Voodoo Vibes

Crystal Geode

Western Home Decorating Has Many Aspects

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.

About the Author

AnnaRae Mills loves informal home decor; especially the western, rustic, southwestern, country, and lodge styles. She has dozens of great decorating tips to share with you. Plus, see more than 375 pictures that show why casual home decor is more popular than ever. Go to http://www.Western-Home-Decor.net

silver crystal geode?

My wife bought a necklace with a small geode in it. The crystals are silver in color and are very sparkly. We aren't sure what it is and were wondering if anyone has any ideas.

It could be a lot of things, hematite, galena, etc. Care to post an image?

	Agate Geode OCCOs 1 Kilo (2.2 lbs) Assorted 5 to 9 Pieces - Grade B Sale Price: $44.95
	This is a great selection of 5 to 9 pieces that weigh approx 1 kilo (2.2 lbs). Wonderful decorative item to place around the house. Since these are natural stones no two are alike and each order there will be differences. All specimens are beautifully polished on one side.

	Crystal Lined Oco Geode with Amethyst Crystal Pendant With Black Choker Cord Sale Price: $8.99
	This is an genuine polished Oco Geode with an Amethyst Crystal mounted in the middle to be worn as a necklace or pendant. A black choker is included. Each Oco Geode is approx. 1 1/2" long and 1 1/2" wide. The Amethyst Crystal is gold mounted and hangs free in the middle. Amethyst is a purple variety of quartz and is the birthstone associated with February.

	Scientific Explorer's Ultimate Crystal Growing Science Kit List Price: $29.99 Sale Price: $21.19 Average Rating:
	With 15 crystal-growing activities, the Ultimate Crystal Kit has more crystals for you to grow than any other kit. You'll learn all about the various forms crystals take, and then grow every type of crystal imaginable, including giant gems, glowing geodes, and an entire crystal garden.

	Young Scientist Series - Set 3: Minerals (Kit 7) - Crystal (Kit 8) - Fossils (Kit 9) List Price: $26.99 Sale Price: $16.13 Average Rating:
	Conduct Earth Science experiments in your very own living room. Grow a salt rock garden, rock candy and string crystals. Break open a large Geode. Identify five unknown minerals using the streak, hardness, magnetic and acid tests. Study a fossil. And finally, complete this set by making a cast and a mold fossil that will impress any budding scientist.

Break Your Own Geodes List Price: $9.95 Sale Price: $9.95 Average Rating:

Specially sorted geodes guaranteed 95% to have hollow pockets meaning little to no duds. Range from marble to golf ball size. Most have stalactites hanging from the top or bottom of the geode similar to a miniature cavern. Be the first to discover the prehistoric treasure inside each one. Make an interesting scientific experiment out of this product. Theory of formation and instructions on how to open Geodes are Printed on label. Adult supervision is required.

	Semi Precious Stone Sliced Agate Geode Crystals Toggle Bracelet By Jack E Ohs NYC List Price: $49.99 Sale Price: $31.99
	We've seen geode gemstone bracelets, but none as beautiful and unusual as this one by Jack E Ohs. We are SURE you'll like it. We took as many close-up photos as we could to show you its beauty