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Western Home Decorating
by Giorgina Devereaux
Western home decorating and furniture is a
great way to make your home fun, comfortable, and functional.
One of
the reasons people prefer the western home decor style is that it reminds
them of a favorite trip to a place where nature abounds, such as Yosemite.
It also brings to mind
movies of old Westerns with tumbleweeds blowing around and rugged
singing cowboys.
A
room filled with Western home decorating is warm and inviting, with lots of visual interest.
It’s a
wonderful way to welcome family and friends, and provides a relaxing
retreat from the distractions of a challenging day.
There are
several ways to
transform your room into a cowboy Western decor theme.
Although some work
will be involved in order to achieve this, keep in mind that it will be
fun and at the same time very rewarding once you see the end result.
Color
is very important to any theme. With Western home decorating and furniture, the wood is usually
a honey color and the metals should be black.
For accent colors, you
may use terra cotta, brick red, navy, or forest green, along with a
neutral colored background of creams, grays, and tans.
You may opt for
two-tone colored walls or a single color for the wall.
For
flooring, you may, for
instance, decide on a checkered floor with earth tone ceramic tiles for
the game room.
For the home office or bedroom, consider hardwood or
laminate flooring in a dark color for that country Western feel.
However, if you are not interested in changing the floor, you can
explore different Western style rugs and arrange them around the room.
This way, you will have a fabulous Western home decorating look without going through
the expense of tearing up and laying down a new floor.
For
wall art, look for Western posters, prints and artwork. Some of the
best places to find this type of art are at second hand stores and
country Western furniture theme stores.
You may take it one step further and
include branding irons, ox yokes, antler pieces, and animal skins for
that added western feel.
It’s essential to have a vision of the kinds
of pieces you want so that you purchase ones in the right sizes and
proportions.
Lighting
is an important component
to creating a great Western theme that’s fun and functional.
To bring
lighting into your room, add a couple of vintage Western home decorating lanterns to
your tabletops. You may also include a wall sconce or two with bulls or
cowboys for ambiance since it is low lit.
To draw a lot of light into
the room, you may need a bigger lighting fixture, such as a chandelier
or pub lamp.
A nice touch is an antler chandelier or one that looks
rustic. Pub lamps look great in game rooms.
There are also country
Western themed table lamps that look fabulous in just about any room.
A
common fallacy about Western home decorating is that some believe it
has a rough rugged look and feel.
However, Western furniture is well-built and possess a casual elegance of their own. There is
some amazing looking country western furniture made from wagon wheels.
It’s a neat look, but not very comfortable.
Other options include
pieces that are hand carved or log furniture. Wood carved furniture
gives the room a cozy log cabin feel. You can choose from log
furniture, twig and branch furniture, or mission style furnishings.
If
you want to add an impressive piece of furniture, try including an
unpainted solid wood coffee table. Unpainted furniture looks beautiful
and is quite eye catching.
For
seating, Western bar stools are wonderful because they bring the
feeling of the rugged outdoors back inside.
You can use these stools at
a breakfast bar, pub table, or around a pool table. The stool seats are
either round or square shaped, and the stools are made of some type of
wood, with some being made of wrought iron.
Extreme attention to detail
is given when they are manufactured because of the carved legs and
feet, along with extras such as nail heads, tassels, and saddle seats,
which all contribute to the western theme.
The great thing is that
these stools have a real heavy look to them. The wood legs are thicker
with heavy seats and backs that give the look of a sturdy support
system to each stool.
The leather and other hides used in these stools
make them fit for authentic Western decorating. There is a wide variety of Western
furniture that includes sofas, chairs, tables, coat racks, and
more.
Lastly, let’s talk about
accessories. This is like going on a treasure hunt.
You want to search
for things that will boost the overall western appearance. For
instance, you can incorporate boot spurs, an antler clock, or whisky
bottles as decorations. It’s your chance to be creative!
Western
home decorating and furniture is about inviting
the outdoors in and there is no doubt that a motif is essential with
this theme. You can include animal motifs such as deer, cattle, bears,
moose, or fish.
Also, the use of antlers as a candelabra, candle
holder, or coat rack is an excellent way to bring out the western
theme.
Other motifs are comprised of outdoor scenes such as fishing,
riding, hunting, lakes, rivers, pine cones, oak trees, wildflowers, and
grass. This décor will add an incredibly comfortable feel without
costing an arm and a leg.
The beauty is that you can use horseshoe
sconces, twig framed mirrors, old blue jeans, dried flowers, and quilts
to accessorize as well. You can also display horse figurines on a shelf
or place native pottery on side tables.
Also, leather is perfect for
cowboy home decor, along with anything that is rough and textured.
Suede, wool tweed, birch bark, fur, and even saddle blankets can be
used for that western look.
Try to choose unique knick knacks that are
representative of your personality.
For
a touch of softness, decorative pillows are an attractive choice.
Pillows put a charming touch to bathrooms, dining rooms, living rooms,
and kitchens. They can be used in the kitchen or bathroom by arranging
them on chairs, shelving, or an area of interest. Placing pillows on a
chair or couch will help tie in the western décor to the furniture and
room.
For added interest and drama, consider using pillows made from
thick material.
You can
also accent furniture
through the use of a faux fur throw that has white and black cow spots.
This gives the feeling of being in the company of cowboys and is a
welcoming form of comfort because it adds warmth and gives the room a
luxurious feel without the hefty price tag.
You can also add an
eloquently designed tapestry throw consisting of a band of running
horses or a group of cowboys gathered around to watch the sun setting.
For this style, it is always best to combine neutral colors with
striking designs inspired by nature.
Although the Western home decorating style uses a
lot of little details, be assured that most of these things are simple
to find.
Sometimes,
we may not realize it,
but the furnishings and accessories we choose for our home are often a
reflection of our interests and personality.
Taking the time to
carefully find the right pieces will create the ideal home environment
that we can enjoy and feel extremely proud of for many years to come.
Related article: Western Party
Decorations
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