I remember the days of my youth when I would go and visit my grandfathers log cabin off in the woods, with hardly a neighbor in site, except, perhaps, a squirrel or a porcupine. The drive up the winding road to get to his cabin was never too tiresome, because I knew what treasure lay waiting at the end of the road.

When Grandfathers cabin would finally come into view, I would be awestruck by its simplicity and beauty. Perhaps, some people these days would think that it was a dump, but it was truly beautiful -- in a simple, rustic sort of way.

It wasnt the outside of the cabin, however, that I loved -- it was the inside. Even after having been away for an entire year or more and when the entire log cabin would be filled with dust and insects, I would immediately feel at home. The interior walls (the ones that were not simply logs) were very textured and tactile with bits of hay peeking through. Homemade quilts covered every cozy bed. Thick log headboards looked over and protected each bed. Twig chairs sat evenly around a large, uneven wood table with knots and lines of age.

Grandfather cooked all of our meals on a wood-burning stove that also heated our small, two-room log cabin. There was, of course, no bathroom to speak of, but I never minded the trek out to the outhouse... so long as somebody came with me.

I think that it is because of the wonderful, happy, and cozy times that I spent in my grandfathers cabin that I love rustic furniture so much now. My house is not completely covered in rustic furniture (although, I would love it if it were), but I have a few pieces here and there that really make my home feel like a home.

However, there is one room in the house that is entirely rustic my daughters room, and although shes young, she loves it. I really wanted her to grow up with that happy feeling that I felt whenever I went to Grandfathers log cabin. In fact, some of the furniture in Susys room is from the old cabin when Grandfather died, we had to sell our special home away from home.

Susys entire room seems to be wooden. We even found an old, rustic, wooden rocking horse. We dont have any handmade quilts for her bed, but we did find some beautiful patterned quilts at the store. The rustic furniture in her room includes a log bed (straight from Grandfather's cabin), a wooden set of drawers with antler handles, and an armoire with wonderful ironwork accents that we bought from a local artisan.

My Grandfathers rustic log cabin may be gone, but weve made quite a comfortable home for ourselves with some of our favorite rustic furniture pieces, even in our living room.