Southwestern Decorating

Is Western movies, cowboys and romanticism of wild west your cup of tea? If it is, there is no need to trade a noisy city for a quiet farm to chase your dream. Simply change the interior of your home to south-western style either with a high or a low budget.

History of South-Western style

South Western style is a cocktail of many cultures, as any other style, which integrated to the point, where it is not possible to dismember them.

The melting pot of Spanish, British, French invaders of the new world and native American cultures, their battle for the territory and inevitable fusion came to the result of a new approach of daily living and a creation of a new style, that is known today as South-Western.

Natives were far from being hostile unlike colonists. They firmly believed, that there is a peaceful way of integration, there was plenty land and many undiscovered territories. Their hospitality in providing shelter, food and water, showing the ways to survive, took two opposite cultures closer, where at some point, they absorbed a lot from each other.

Style constants

Interior designers use colonists culture, especially spanish motifs, along with the culture of natives, for decorating a space in south-western style.

Leather furniture upholstery, wooden supporting frame for the ceiling, bright triangle pattern textile, ceramic household items, cowboy accessories, forged items, hunting trophies on the walls.

The color palette is based on natural colors of a surrounding landscape in south-west:blue sky, burnt red soil, pale green cactuses.

Major color matching

Red clay cliffs, dry dessert soil, bended trees and clear sky - all the colors that we find in these elements are the south-western color palette basis. They help to reproduce an original romantic atmosphere of American South-West.

For a solid background you choose colors of a "green cactus", "olive", "deep red", "purple", "deep orange", light sandy or dark woody colors.

To make a color truly deep, use an effect of an aged plaster. Be brave and throw bright spots into an interior, bright-yellow, bright and dark turquoise, indigo, deep blue. The size and practical purpose of a bright accented element shouldn't be a concern, it can be anything, starting from a ceramic plate or an armchair and ending with a whole bright painted wall.

Walls and floor

Selection of genuine materials for interior decoration will become your major vector. Choosing a proper color and texture of plaster will give your walls a clay vibe. Walls can be fortified by wooden columns, passageways can be fortified with portals. Tile floors are an integral part of south-western style.

Genuine grayish stone can be a great alternative to a tile. For both stone and tile, you may mix tones and colors, as well as any solid color will look fabulous. To make your floor look cozy use a fabric mat or a decorative cow skin.

If you wish to add more nature presence, it would be a wonderful idea to print a panoramic view of a south-western landscape. All you have to do is just to choose an image on www.shutterstock.com and print it on a stretch wall covering or stretch ceiling.

South-Western style Textile

Natural lighting is an important element in south-western style. Use light transparent curtains. A completely unobstructed window is the perfect decision, where the sun light is blocked by inside shutters only.

Be brave and use rough textured textile, feathers, elements of leather. These elements are capable of creating a marvelous atmosphere. Images of animals, arrows, stripes, Navaho ornaments on pillows, rugs and blankets would add romantic ambience.

By the way, southwestern style is one of the few styles that can be used for decorating the childrens and playrooms.

Furniture in South-Western style

Carved furniture with leather upholstery is a common element of an interior of south-western style. Bright ethnic patterns or solid natural colors can be used as well.

Furniture, as a rule, has short thick legs, and as a result, looks bulky and stocky. To fresh up the interior, add antique furniture pieces, furniture of other styles, it will look beautiful along cozy leather armchairs in south-western style.

Accessories and decor in southwestern style

Indians life is almost entirely dependent on the production of food, and its main source was hunting. It is therefore not surprising that in the clothes they used fur, skin, feathers, and the house was decorated with hunting trophies.

Handmade objects made of metal appeared in the style of the immigrants. Wrought iron handles, candlesticks, chandeliers and other decorative elements, use everywhere - don't look for them alternatives.

To add notes cowboy-style interior, use the appropriate attributes: cowboy hats, pictures of the prairie, figurines of horses. On the wall as a decoration to hang striped tapestries (colorful shawls made of wool).

Ceramic items - vases, pots, dishes - typically have colorful and intricate hand painted.

And, of course, we can not imagine a southwestern style without an open flame. Fireplace and numerous candles - it is an absolute attribute romance of the Wild West.

Ceiling

Decorative support studs on the ceiling will look stylish if it's height is more than 12 feet. If it is lower a 3D image can be printed on a stretch ceiling to imitate the studs and the design will look complete, while the height of the actual ceiling will remain unchanged.

Sky on the ceiling is a great alternative to traditional solutions in South-western style. One of thousands of blue sky images may become a focal point of your house. Using LED backlighting it may be changed into a dawn bright starry sky.

You can simply use a soft natural color on a fabric stretch ceiling, it's texture is quite a suitable material for South-western style.

One of the most stunning design solutions is to unite walls and ceilings by a landscape view printed on a stretch ceiling and wall covering. You may see a project of a Hunter's mansion we accomplished using this vibrant and stunning design step.

South-western style is a cozy and soothing interior, that is perfect for a melancholic romantic person as well as dynamic personalities. One can relax in it and at the same time absorb the energy from nature oriented interior design full of sun, wind, freedom and constant adventures.