Western Decor and Ideas For Your Home

The cowboy western theme is a great way to make your home fun, comfortable, and functional. One of the reasons people prefer the western home 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 home filled with western home furnishings 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 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 style, 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 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 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 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 furnishings is that some believe it has a rough rugged look and feel. However, western style furnishings are 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 from a particular 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 any western decor. There is a wide variety of western home furnishings 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 whiskey bottles as decorations. It's your chance to be creative! Western decor 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, bear, 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 grasses. This decor 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 decor 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 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 personalities. 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.

By:Giorgina Devereaux