Western Interior Design

Elements of western interior design incorporate natural materials and colors.

You don't have to display a cowboy hat or a saddle to incorporate western interior design into your home --- but you can if you want to. Focus on the traditional, or make it ultra-rustic, elegant, contemporary or plain fun.

Historic Perspective

True elements of western interior design are based on the need for a home to be functional. Historically and even now, ranchers in the American west worked the land and stock all day, and needed to return to a home that was comfortable, simple, natural, sturdy and anything but fussy.

Elements

Rustic, easy-to-clean wooden floors, large-scale natural wood or lodgepole furniture, wrought iron lamps with thin leather-look shades and woven textiles that add pops of color are typical elements of western interior design. Elements of western interior design should be sturdy, offering comfort and longevity.

Colors

For a true western feel, use colors in the room borrowed from nature. Forest and gray-greens, deep reds and variations of black, brown and tan work well. Artwork can complete the room. Pen-and-inks of working cowboys, framed using rustic barn wood, add a finishing touch.

References

• "Western Design"; M. J. Van Deventer; 1995