When I was around 12 years old my mom decided it was time to abandoned the pale blue painted walls that had been in my bedroom since before I was born (yeah, they thought I was going to be a boy). Even though we lived in Pennsylvania I immediately gravitated towards a roll of Southwestern-inspired wallpaper with accents of green, purple, and peach pastels. The patterns and textiles of the southwest have a way of resonating like that, whether you go big or small in impact.

Pillows, throw blankets, and upholstery can each add their own touches of rich texture and design to a space. Pull colors into the rest of the decor from the palette created in each design as easy ways to accent. Group together a few pillows or throws of different patterns for a serious pop.

I’m not sure what the full story is here, but I love the idea of taking a traditional southwestern rug and casually layering it over a headboard. It’s a fast and easy way to insert some flair into an existing decor style. I’ve been toying with the idea of hanging on the wall behind my bed in place of a headboard as well.

A more permanent idea would to reupholster an existing piece of furniture in a southwest-inspired fabric. By choosing neutral colors – say black and white – a piece of any structural style would be at home with whatever other styles of furniture you already have in place.

A useful middle-of-the-road piece of southwestern inspiration could be a pouf for extra seating, patterned curtains, or an intriguing rug. Check out six of my favorites below!

1/ Jaipur Rugs Desert Mojave   2/ Jaipur Rugs Preston Saratoga

3/ Jaipur Rugs Preston James   4/ Safavieh Monaco

5/ Loloi Rugs Tanzania   6/ Loloi Rugs Sahara