Southwestern Style Interior Design

From the special online feature Design Styles

Generally characterized by earthtone colors, rough textures, handcrafted objects, brightly-colored woven fabrics, an abundance of terra cotta and clay tile roofs.

Colors - This room showcases a traditional palette of cactus green, adobe red and desert-toned neutral hues. Shots of bright yellow, dusty orange and turquoise are also indicative of a southwestern design.              

Textiles - Sturdy woven fabrics, leather and suede are used for upholstery; striped serapes (colorful wool shawls) can be used as pure decoration on walls.

Furniture - Leather is a common covering for sofas and chairs. Knotty pine is a popular choice for wood furniture, which may also feature a distressed finish embellished with burnished metal accents.      

Accents - Talavera pottery, painted ceramic pieces with roots in 16th-century Mexico, adds color and design interest to a desert home. Handpainted tiles are used on walls, floors and countertops. Wrought-iron is used for all types of accessories.

Host Joan Kohn tours the California rancher of Karen Garber and Andrew Sandler to see how they updated their '70s-style harvest gold kitchen. With the help of designer Ed Stough, they incorporated Southwestern color and rustic style to create a bright, informal and inviting space.

•           The first design choice made was to use the terra-cotta floor tile, which adds warmth, informality and doesn’t require constant maintenance to hide dirt.

•           Enlarging on the Southwest look of the floor tiles, neutral Formica cabinets with country pine trim and hardware were used. The countertops are also a light cream-colored Formica with pine edging.

•           A country pine table with Mexican-style wood chairs complement the other wood in the kitchen.

•           A variety of Mexican tile patterns, all using the same blue, rust and white coloring, were combined for the splash and island countertop.

•           One of the biggest changes in the room resulted from removing a large industrial-looking range hood that blocked views and created a closed-in feeling.

•           The entries to the kitchen were finished with a soft adobe-style arch.

•           A large wood hutch displays a family collection of painted dishes in bright Southwest tones.

•           A large collection of birdhouses is mounted on the garage wall that faces the kitchen, providing a charming display from the large kitchen windows.