Country Decorating With Western Swing
"Western swing" is a musical term referring to dance music that evolved in the Southwest in the 1920s. Played by string bands with an uptempo beat, it is still popular today, played by such as groups as Asleep at the Wheel. In decorating terms, you can incorporate "western swing" by combining country and western styles. Both styles use a lot of red or blue colors in the fabrics as well as a stained wood furniture. Antique or natural items are often used in both country and western decorating. The difference between the two comes mostly in the accessories and the fabric prints. Add some western swing memorabilia to accent the theme. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Paint
- Paintbrushes/rollers
- Leather and wood furniture
- Wagon-wheel coffee table
- Curtains
- Faux stone (optional)
- Mounted steer horns
- Large toss pillows
- Guitar or fiddle
- Throw blankets
- Quilts
- Western swing memorabilia
- Basket
- Western swing CDs
Instructions
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Paint the walls a neutral color, such as an off-white or cream, so that your western and country accessories will stand out.
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Look for furniture in leather and woods, such as brown leather sofas and chairs and rough-hewn wooden tables. A coffee table made from a wagon wheel would make a great accent.
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Add curtains that have a western flair to them. Work with red or blue but, instead of a small country print, use a print that is reminiscent of bandannas, such as paisley. Or you can continue a "swing" motif with curtains patterned in musical notes or guitars and fiddles.
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Cover a fireplace with faux stone to make it fit in with your country style.
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Use accessories that are western in style. Mount a set of steer horns over the fireplace. Buy some large toss pillows that coordinate with the curtains and spread them around the room, even on the floor. Hang an old guitar or fiddle on the wall.
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Purchase blanket throws and quilts to hang that you can use to accent the room. Choose blankets with a Santa Fe-style print or quilts that have an appliqued western theme, such as cowboys, coyotes or cowboy boots.
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Frame vintage posters or sheet music from some of the early western swing bands, such as Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys or Spade Cooley and his Orchestra. Hang old LP album covers or posters of current western swing bands.
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Use a basket to hold western swing CDs.
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Tips & Warnings
If you cannot find a wagon-wheel table, you can easily make one. Mount the center of the wagon wheel on a pedestal and buy a piece of glass to place on the top. You can put a metal band around the edge of the wheel to keep the glass in place.
