AnnaRae Mills asked:


One way to give your home a warm, comfortable look and feel is with western home decorating. As you might expect, there are some items that depict cowboys and rodeos, but there’s a lot more to it than that. Come along while we explore the wide variety of furnishings and accessories that fit right in with the western style of home decorating.

Whether you just want to add a few decorative pieces here and there, or decorate your entire house, western style décor can add charm and down-home coziness. If you don’t already have a few ideas about the look and feel you want, try browsing through a few home decorating or interior design magazines. Also, print and/or online catalogs from western furnishings stores have lots of ideas and suggestions. No matter where your creative ideas come from, the best advice I can offer is to pick at least a few items that reflect your personal interests and maybe even a side of your personality that others might not be aware of. That makes your room(s) unique while allowing you a perfect opportunity for some self-expression.

One of the great things about western home decorating is that it can be done fairly quickly and in a way to fit almost any budget. Since the flavor and feel of a room usually comes from the accessories and accents, you can often decorate a room without buying new furniture and other high-dollar items. You can create the feel you want with items such as an accent rug or two, a few table decorations, a decorative lamp, sofa or floor pillows, some wall art, and whatever else you want that will match or complement the overall desired ambiance.

Often, a fresh coat of paint on the walls will do wonders for a room. Many people like the living room and other common areas to be somewhat of a neutral color. An off-white, light tan or sand color works well for western style decorating, since those are subdued earth tones. A good paint color for bathroom trim might match something in the natural landscape such as a sky blue, forest green or dusty rose color.

Floors are often overlooked when it comes to decorating, which is a shame because area rugs and accent rugs not only serve a useful purpose, but they might also be considered as art for your floor. Rugs that go great in a western styled room include animal skins (real or faux), rugs with a southwest design, sheepskin rugs, and rugs that depict wildlife or horses. There is also a leather shag rug that is made with strips of suede sewn into a rag rug that would look great in many western rooms.

Lamps and lighting fixtures are an essential part of almost any room, but we sometimes neglect to make them fit in with the overall room décor. There are plenty of lamps and lighting fixtures to choose from, including ones made from antlers or small logs or ones with depictions of western scenes that add interest and visual appeal to the western style of home decorating.

Decorative pillows with a bold design and/or a splash of color might be just right for adding a bit of panache to the room. Bright colors or a bold design on a sofa could overpower the room, but pillows and a few other accessories and accents can give you lots of flexibility to get the overall look and feel you want. You can set the mood of the room to be as wild or as mild as you want.

Some items, such as sofa pillows, floor pillows, or table centerpieces, are usually affordable enough that it might be fun to have one set for everyday use and another set that can be put in place in a matter of minutes when certain guests are expected. That way, you can enhance the “wow” factor to fit the occasion.

Small bronze sculptures or horse figurines are a good example of decorations that you can display on a table, in a curio cabinet, or on a knick-knack shelf. One of my favorite things to display is a baseball-sized geode, which is a certain type of rock that has been cut in half to reveal the crystal formations inside.

Wall art includes paintings, drawings, photographs, and more. No matter how a room is decorated, too much bare wall space can often make a room seem unfinished. Plus, items on the wall can reflect your hobbies or personal interests as well as being decorative. Some of the rugs that have a southwestern design or a depiction of a scenic vista or animals are great for hanging on a wall, like a tapestry. It may sound a little unusual, but even things like samples of barbed wire or different kinds of horseshoes can be mounted and framed to make something that really goes well in a western style room.

Whether you prefer the traditional ranch style of western furnishings or the western style with a contemporary influence for your western home decorating, you can be assured that you’ll have plenty of accessories and accents to select from that offer down-home appeal and casual charm.

AnnaRae Mills asked:


There are plenty of reasons why so many people are attracted to rooster home decor. Perhaps it’s because the rooster reminds them of time spent at a grandparent’s farm. Or, maybe it’s simply because they like the casual, down-home look for at least some of the accessories and accents in their home. Whatever the reason, rooster designs and depictions can add a vibrant splash of color to a room, especially in the kitchen and/or dining area.

Rooster home decor includes a wide variety of items. There are accent rugs, wall clocks, framed prints, table decorations, key racks, and many more things that have a rooster as part of the overall design. Some designs are rather subdued while other designs are so bold and bright that they are hard not to notice.

This type of decor is most often seen in a home decorated in the country or rustic style. However, it can sometimes be used in homes that are furnished in other decorating styles, depending on what the other decor items are like. And, since rooster designs are quite common on things like kitchen canisters, spoon rests, utensil holders, wall tiles, and wallpaper borders, there’s a good chance to see rooster-themed items in the kitchen area, no matter how the rest of the house is decorated.

The popularity of rooster home decor can be partially attributed to the vibrant colors it can add to a home, as well as the idea that the rooster represents the beginning of a new day due to their early morning habits. Also, people like various types of decor that depicts animals, whether it’s dogs, cats, horses, wildlife, or farm animals. There are a wide variety of items, such as accent rugs, sofa pillows, table decorations, curios, wall art, and much more that might feature animals.

A popular way to add rooster home decor to any room is with window accents or small figurines that can be placed on a shelf. Such items make it easy to have this fun and colorful element in any room without overwhelming the other types of decor.

There are plenty of items that let you add rooster home decor to the bathroom as well. You will be able to find toothbrush holders, soap dispensers, tissue boxes, and other bathroom accessories that have a rooster design or depiction on them.

Whether you want just a few pieces of rooster decor here and there, or if you want an entire room decorated in this theme, you will be rewarded with a warm and welcoming feeling for your home. Plus, it adds a certain touch of country charm.