Although home design trends are dynamic, there’s always a time and place for rustic, lodge-inspired décor. It’s a style that reminds us of getting away from it all. And designers continue to embrace and evolve this aesthetic from its traditional, knotty- pine roots into everyday looks—like displaying brightly-colored canoe paddles or draping a Pendleton blanket on a favorite living room sofa.
Roughing It In Style embodies the Northwoods life, and with 22 years in business, they know the market well. “Sue and Gerry Torgeson, the owners, used to build and contract log homes and they loved comfortable, quality furnishings,” explains the couple’s son Erik Torgeson, general manager and vice president of the business. “[Roughing It In Style] first started in New Glarus as a small, rustic-themed gift shop. Then they started to get into furniture. They opened a shop in Lena, Ill., and Madison, and noticed they were delivering to the Northwoods on a daily basis. So around 12 years ago, we built a building in Harshaw, about 10 miles south of Minocqua.”
The family also added a Fort Collins, Colo., location five years ago after they garnered a lot of interest from people visiting the store from out west. (The aforementioned Lena, Ill., shop is closed). And although they’re best known for their high-quality furniture, the business also offers interior design services and manufactures reclaimed barnwood furniture and cabinets.
“Since we’ve been buying and curating pieces for so long, we make sure these things will stand the test of time, and they’re items you won’t see every- where else,” says Erik. “We carry a mix of refined rustic, down-to-earth rustic and traditional.”
The takeaway? The store’s pieces are able to seamlessly blend in any home—whether you like the full- on lodge aesthetic, or just a hint of farmhouse style.
“The strength in this look is that there’s versatility within it,” says Erik. “And when you get furnishings that are high quality and look good, it makes for a nice match.”
Roughing It In Style, 5079 Highway 51 North, Harshaw. roughingitinstyle.com
Photo courtesy of Roughing It In Style