Decorating Styles 101: Cowboy Chic

Filed under: Your Home, Living Room, Design, etc, Furniture

Here's how to decorate a room evocative of the American West.

While traveling through Montana and Wyoming recently, I found myself lusting after what I affectionately call "Cowboy Chic," or Western-style design. Think: Soft, plaid blankets flung over chair backs, massive stone fireplaces, animal skin rugs, furnishings built from rustic, natural woods.

"Western style today is more about creating a sense of place and personalizing it, than adhering to a checklist of standards," says Chase Reynolds Ewald, author of the drool-worthy books "The New Western Home" (Gibbs Smith, 2009) and "Cowboy Chic" (Gibbs Smith, 2001). "Twenty years ago, it would have been wagon wheels and Pendleton blankets. Now it's more individual."

Not to be confused with country or cottage decor, Mountain West interiors convey a strong sense of drama -- the style contrasts the strong elements of Big Sky Country with softer layers of textured fabrics and cozy-feeling accents. Western-style tends to be "more elemental," Ewald says. The furnishings tend to feel a little heavier than, say, those featured in a white-washed coastal beach house. The colors are often deeper, with accents in reds, browns and greens, colors evocative of the outdoors.

Ewald says that designers decorating in this style flock toward super comfy couches that are textural "in the upholstery, often woven, with bold colors such as reds or blues." Others may choose an Italian-inspired design, like classic leather or suede couches, enlivened with decorative pillows. Coffee table? Don't expect a traditional style. Designers prefer to incorporate a large ottoman upholstered in wool or leather, a style that's become popular throughout the country in recent years. "Put a sheepskin or throw over the top," she says, "and when you need it to act as a table, simply put a large tray on top for glasses."

Many Western-style homes feature warm wood flooring, with earth-toned or sheepskin throw rugs, or natural-feeling earthy and stone tiles in kitchens and baths. Windows are often minimally covered, so as not to impede the views. In the bedroom and elsewhere, expect decor straight out of the Sundance catalog, Robert Redford's ode to the American west in the form of products for the home.

We found a perfect example of the rustic, of-the-earth decorating style we're referring to at the Big EZ Lodge in -- you guessed it! -- Big Sky, Montana and another at Grey Cliffs Ranch, also in Montana. With photos of the Western-style interiors below as a guide, we asked Ewald to tell us how to get the look.

Hint: Think "Big."

How to Decorate in Western-style:

Bring the outdoors in.
Declutter the windows so as not to impede the view, and bring the outdoors in through use of colors found in the surrounding landscape. If you have no view, create a sense of outdoors through artwork such as landscape photographs or paintings. Mirrors, especially those framed in leather or Western woodwork motifs, bring in more of that ever-important light while magnifying the sense of space.


Use texture and color to create warmth and a sense of comfort/coziness.
Pendleton blankets (I know, enough already, but it is a must) and Chimayo-style weavings (can be found at all price points, either as blankets or rugs or as pillows or accents) create a Western space instantly, and are both warm and colorful.

Incorporate natural elements.
Natural elements are essential to creating the feel of the range, whether it's a river rock fireplace, an antler chandelier or driftwood candlesticks. Fur accents or sheepskins add comfort and warmth while speaking of the natural world.


Celebrate the handmade and the unique.
There are scores of artisans working by hand in the western or rustic tradition. Check out Cody High Style and Western Design Conference to find lists of artisans making lamps, furniture and metalwork accents such as fireplace screens, bags and beaded items.

Introduce classic Western accents.
Here's a primer: turquoise, stone, antlers, metalwork, weavings, vintage black-and-white photos, ranch, Native American, or wildlife imagery, rustic woodwork or wicker, beadwork, baskets and rope trim all suggest the Mountain West. Scour flea markets and online sources for vintage finds such as beaded items, Western-themed bookends, sculptures, Fiestaware pitchers, unsigned oil paintings and cowboy boots.

Personalize your western space.
Incorporate appropriate personal items such as framed photographs and furniture, even if not particularly Western, to create a sense of history and timelessness.

 

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