suite coffee bars, things you see in fancy hotels and resorts.