How to Decorate a Home in the Western Style

A cactus plant successfully accents a Southwestern-themed space.

When decorating your home in western style the look should be free spirited and largely reliant on organic forms and natural materials. Borne out of necessity, often eclectic western decor and fashion grew out of the natural, rustic or elemental materials that were available to Native Americans and early western explorers and settlers.



For Southwestern style, a regional variation on the western theme, use the desert landscape and other natural elements as inspiration. Adobe and mission-style architecture as well as warm earth tones, handmade pottery, silver pieces and desert-inspired designs and patterns are all well represented.

Things You'll Need

• Wall paint
• Furniture constructed of natural fabrics and rustic materials
• Sunset-inspired textiles
• Talavera pottery pieces
• Wrought iron pieces
• Native American baskets and jewelry
• Bronze cowboy sculpture
• Hand-carved wood accessories

Instructions

1. Paint the walls a desert- or sunset-inspired color. Choose a shade such as deep red, orange, taupe, mauve or muted yellow for a warm look. Pick turquoise or sunny yellow for a vibrant touch.

2. Decorate with furniture featuring natural fabrics and rustic materials. Contemporary western style successfully combines elegance with and rustic elements, such as delicate wrought iron work and rough-hewn wood. Enhance a living room with a dark brown leather or suede couch and chair set. Go with a taupe cotton-upholstered set for a lighter look. Pick a bed headboard, dresser and night stand set made of recycled barn wood or dark wood with wrought iron hardware.

3. Enhance the spaces with Southwestern- or Western-inspired textiles. Fold a fine woolen Hudson Bay trader's blanket or a woven cotton throw featuring cactus or coyote designs over the back of a chair or at the foot of a bed. Place a dusty orange, gold, deep red and olive green striped rug on hardwood floors. Hang a woven tapestry featuring warm hues or a striped serape, which is a traditional wool shawl, on an empty bedroom or living room wall.

4. Accent rooms with Talavera pottery pieces, bronze Charles Russell cowboy sculptures and Native American basketry and jewelry to create an authentic western vibe. Fill ceramic pot with evergreens or cacti. Use pottery, carved wood containers or woven baskets to store bathroom essentials such as cotton balls and swabs, or kitchen utensils.

References

• Apartment Therapy: Mixing Southwestern Rugs and Modern Furniture
• Contemporary Western Design: Western Design 101