Mission Del Rey - Rawhide Lamp Shades, Indian Drums, Rugs | Southwest Decor: Rustic decor Archives

February 02, 2008

Choosing Southwestern Rugs For Unique Native American Decorating

Southwestern rugs are an easy way to create that one-of-a-kind western, rustic or Native American look in your home decor. Because of their affordability, many designers are choosing to buy southwestern accent rugs online. Used as western rugs and also southwest area rugs on the floors throughout your home or when decorating a log cabin with a rustic or western theme, southwestern rugs give your home warmth and a definite authentic southwestern country look. When looking for American Indian style rugs, you will find a large selection of southwestern rugs to choose from and will definitely want to put a few of the most popular and sought-after rugs in your home decor. These rugs have a rich history that has grown over time and can truly be considered as pieces of art.

Among the most popular southwestern and western rugs are handmade area rugs, spirit rugs, Mexican Guadalupe rugs, Oaxaca Mexico rugs including Zapotec Indian rugs, Mohair and Navajo rugs. Each of these types of rugs mixes beautiful colors and characters, symbolizing spirituality or depictions of historical events. An excellent example of this is seen in the Southwestern Spirit rug which uses a wide variety of colors and designs. The spiritual characters used in these rugs are created in a variety of patterns and forms that show the spirituality of the people.

Not only are southwestern rugs admired for their incredible beauty, but the skill and hard work needed in making Native rugs and runners is also greatly appreciated. The makers of hand woven wool rugs are highly skilled and begin the rug making process by kneeling in front of a vertical wooden-framed loom. The designs are then put into place by using a shuttle to weave different colored yarn together, making large-scale geometric characters and designs. Initially, Navajo rugs as well as those of some other Southwest Indian tribes were weaved of hand-spun cotton thread. However, after the wool of domestic sheep was introduced to the region by the Spanish settlers, the people mainly used wool to make their colorful rugs and other traditional weaving.

Today, many of the modern southwestern rugs are made in areas where Spanish and Native American histories have melded together to create unique designs. Southwest rugs, with their rich earth tone colors and unique southwestern designs make them a great choice for rustic home decorating. If you are searching for a great southwest rug, you will probably purchase from American companies or directly from Native American weavers. Purchasing rugs from Navajo or other American Indian tribes not only allows you the satisfaction of owning a southwestern rug that is woven by Indians but also helps to support the Native American heritage of rug weaving, and the people who themselves sell their rugs, blankets, and Native American art.

The rug you purchase will certainly depend on what your tastes are and what kind of decorating you decide on. You will find that southwest rugs are an excellent southwestern accent when combined with rustic or western home decor. Whether you are decorating one room in your house or decorating an entire home using a western theme, you will find many designs and colors available to choose from. Among these options you will find everything from Zapotec rugs with no two alike, to southwest table runners and southwestern tapestries. Designers love hand woven rugs because of the rich colors and textures. Whatever your style and whatever your home decor needs, you will greatly enjoy the warmth and color brought to life in your home by decorating with southwestern rugs.

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September 17, 2007

Rawhide Lamp Shades & Southwest Rugs In Rustic Decor

Because you want your southwest home decor to be interesting as well as beautiful, make your rooms say something. Give them life with rawhide lamp shades, Native American style baskets and pottery or southwest rugs. Keep all ornamentation or rustic accessories subservient to the lines that your room naturally creates.

Try to imagine how you want each room to look when completed. For example, light or dark rawhide shades on rustic lamps can make a dramatic impression. Get the picture well in your mind, as a painter would. Use the colors of hand woven area rugs and floor runner rugs in traditional southwestern patterns. Try to think out the main features, for the details all depend upon these and will quickly suggest themselves to you. This is, in the long run, the quickest and the most economical method of furnishing and will keep you from constantly readjusting.

However, there is a theory that no room can be created all at once, that it must grow gradually. In a sense this is a fact, so far as it refers to the amateur decorator. The professional designer is always occupied with creating and recreating rooms and can instantly summon to mind complete schemes of wrought iron, rawhide and southwest rugs or wall hangings for interior design. The amateur can also learn to mentally furnish rooms. It is a fascinating pastime when you get the knack of it.

Beautiful cowboy or Indian accessories can be obtained for a minimal price, if you have established a feeling for line and color. If you are a lover of the beautiful rustic and country style but were not born with this art instinct, you can quickly acquire it. A decorator can create or rearranges one room, and then you can do the next, alone, or with assistance. In a very short time you will have spread your wings mastering the art of southwest decor, working out legitimate rustic interior design, teeming you’re your individuality.

When you observe the results, you will be pleased and may ask yourself why you like it. This is the birth of good taste. Next, you should always be willing to experiment, makes mistakes, rights them, and takes up another challenge. In this way you will grow your skill at interior decorating southwestern style and the development your knowledge of rustic home furnishings, rustic furniture and the fundamentals of western ranch, lodge and cabin elements.

Here is a tip to get you started. The more rustic accessories of natural materials you group together in a space the better the whole theme ties together. Try earthen pottery, wooden bowls and kiva ladders along with Indian drums and woven baskets. Use lamps made of wrought iron, pottery, wood or even antler lamps and rustic leather or rawhide lampshades. Then use your theme colors in your southwest rugs even if you have carpeting.

Your progress will be rapid and certain in this fascinating study of rustic southwestern decorating, if a few of the laws underlying all successful rustic interior decorating and design are kept in mind.

These are:
HARMONY in line and color scheme;

SIMPLICITY in decoration and the number of objects in a room, which is to be dictated by the usefulness of each object and insistence upon

SPACES which, like rests in music, have as much value as the objects dispersed about the room. Open space can be a welcome relief in your room.

Treat your rooms like a western still life or southwestern art. See to it that each group, such as a table, sofa, and one or two chairs make a "composition," suggesting the comfort of lodge style as well as the beauty of southwestern homes, adobe or a western ranch setting. Never have an isolated chair, unless it is placed against the wall, as part of the scheme of your home decor.

Rustic decor is a lot of fun and as well as being developed from an empty space can be achieved with existing furnishings by the addition of rustic home accessories. We cannot emphasize enough the wonderful impact that hand laced rawhide lamp shades and hand woven southwest rugs will make and they work equally well with country style. Use these simple tips and you will find that you love to decorate with southwest style and also bring the old west into your rustic, country home ideas by using beautiful southwest decor.

Visit the Mission Del Rey Southwest for more information.

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