Check out seven tips to update your home decor to create the perfect Western vibe.
A sprawling log cabin nestled in the Montana mountains isn’t in the budget for many of us, though the idea of cozying up to a rock fireplace with a bearskin rug is a thing of dreams. While a Yellowstone-style ranch isn’t attainable for every Western lifestyle enthusiast, updating a home—be it a studio apartment in Chicago, Ill., or a mid-century modern home in Houston, Texas—with Western pieces can be done with ease.
“Not everything has to be a big investment,” says Kathy Anthony, who has worked with Christie & Company design in Houston, Texas, since 2004. “If you want to bring in Western slowly, start by adding small items like a Western-themed tea towel and cookbook to the kitchen. Adding a leather couch, black iron or pine furniture is one idea that can refocus a room. If you want to keep a more contemporary sofa, use a Navajo rug on the wall as art, then add some pillows with the design. Iron or a piece of wood as a coffee table or accent table also add a Western feel to the room.”
Though most that opt to go Western take an all-in approach, according to Anthony, it doesn’t have to be all boots and spurs.
“Don’t be afraid to mix patterns with metals, wood with glass, and include color,” says Anthony. “Layers of tones and textures add depth and richness to a home. A buffalo check with a stripe, that works. Start with the basics. Use pieces you already have and add small touches until you feel that it fits a look you want that shows off your style.”
Here, Anthony lays out seven tips on how to update your current décor to represent an appreciation for the West.
1. Start with Alternative Art
A Fringe-brand Western scarf is as beautiful on the wall as it is around someone’s neck. The hanging system was purchased on Amazon for less than $100; the cactus-style hangers used on the hat wall were also bought on the website. Hats can add a fun, 3-D element to a wall and also serve as storage.
One of the easiest way to update a room or home is to change the art on the walls. Don’t forget, not all art is a print.
“You can’t go wrong investing in quality Western art that fits with your current color scheme, and there’s a lot to choose from,” says Anthony. “If purchasing art isn’t in the budget, find a print of an old map to give an Old West vibe to a room. Put an older map behind glass, frame it in wood, and make it the center of a grouping of art or more colorful prints on the wall.”
◆ Hang tack pieces on Western-style hooks, like cactus, to add another element.
◆ Fill the wall with cowboy hats that have different colors, styles and textures.
◆ Use a scarf with scarf-hanging system instead of a framed print.
◆ Use wooden frames to add texture.
2. Add Texture
Pillows add color and texture to this modern monochromatic bedroom style. The longhorn above the bed blends in the Western vibe.
Anthony suggests adding pillows and throw blankets in a Western color scheme or leather or hair/coat textures to start bringing in the new vibe.
“If you already have striped pillows on a dark gray couch, for example, add in some Pendleton-style pillows with different colors,” she says. “Bring in texture and a Western scene using a hooked wool pillow, or get a saddle blanket as a chair accent.”
3. Replace Rugs
Whether on the floor or on a wall, layer the look of the rug to help it be a showcase symbol, like this cowhide serving as a backing for this shelf.
Instead of sticking with one basic rug over a wood or concrete floor, Anthony suggests adding a layering look of cow-hide rugs or a Navajo rug. Layering the rugs can add color, bring in texture, and update the color scheme. Plus, rugs warm a room.
4. More Metal
If you love your bed, couch, or dining table, keep it. Anthony suggests adding iron, glass or metal furniture and accents to your existing pieces to bring in those Western style elements. But don’t forget to have some patterns to mix up the elemental look.
“Break up the iron and leather Western vibe with colorful Native rugs, jewelry or art,” she suggests. “Use patterns in rugs or pillows to add interest to a room.”
5. Go Wild
Framing this bar area with skulls brings the mood while also keeping it streamlined and focused without cluttering the wall.
While hunting is a staple in the West, it doesn’t mean that you must take part to add in an element of taxidermy or natural décor. Anthony has styled antlers, from whitetail deer to elk, on fireplace mantles, on cabinets or as coffee table toppers.
Some flea markets or vintage shops have skull mounts of deer or other animals that can be grouped with art on the wall to give a more Western aesthetic to a room. Look around and see if there is a taxidermy piece that fits the ambiance of your home.
6. Shelf Savvy
Books focused on the Western lifestyle can showcase your interest while also serving as décor.
“If you have books as part of your décor, consider changing from historic titles to more Western style, using photo books, cute books on turquoise, or even books on Western history,” says Anthony. “Find photo-heavy books that you can leave open on a table, or books with titles on the spine that can make a visitor stop and look.”
7. Stock the Saloon
Tea towels not only work for drying hands, they serve as décor to inspire or entertain in the kitchen or on a bar area.
The kitchen may not include swinging doors at the entry, but that doesn’t mean Western décor doesn’t fit in. Try everything from adding wooden cutting boards to stocking decorative cookbooks.
“If you have a bar, find another tea towel that brings in the fun Western for you to enjoy,” says Anthony. “Several companies offer silver-etched glasses that have Western scenes on them, or simply purchase some stir sticks that remind you of the West. Anywhere you can find a way to bring in an element of fun to your home, do it.”
Budget Buying
Looking to add some Western flair to your home without breaking the bank? Check out these online shops:
◆ Rod’s
◆ Sheplers
This article about western decor tips appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of Western Life Today magazine. Click here to subscribe!
