southwest

Southwestern Living Room Design Ideas

Southwestern Living Room Design Ideas

Southwestern style is inspired by the beauty and romance of the Old West and the desert landscapes. You take the rugged and earthy styles of history and blend it with the modern conveniences of the new and create something magical.  More than almost any other style Southwestern is immediately recognizable the moment someone steps into your room.  If you love this style and aren’t sure how to incorporate into your home here are some Southwestern living room design ideas to get you started.

Using Color in the Southwestern Style

Southwestern style takes the inspiration for color right from nature and if you think there isn’t much color in the desert you couldn’t be more wrong.  Across this design scheme you will find rich golds, salmon, reds and turquoise that come right from nature itself.  You can take a neutral colored room and add splashes of rich accent colors or if you are brave enough you can splash color everywhere.  However keeping your colors to just too or three that work together ties your room together nicely.

Big and Sturdy Furniture

The furniture that you find in Southwestern designed homes tends to be solidly built and rugged.  There are lots of solid hardwood tables along with big leather couches.  It can have a tendency to get a bit overbearing if you don’t balance the heavier furnishings with smaller or more delicate pieces.  Painted and distressed looking tables look stunning when places against the heavier leather sofas.  Here is some help on putting a living room together.

Hand Painted Pottery

Pottery can be found in any style of design but Southwestern pottery has its own look and feel.  It uses earth tone color with simple, if any, patterns around the middle.  The pottery is often finished with a matte finish rather than a glossy glaze.  Look for pieces that have been handmade and painted while they may be a little pricier they just have so much more impact that mass produced terra cotta pots.

Play with Texture

There are so many different textures in a Southwestern home, from the exposed beams and trusses, stucco exteriors and the big stone fireplaces that are often the focal point of the living room.  When it comes to furnishings you have the buttery soft leathers on the sofas and the plush throws and area rugs.  Southwestern design is as much about the feel of things as it is about the visual effect.…

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southwest

Start Small with Southwestern Design Elements

Start Small with Southwestern Design Elements

One of the most popular themes in interior design today is the Southwest theme.   While to some it can mean a lot of pottery and rugs with the color turquoise dominating the color scheme, and to others it may be just incorporating a lot of rustic wooden furniture.  Decorating in the Southwestern style can be tricky it is very easy to cross that fine line between great design and tacky.  If you are new to Southwestern design then you might want to start off with a table or two.  Coffee and end tables can make a bold statement without being overbearing.  Here is how you can start small with Southwestern design elements.

Start with a Coffee Table

You can get a Southwestern coffee table in lots of different styles.  There are some exquisite pieces that are constructed with kiln dried pine that come with a beautiful rustic iron base.  There are color variations that will still fit the Southwestern look that you’re going for but keep each piece unique.  Pine is a great wood to work with, it has a smooth golden shade with plenty of knotholes that add character.  The iron base is what gives it its Southwest flavor and you can top it off with some great locally made pottery.  You can also add a Southwestern or Navajo rug underneath your table to make the room even warmer.

Adding More Color

If you want a table that is a focal piece and has a lot more color to it then adding a Talavera tile top to the table might be just what you’re looking for.  Using that same kiln baked pine as a base these table add a layer of tile to the top.  The tiles come from Mexico and are beautifully hand painted, you can add sun designs or nature seasons.  The table alone makes a statement so there is no need to find pottery to place on top.

It’s fairly easy to go over the top when it comes to Southwestern design, there is a pretty fine line between perfect and too much.   You can start with small pieces to have that authentic Southwestern look you love and add elements in gradually until you have reached that peak of perfection.  Start with a coffee table and maybe a couple of pieces of art throughout the room, combined with a high quality area rug and then you have reached perfection.…

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southwest

Southwestern Rugs or How I Found My Interior Design Bliss

southwestern decor living room

Southwestern Decorating Has Become My New Obsession

I believe southwestern décor in our environment impacts the interactions we have with one another and the process of decorating affects our mental wellness.

Although I am an introvert, I love being at my friends’ and families’ homes. A home is a place where we can be ourselves and grow closer together. For me, the physical environment is a huge part of it. I have been at friends’ homes that are very minimalistic and although it is “aesthetically pleasing”, it doesn’t feel warm or inviting but hygienic, like a doctors’ office. On the other hand, other friends’ homes have all kinds of artwork, different patterns on couches and carpet, and many kinds of colors everywhere. In those homes, I can feel a little overwhelmed and distracted because there is so much to look at, kind of like walking around Venice Beach Boardwalk.

 

Although southwestern décor may not make or break my relationships, it definitely can impact my behavior in a place I consider so sacred. Rather than a home being a place of freedom and intimacy, the décor and space can keep me in a more protective and distracted mindset. In turn, it can keep me from fully investing in what I normally would into an interaction. I know that sounds pretty extreme but an environment, including décor, make a difference in the ways we respond to each other.

However, since discovering southwestern decor, my view has really shifted. I’ve begun to really appreciate decorating and have found a real peace and happiness within it. I stumbled on a southwestern style Pinterest board and have been obsessed ever since. Last weekend, I spent hours trying to find the perfect southwestern rug for my newly created southwest style home.

Another reason décor and the process of decorating is important is the creativity involved. I work in a school, I’ve gone to school for a long time, and I am about to go to school for a little bit more. Although this is changing slowly, assignments in school and work processes are taught to us and we are to follow the instructions given. I understand that we do not know how to do everything and need to be taught.

However, in order for us to learn, we need to practice a task in a way that someone else requests for it to be done. When decorating the places we live, individuals get to be creative and dream up their own visions as well as problem-solve how they will achieve their décor-related goals. Whether one is living alone or in a group, the individuals involved can come together and assess what they want a place to feel and look like then execute that vision in the way they decide. Using our imaginations is important and stretching the artistic muscle can add a little color, literally and figuratively, to everyday life.

In my opinion, décor in a home has an impact on social interactions and using our imaginations. There are many other reasons that it can be important, whether it points to culture, history, or achievements, but the ones I mentioned above are the reasons that it matters most to me.…

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