Adding liveliness, color, and warmth to their homes is something most Las Vegas homeowners try to achieve in the process of home renovation. While in the past, interior designs often aimed to create minimalistic or classic, elegant interiors, these days, Southwestern design is becoming a more and more popular choice for anyone who wants to transform their house into a cozy, charming place that reflects the American Southwest spirit.
Some of the things that make Southwestern designs stand out are warm, earthy tones, rustic textures, and geometric patterns that are inspired by Native American, Mexican, and Spanish colonial influences. It’s true that colonial times are long gone.
Still, it seems like Southwestern design is making a comeback in Las Vegas and is becoming an integral part of the luxury lifestyle of modern homeowners in the city.
If you’re considering renovating your home and adapting its interior design to the latest trends, it’s indeed worth thinking about southwestern design. In this article, you’ll find out the essence of this design and its 6 main characteristics.
Southwestern design is a type of interior design inspired by the traditions of Spanish, Mexican, and Native American cultures. This architectural style is characterized by simple and earthy elements, as well as white walls that represent a background for the bright colors of the desert.
The main purpose of this colorful palette is to reflect specific hues that can be found in the natural landscape. As a result, the most common colors of Southwestern design are terra-cotta, turquoise, and adobe red.
Another obvious characteristic that differentiates Southwestern homes is their common geometric patterns that give spaces a feeling of old times and tradition. Note that these patterns are mostly found in rugs, blankets, and wall decor.
The same can be said about rustic textures and handcrafted materials — elements that immediately create a warm and inviting atmosphere for visitors. Considering all this, Southwestern design is an especially popular design among individuals who try to bring the spirit of the Southwest into their homes.
Unlike most modern interior design styles, Southwestern design dates back several centuries and is significantly influenced by traditional American cultural heritage. Specifically, this style is inspired by American Southwest lifestyles, such as those of Spanish colonial, Mexican, and Native American people.
Among them, people who first used the Southwestern style for their interior designs were Native American tribes (Navajo, in particular). These tribes were the authors of the textile craftsmanship that became one of the main elements of Southwestern design.
Other habits, common to their lifestyle, also inspired Southwestern design. For instance, Navajo tribes used natural materials like wood, clay, and stone on an everyday basis. All these are now integral parts of Southwestern interiors.
Later, the arrival of Europeans from Spain introduced elements of Spanish decor. However, these elements didn’t replace Native American aesthetics. Instead, they were added to the already existing design.
The Spanish settlers brought with them adobe construction and ironwork techniques, which added depth and texture to the southwestern interiors.
he Mexican and American influences were the other two factors that led to the creation of a colorful fusion of cultures.
Just like every architectural design, Southwestern is based on specific elements that define its aesthetic. For instance, if an interior designer notices elements, such as earthy colors, handcrafted furnishings, and authentic accessories and art that represent Spanish or Mexican cultures, they might immediately assume that your house is designed in the Southwestern style.
Let’s take a look at 6 key characteristics of the southwestern interior design style:
Southwestern decor is a classy outline of the desert landscape. For this reason, you will frequently see earthy tones like rusty reds, burnt oranges, and even terracotta in such a design. It is also expected to notice turquoise and green colors that bring a natural vibe that represents nature.
Interestingly, southwestern homes frequently feature cactus patterns and similar decorations that outline the fantastic nature and flora of southwestern areas.
Another thing that is considered a must-have for southwestern home designs is natural materials. Among them, the most popular ones are wood, clay, leather, terracotta, and stone.
These aspects of the Southwest landscape give the room a sense of the rough and wild Southwest landscape. That’s how this design can create a genuine and earthy environment at your house.
Perhaps, not surprisingly, texture is an important factor in southwestern homes. Specifically, this style is characterized by the following layered textures — rough-hewn textiles, hand-carved wood, and wrought iron hardware.
These elements easily create depth and visual interest. Besides, these textures almost bring tactile sensations of the desert landscape, which, in turn, invite touch and exploration.
Southwestern design is almost unimaginable without vivid ceramic elements. If you don’t know where exactly these ceramics can be used, you can easily use them in the form of decorative tiles, pottery, and kitchenware.
As a result, you’ll add a sense of authenticity to your house and plus, reflect the influences of Mexican and Native American cultures.
If you could describe the southwestern interior furniture in three words, it would be split wood pieces. That’s because rustic finishes and vintage furniture are the other defining elements of southwestern design.
In order to create this vintage sense, you can get furniture that features distressed wood, weathered finishes, and aged leather.
Finally, one of the most defining features of southwestern design homes is geometric patterns. These patterns can have almost as many types as there are geometric figures. What’s more, they are as diverse as the cultural influences themselves.
This, in turn, means that these elements allow you to improvise and add personalized elements by using specific geometric patterns that reflect your personality. This can be either zigzags, diamonds, or various other tribal motifs.
To sum up, Southwestern design is attractive with its earthy palettes, natural textures, and vibrant ceramics. But of course, you need a professional artistic vision in order to create such a design.
Las Vegas homeowners who desire to create creative interior designs that suit their tastes and preferences often hire professional designers who understand the essence of Southwestern design. At Sean Design, we offer exactly that — the option to add the rich, inviting aesthetics of Southwestern interiors to your house. But this is only one of the numerous architectural design services we provide.
Regardless of your preferences, our team of expert designers will make sure to reflect your style and create a culturally enriched living space.
Contact us today and let us impress you with our unique vision!
