Overview of Southwestern Decor



Posted: Monday, March 14, 2005

by
Online Discount Mart Home & Garden Decor

Anyone who has spent time in the southwestern part of the United States, is familiar with the dry, sunny climate, the cacti and yucca plants, the clear blue skies and blazing sunsets, the blood red rocks, golden aspen trees and rough terrain. The taste and decor of the American southwest is a unique art form which manages to continue the colorful desert landscape right into our living rooms. If anyone has spent time in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, or Southern California, the rugged beauty is not easily forgotten. If you live there now or long to return, there are an abundance of ways to bring splashes of desert beauty into your own home, even if you live in a damp, chilly climate. With a few simple decorating ideas, you can be magically transported to the sunny, wide-open spaces of the American southwest.

The first thing to remember is that the desert southwest is anything but dull. The word “desert" incites a variety of visualizations, including sand dunes, tumbleweeds and scorpions. The desert is all these, but so much more. The desert southwest is prolific with plant life, just a different type of plant life: pinion and cedar trees, tall grasses, and of course the succulents. Wildflowers abound in the desert: Indian Paintbrushes and sagebrush blooms. What the desert lacks in greenery and vegetation, it makes up for in the multicolored rocks and the varying colors seen in the sky. In the desert, rainstorms, sunsets, and blue skies just look different somehow better. The key to southwestern décor is to capture the desert sensation and bring it into your home.

Traditionally, a room decorated in southwestern themes won’t be tight and crowded with “stuff." Southwestern decor, like the landscape, is sparse, yet elegant simple, yet charming. Here, you won’t find the frills of the Deep South or the cozy antiques and lace of New England. Rooms with a southwestern decor need bright walls – even if the color of choice is white or ivory, that’s fine – the idea is to stay away from wood paneling, wallpaper, or dark, somber colors. A room might be a pale yellow with orange or teal trim. Colors are bold and unexpected, or light and earthy, but always bright and reminiscent of the desert.

Southwestern furniture demands simplicity while its accessories are ornate. Much of the furniture used in southwestern decor is made of pine or aspen and is rarely stained or lacquered instead, it is either left in its unfinished state with just a light, clear finish, or it is painted, sometimes with only one coat of paint, to allow the natural look of the wood to show through. Large items are basic, usually in solid colors. Picture a red-painted Shaker table and chairs for the dining room with a bright yellow stoneware vase filled with sunflowers. Or the table might be rough and unfinished, but with cobalt blue pottery or red geraniums as a centerpiece. Imagine a simple mocha-brown leather sofa with a multicolored Native American blanket thrown across the back and bright red throw pillows at the ends. Visualize a wagon wheel coffee table, either unfinished or painted any color you like, with a glass top and a cacti arrangement in a piece of bright teal stoneware.

Regardless of how brightly the walls are painted and how many windows you have, you’ll still need artificial lighting. In any other setting, it would look ridiculous, but in the midst of southwestern décor, a big chandelier made of deer antlers fits nicely. Floor lamps can be wrought iron or thick wood, and rawhide lampshades will give a warm glow like the southwestern sunsets. Window treatment should be simple: wooden mini blinds in a solid color with a simple window topper, if desired.

The southwest is known for its colorful Native American artwork. The only difficulty in adorning the walls with paintings and accessories will be choosing among all the options. Seen in nearly every southwestern home is a cow skull decorated with flowers, peppers, or simply painted with Native American designs. R.C. Gorman is among many painters who have brought to life the beauty of Native American women. Brightly colored Mexican tiles, barbed wire wreaths and bunches of hanging chili peppers add more southwestern charm to the room. Rustic curio cabinets and shelves will look authentic with a Kachina doll and another piece of colorful stoneware. Metal wall sculptures of suns, stars or a dancing Kokopelli will add a nice touch.

Southwestern decor has a plethora of options to fit many different pocketbooks. Just remember, if in doubt, does it remind you of the desert? After decorating your southwestern lair, don’t be surprised if you think you hear the whispering desert winds and even the faint howl of a coyote in the distance.

By Paulla Estes
Lorien1973 writes articles about home decor and garden decor for such sites as Online Discount Mart.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Rosie Kelley
from Waldorf, MD 6 years 207 days ago.
I found this article very helpful and descriptive of southwestern decorating. I am just starting to decorate my house in southwestern decor and the article has given me a lot of guidance.
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