The adjective rustic comes from Latin, specifically from rusticus, a word that refers to the rural world and the countryside. In this way, the rustic world is opposed to the urban world. Traditionally peasant life has been considered less refined and cultured than urban life and because of this the term rustic also has a negative meaning, since it is said that a person is rustic when they have a rude or rude behavior.
The rustic style in the decoration
If we speak of a rustic landscape we know that we refer to a territory in the field. If we say that someone is a rustic person, we do not necessarily mean that they are a peasant but rather that they are someone with vulgar manners. On the other hand, in the world of decoration there is a rustic style. It consists of traditional decorative elements and in which materials such as noble woods, wrought iron, fabrics with a handmade appearance and, in short, a decoration with a country air are used. Obviously, these types of environments are suitable for places related to the rural world, but you can also decorate a house in the city with a rustic style.
In any case, the rustic style conveys values and ideas (for example, tranquility, the traditional spirit or the warmth of the home). These types of environments are very common in rural hotels and are accepted because they represent the opposite of stress and the functional aesthetics of urban spaces.
Rustic binding
From a historical point of view, the book has been considered a luxury object for a large part of its history. For centuries, access to culture was restricted to a minority of the population and this circumstance was accompanied by a high price for books, especially due to the type of paper and binding.
From the 20th century on, books began to form part of the daily life of the vast majority and this resulted in a simplification in their preparation and in the quality of the materials used. Paperback bound books emerged in France and were so named because their presentation was very simple, that is, rustic.
The publisher that made paperback binding fashionable was the French publisher Penguin, which presented classic books with colored covers and at a very affordable price. Rustic binding represented a small cultural revolution, since for the first time books were available to all pockets.
Photos: iStock - DmyTo / Darko Dozet
