Remodel Your Home in a Southwestern Style

The Southwestern home style is characterized by warm tones, a variety of textures and rustic, earthy décor. This style is particularly popular in states such as Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Southern California. There are four main subcategories of the Southwest style: Western, Mexican, Native American and Modern.

Western typically uses accents of Old West décor such as bleached animal skulls and horse-themed art. The Mexican style uses Mexican blankets and the bright, colorful décor that is popular in Mexican culture. The Native American approach focuses on the art and culture of Native Americans, with dream catchers, pottery, and turquoise art and jewelry. The Modern category mostly just uses a Southwestern color scheme and landscape to create a Southwestern look. Any of these categories are still a part of the Southwestern style through their use of colors, textiles, furniture and décor pieces.

Colors

A southwestern color palette is comprised of warm earth tones inspired by the desert and brighter colors as found in Mexican and Native American art. Many Southwestern interiors are painted beige, brown or sage green and then accented with brighter colors such as yellow and turquoise. The exterior is normally a beige or tan color, often incorporating dark brown or adobe red to contrast.

Textiles and Furniture

Wood is a common textile used in Southwestern style homes to add a rustic and earthy feel to a room. Leather or suede furniture, such as couches and chairs, is popular to accent the rustic look and add a touch of luxury to an otherwise homey space. A lot of furniture is embellished with metal studs or animal hides, especially in the Western category.

Another important feature of the Southwestern style is texture. In the past, Native American and Mexican styles used clay bricks, stucco or adobe to make their walls. This look can be recreated with textured walls painted to look like these materials. Cultural blankets thrown on the sofa can add a little more texture to the room and make it feel truly homey and western.

Décor pieces

Southwestern style décor is inspired largely by Native American and Mexican culture. Terracotta pottery, Kokopelli Indian art, and Kachina dolls are all used to adorn rooms and add more character. Skulls and bones are reminiscent of desert heat and wagon wheels and saddles add a more western touch. Native American paintings on the wall or cowhide rugs on the floors add some dimension to a room without taking up any space.

Landscape

One of the most telling signs of a Southwestern home is desert foliage and landscape. This can be achieved by adding a cactus and succulent garden to your yard and desert trees like mesquites. Desert landscapes are usually minimalistic and use rock or gravel to cover the yard rather than a green lawn. An adobe or brick firepit outside can elevate the style and separate the yard from the feeling of an actual desert.

There are many different ways to add a Southwestern style to your home, whether it’s in just one room or the interior and exterior of the house. The easiest place to start is by refreshing your walls with a Southwestern color palette. Let the professionals at Arizona Painting Company bring your Southwestern dreams to life. Contact us to get a free quote for both interior and exterior painting.