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One of our favorite things about Western and ranch-style design is how much it’s inspired by the land around us. The West and the Southwestern United States are home to some of the most beautiful color palettes in nature, with rich copper-colored rock and deep turquoise skies.
While most Western decor draws from this natural palette, it can be hard to determine what types of colors to use in your space, how much of one color you should use, and how you should use it!
Before you get too worried about “rules” of color, know that interior design is really all about balance. When using color in your space, keeping a balanced look in the room is the most important thing. That can be achieved with bright, bold colors or a more neutral palette; either way, decide what colors and interior design styles you love best and then just strive for balance.
Of course, we’re never afraid of going with a bold, colorful look! So below, get a few tips on how we approach using color in our own designs.
Think about your space.
Are you decorating a small study? A larger family room? A tiny guest bedroom? The function of the room plays an important part in deciding how to use color. Sometimes, it can be easier to experiment with a bold use of color in smaller spaces, such as a powder bathroom or office. For larger rooms that are used the most (such as the kitchen or family room), it may be easier to use bolder colors in smaller ways, such as through art and accessories. Think about the space in relation to the rest of the home, as well. Balancing color throughout your Western home is just as important as balancing it within each room.
Build out an intentional color palette.
One of the best things you can do before buying furniture, painting walls, or just swapping out pillows, is to develop a color palette early on in the design process. If it helps, jot down the three to four colors you want to primarily use in the room, or create a digital “mood board” on Pinterest. Sometimes, the color palette may come together before you purchase new furniture or visit the paint store, or it may come after you’ve found the sofa or rug of your dreams. Either way, before you get too far into the design process, it’s important to decide on a color palette that you can stick to throughout the design process. This is the best way to ensure your room’s design will look intentional and cohesive.
Choose an accent color.
As part of developing your color palette, we recommend using either a majority of warm tones or a majority of cool tones and selecting one accent color from the opposite palette. For instance, if you love turquoise as much as we do, choose it as your accent color. Then complete your palette with mainly warmer colors, such as rich mahogany, golden brown, and warm white. Since turquoise is on the other side of the color spectrum as a “cool” tone, it will give your design the contrast it needs to feel complete.
Choose colorful pieces carefully.
Sometimes, it’s fun to go crazy with one item in the space, whether a sofa, the wall color, artwork, a rug, or another similar piece. For instance, if you find a richly-colored rug that you love, go for it; then simply choose neutral pieces to round out the other larger pieces in the space. This achieves that important balance while letting you go as colorful as you want with that special statement piece.
Have fun with accessories.
If you want to create fun moments of color throughout your room using your accent color, go with more affordable items such as throw pillows, throw blankets, and other small decor items. These types of items can be rearranged and swapped out easily, without breaking the bank, which makes your design more flexible.
Visit us for help finding pieces for your colorful Western home!
If you’re wanting to use some color in your next design, we’d love to help! Our western-style furniture and decor comes in all tones and shades, and we can help you find that important design balance while having some fun with color. Come in to shop our Fort Worth showroom and get some Western design advice! Visit us at 11651 Camp Bowie West Boulevard.
