Style Round Up: Today's Western Interior Design
by Gigi Siguenzagigi.siguenza@interiordesignschoolreview.com
Interior Design School Review Columnist
Design elements like raw plank floors and walls, cow prints, red leather furniture, and woven rugs have been the mainstay of western design for decades. While those elements will always have their place in western interior design, contemporary design has brought fresh life to this old style.
Perhaps because of our pioneer roots, many Americans have a soft spot for the traditional western interior design elements. Our fondness for those rustic planks and big cow prints are part of our interior design heritage. Western interior design has grown over the past two decades, however, taking the familiar coziness of the traditional western look and helping it to grow up.
Western Interior Design Grows Up
Driven by their creative urges, western interior designers have slowly matured this design style from its cowpoke past to a more sophisticated look and feel. Starting with the same elements that make the western style so identifiable, western interior design specialists add a touch of style and elegance.Substituting a refined wood for those raw planks retains the raw element feel but projects a subtle hint of polish. By reducing the use of the traditional cow print to subtle accents, designers make room for refined fabrics like silk and chenille with a rough visual texture. The addition of contemporary western arts and crafts maintains that down home feel but offers a touch of chic, thanks to the modern interpretation of an old standard.
Old Traditions Meet New Renditions in Western Interior Design
The art of western interior design is more than recreating the same old saloon look. It's about honoring the old west and remembering our roots, while reminding us that we are citizens of the 21st century. Clothing designer Ralph Lauren has captured this "haute cowboy" aesthetic perfectly with his home designs. Western interior design offers much to the design enthusiast eager for a challenge.Think you have a knack for Western design? Test your talents in interior design school!
Source
- Contemporary Western Design by Thea Marx
About the author:
Gigi Siguenza is a freelance writer who also works in products & marketing. Schooled in commercial art and design, she formerly worked as a kitchen and bath design specialist.
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