Add Some Spice To Your Home Decor With
Southwestern Style Decorating
Author: Matt Trostle
In the 1980s, a Southwestern decor craze swept the United
States, bringing the look of this unique slice of the American
frontier into homes from Oregon to Maine and beyond. While the
howling pink coyote that characterized that trend has since
been relegated to the dustbin of design history, an updated,
sophisticated look that combines unique ethnic and cultural
elements with a more contemporary decor approach has emerged as
a more refined alternative for lovers of Southwest style.
Across the board, the kitschy interpretation of regional trends
that characterized home design in past years has been discarded
in favor of a more subtle evocation of the unique attributes
that make places like the Southwest so irresistible.
Gone are the chili lights and cow skulls that represented
clumsy attempts at Southwestern decor in the past. Today’s
sophisticated alternative combines contemporary and
transitional furniture and design elements with a subtle
Southwestern palette and unique, understated ethnic touches.
Shimmering shades of light teals and turquoises, coral, terra
cotta and adobe-inspired tans provide the backdrop for eclectic
furniture with distressed finishes and primitive details. Bold
accent colors drawn from the dramatic natural palette of the
desert Southwest are also important.
Art, accessories, and accents bring a lively sense of place to
Southwestern interiors. Paintings, pottery, and sculptures
featuring Hispanic or Native American themes and subjects are
common, as are indigenous pottery and artifacts.
Roughly textured fabrics and textiles also provide a level of
heightened authenticity in this decor style. Architectural
details that mirror those found in many traditional
Southwestern dwellings, such as arches, kiva fireplaces, and
plastered walls, can also help complete this look.
Window treatments should be minimal, drawing on natural
materials or regional textiles whenever possible. Whether you
want to honor your Southwestern heritage or you just crave a
little extra spice in your life, Southwestern decor presents an
easy-to-achieve alternative to ho-hum interiors.
About The Author: Matt creates articles for
online furniture store. Offering premium furniture including a
large selection of bedroom furniture at
