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4 Modern Southwestern Interior Design Trends to Bring Your Home to the Desert

Southwestern interior design trends

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.

4 Interior Design Tips to Bring the Outdoors Inside

Bring the outdoors in!

More and more, homeowners are seeking ways to incorporate the great outdoors into their home design process. There are several reasons why. For one thing, if you have a yard, why not make the most of it? There is more to owning a home than sitting inside all of the time. For another matter, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced a lot of us to spend more time at home than we normally would. If you can’t go out in public as much as you would like to, a good compromise is at least spending time in your own yard. After all, evidence from studies has shown us that the popular definitions of a happy home are a space where you feel secure, relaxed, and free to be yourself. Being able to incorporate the outdoors into your home’s design can make those good feelings even more amplified, so that’s enough of a reason to discuss your options with interior designers. But before you do so, you may want to have a few interior design ideas in mind. Some are bigger projects, while others are fairly simple. Let’s look into them below. 1. Open the Windows If you can do anything to open up your windows more and let in more natural light, then you should do it. There are so many benefits to having more natural light in your home. For one thing, it opens up the space and actually makes it feel larger (even if it isn’t). For another, opening up space in your home and creating more natural light is good for your psyche, especially as we head into the winter months. Many people find themselves sadder during the winter months, but having more natural light in your home helps combat these problems. 2. Connect Your Home To A Patio Space If you have room for a patio, why not consider adding one to your backyard? This not only connects you to your outdoor space, but it also makes your house feel larger — especially when you can simply walk out from one larger room to the patio, perhaps through French or sliding glass doors. A lot of people, for this reason, like to connect their kitchens to their patios during the design process. If you can walk out from the kitchen or dining room to a patio, your home’s space will feel amplified and it will be all the easier for you and your loved ones to enjoy a meal or a drink outside together. 3. Incorporate Nature-Based Art If it’s harder for you to make big design changes to your home right now, the design process can also be incremental. Decorating is key to designing your home’s interior and you can make your home feel more natural by incorporating nature-based artwork. Think about ordering high-saturation nature photography prints or paintings to adorn your walls. Being able to look at these design elements can make your home feel more expansive and more at-one with Mother Nature. 4. Bringing the Garden Indoors Finally, there really is something to be said for bringing the natural world into your home through gardening. Keeping plants in your kitchen or living room is not only aesthetically appealing but it can also improve your mental health. It’s even a good way to prioritize healthy indoor air quality! Think about scaling back on furniture or knick-knacks that you don’t need in favor of flowers, succulents, and other plants. We’re all a little tired of being cooped up right now. So why not consider making your house a bit more open to the outside world, even if you have to stay in? To learn more about how we can help you with the interior design process and make your home somewhere you want to be, please contact us today.

Interior Design Ideas to Consider

Interior design look

Your home should be an expression of who you are, but you may want to entertain some interior design elements that speak from today’s style and design concepts.  Professional and qualified  Interior designers work with you to make your home feel comfortable and relaxed, as well as letting you be and an individual. A sound interior designer will help you to consider your situation and think about the interior design trends that make sense for your home. whether the considerations include lighting, flooring, a new color palette, or new furniture, a professional interior designer will lead you all the way to a style all your own. Below, please find some ideas to help you get started. New Yet Classic Lighting Retro lighting and classic lines in lighting are a thing in modern homes, such as using chandeliers in the kitchen or main dining room. If you are curious about updating your lighting in the home, then starting with this type of style might be best. Interior design trends are ever-changing, so combining classic with trendy may create a look your are seeking. New Takes on Brass While brass has taken a backseat to other types of decorative metals, such as classic silver and more tarnished bronze or copper, brass has a new light of its own that makes it shine. Blended with other metals, brass is making a comeback and is used in vases, framework, railings, mirrors, and more. Interior designers will help you incorporate this metal into your home. Engineered Hardwood for Modern Floors One thing interior designers love to work with is engineered hardwood. More durable and appealing than traditional hardwood, you can get engineered hardwood in a variety of appealing styles and designs to meet your needs best. Call the team at Janet Brook’s Design today for an in home cult. You will not be sorry you did.

Why Interior Design Matters for Your Rental Home or Vacation Property

Vacation property

You own a rental home, so making the property beautiful inside and out is something you think about to keep renters coming in. Whether you own a house, condo or Bed and Breakfast, there are many benefits in choosing the right designs for your rental interior. investing in your rental home or vacation properties’ interior design can be a lucrative investment for both you and your renter. You’ll Encourage Renter Care You can encourage your renters to take better care of your rental home if the interior is well designed and has beautiful furnishings to make the space more decadent and fun. A residential Interior designer can recreate the plain and personality-lacking space of your rental home to make it engaging and charming. This can make your renters more likely to care for the home they pay to live in, and spend more monthly doing it! If you are renting on one of the online agencies, then this is even more important. You’ll Get Your Vacation Home Rented! Interior decorating makes the design of your home inviting, exciting and unique, which can make renters feel inclined to stick around or choose your rental property.  Renters that are used to plain and uninspiring dwellings can be encouraged to renew their leases and stick around longer. You’ll Encourage Applicants Having a rental home that looks more inspiring and fun than other rental homes available will help encourage your potential renters to send in more applications. Renters that want to have a beautiful home to call their own will be intrigued by the professionally-placed and crafted designs of your rental home. If there are many other rental homes available in your area, having a prettier home can make all the difference to your renters. You’ll Encourage Competitive Rental Rates If you want to get top dollar for your rental home and a repeatedly happy renter, you need to invest some money into your home’s interior. Your Interior designer can discuss paint options, insightful accents, rugs, and other embellishments  to you to make your rental home as comfortable and unique as it can be. The right renter will come along who will appreciate your efforts and pay a respectable price. Whatever your reasons are for jazzing up a rental property, you can do well to make your rental home more modern with insightful interior design. Call the team at Janet Brooks Design for a consultation today.

Why You Should Avoid Following The Latest Trends in Interior Design

interior design trends

Sometimes it feels like new trends are surfacing every day. Trying to keep up on the latest trends can feel overwhelming, but we are often drawn to do it. This might include completely reworking our indoor spaces to feature a different design style. While it can be exciting following the latest interior design trend it can actually become outdated quicker than you think. This guide will help you to learn why following trends may not be in your best interest and what you can do instead. Trends Expire When we are in the moment, researching the latest design style that has suddenly surfaced, we often overlook the fact that this trend will not be around to stay. Shops suddenly are grasping for inventory that fits in line with this particular trend and home décor stores are advertising their stock on social media. Everywhere you look, the décor and design are in your face. It is important to remember that the more suddenly it appears, often the more suddenly it will disappear. People will soon get their fix of that design style and need something else to jump on board with. This is when a new trend will emerge. So, always keep in mind that trends tend to expire. Trends are Cookie Cutter For the sake of uniqueness, trends will not bring you satisfaction. You can walk around your home, walk around your friend’s home, and walk around your neighbor’s home. If they are all designed the same, it is bound to get a little stagnant and boring when it comes to design. You may notice that you lack motivation and may wish that you had more unique pieces in your home that help you to stand out. This is because trends are often limiting, specific, and can leave you looking exactly the same as your neighbor. Your unique personality in creative interior design is what is important to shine. Keeping Up is Hard If you jump on the trend wagon, you can expect to be riding it for quite some time. This is because once the first trend you follow expires, you then may be looking to the next trend. This could happen within only a few years, which means everything you’ve incorporated into your home is now out of style. This can be frustrating, time consuming, and costly. Instead, you will want to focus on other ways that you can properly decorate your home. Find Your Signature Style Finding a style that you enjoy can be difficult work and it may take some trial and error. While a trend might be immediately appealing, that feeling can soon wear off. It is important to find design aspects that you are happy with and that you feel can last for the long term. Speaking with a professional may be able to help you hone in on your unique style. Incorporate Timeless Pieces Timeless pieces are generally not trendy or tacky pieces. These pieces can stay with you throughout the years and will become classic in their old age, holding their value. You do not have to make everything in your home a timeless piece, but it helps to incorporate them into your home. They may be focal points or usable items that help to make your home more functional. Hire a Professional Residential Home Designer The interior design industry brings in around $10 billion annually. If you want to find your unique design style and learn how to incorporate it into your home, hiring a professional home designer is a great option. Your home designer can help walk with you through every process and help you choose pieces that you can have in your home for years to come.