Even if you don’t live in the Southwest, that colorful and stylish décor is a great choice for any home. You can incorporate a Southwestern theme into just about any room in the house, from the family room to the bedroom. Here are some tips and ideas to get your creative juices flowing if you are considering a Southwestern theme for your home.

Colors to Consider
When you choose a color scheme for your Southwestern décor, it’s best to start with the colors of the desert. Start with colors such as tan, brown, red, and orange. Focus the color scheme on those colors and then add some more flavor with other colors like yellow, turquoise, and green. You can really liven up the room with these accent colors, giving it some flair. If you don’t want such dark colors in the room, you can always go with something like cream or tan and then use orange, brown, or red to accent things instead.

Southwestern Furniture Choices
If you’re going for a Southwestern look, you want to choose furniture made of wood, which will give the whole room an organic feel. A great wood selection, for instance, would be knotty pine. Furniture made from wooden poles that have been woven together is very typical in Southwestern furniture. Decorative carvings in the wood are another popular and very attractive feature in Southwestern décor.

Fabrics to Consider
A frequently used fabric in Southwestern décors is leather. Leather is used in artwork and accessories, in addition to couches and chairs. You might also add an attractive visual touch with an Indian print blanket or wall hanging, both which provide appeal and vibrancy. Sling these striped and patterned blankets on the back of couches or chairs, or even place them in wooden baskets. If you like, you can also opt to use a fringed blanket as an art piece, hanging it on a large wall. One thing’s for sure, these masterpieces provide a great way to bring color and interest to your Southwestern-themed room.

Other Accessories to Add
As you begin to fill in the décor with other accessories, look for items commonly found in Native American and Mexican cultures. You might also choose to recall the area’s natural features by mixing in pieces such as wrought-iron cacti and desert flowers. By placing these plants and flowers in terra-cotta pots and reed baskets can add a really authentic touch. Native American figurines and artwork, hand-painted vases, clay pots and plates, and wrought-iron candle holders also make great accessories for this type of décor.

You can have a ton of fun decorating with a Southwestern theme. It allows you to pay homage to some different cultures, plus you are given a lot of leeway in terms of incorporating unique pieces into your design. This theme is both rustic and elegant, so it’s important to take the time to be sure everything comes together smoothly. You will end up with a casual atmosphere that your guests won’t be able to stop talking about.