Southwestern interior design trends were once emblematic of Arizona and New Mexico, imitated across the United States in the 1970s. But the reality is that, as with any decorating trends, they gradually went out of style as people grew tired of the typical desert paintings and buffalo hides. As there are demand for new design ideas, and with the interior design industry generating roughly $10 billion on a yearly basis, it should come as no surprise that Southwest design is a powerful design element.
The last thing you want is for your decor to look like you’ve traveled back in time to the 70s, therefore, Janet Brooks Design have worked hard to find new ways of incorporating Southwest interior design into your home. With the design ideas below, you can head out to the Southwest from the comfort of your own home. No traveling back in time needed. In the past, residential home designers incorporated cacti into decorating aesthetics in less straightforward ways. It wasn’t uncommon to see large paintings of cacti in homes seeking a Southwestern design. But eventually, more artistic portrayals of cacti became associated with kitsch rather than the Southwest itself.
A great way of getting around this while at the same time incorporating these Southwestern icons into your decorating aesthetic is to simply keep real cacti in your home. Cacti come in many different shapes and sizes. Some are larger than others; some have literal thorns while others are much less thorny and easier to handle. Indeed, some cacti come with brightly colored flowers. It’s easy to bring a bit of cacti into your home, keeping them potted in bright, sunny areas. These plants are rather easy to maintain as well. Famously, they don’t need to be watered very often!
1. Neutral Artwork
If you would like to incorporate Southwestern art into your decorating sensibilities without going over the top, there are ways for you to do so. Much of what defines kitsch art is an over the top, somewhat cheesy sensibility. Therefore, bright colors and bubbly styles are associated with the kitsch art of the 1970s.
Why not pursue a Southwestern subject matter through a neutral, minimalistic artistic aesthetic? A lot of people have been bringing the Southwest into their home’s artwork through line work. Neutral artwork, or even black and white line art, can depict Southwestern subject matter like horses or tumbleweeds in a way that is reminiscent of artists’ sketches. This way, you can enjoy a Southwestern look without feeling overwhelmed.
2. Earth Tones
Going beyond neutral artwork, let’s explore the types of colors that can create a modern Southwestern feel within your home. If you’d really like to create an earthy look within your home, you may want to consider adding in earth tones. Earth tones include warm browns, terracottas, dusty pinks, and mellow blues reminiscent of the open night sky.
The reason why you should consider these color schemes is that they create a sense of warmth. While it’s not necessarily possible for you to bring the Southwestern sun into your home, you can emulate it through the colors that you use for everything from your walls to your furniture.
3. Rustic Furniture
Generally speaking, rustic furniture can be incorporated into a home in a number of different ways. You can emulate the rustic look by buying furniture that is specifically meant to imitate antiques while at the same time being brand new, if you aren’t comfortable with older furniture. But if you are, you and your interior designers can shop antique stores and estate sales to find the perfect rustic pieces that are truly off the beaten path.
Southwestern furniture will often be wooden, perhaps a bit rough around the edges. You could compare it to country rustic furniture but with a bit of a desert-worn edge.
There are a lot of aspects for you to consider as you pursue a modern Southwestern vibe for your home. By working with our interior design team, who have their fingers on the pulse of design trends, you can get exactly what you want while ensuring that you aren’t harkening back to outdated trends.