How to Tie Together Traditional & Cowboy Home Decor

Getting Started

• Whether you're merging your decorating style with that of a roommate or a partner, it can be done, though not without some compromises. Decide what furniture and accessories must be kept and what can be donated. Some cowboy-inspired items, such as a wagon-wheel table, won't work in a traditional room and are better suited in a casual den. Less offbeat items, such as equestrian art and cowhide rugs, can add Western chic to an otherwise traditional and staid design scheme.

The Furnishings and Accessories

• Go bold or subtle when merging cowboy and traditional furnishings. A traditional leather chair or sofa instantly becomes Western when paired with throw pillows adorned with horseshoes or faux cowhide. A traditional sofa bedecked in floral or chintz upholstery is harder to pair, but can work in a great room with a chair rail. The rail adds symmetry and visual interest to a traditional dining room, but can be used to display Western accessories such as cowboy hats, horseshoes and lassos. If the bulk of the furnishings and accessories are cowboy-influenced, display them in traditional ways. Position the cowboy couch and chairs made of rough-hewn wood in a symmetrical pattern centered around a wooden coffee table or in front of a fireplace and anchored by a traditional Oriental rug.

The Walls

• Use elements of cowboy design to add visual interest to traditional walls. While traditional style embraces conservative and neutral paint schemes, cowboy style is deep, rich paint schemes with rustic touches. Choose traditional wall colors such as deep browns and reds to balance out cowboy furnishings such as leather couches adorned with woven blankets in shades of deep turquoise, brown and burgundy. Add cowboy touches in unexpected ways. Display a symmetrical grid of equestrian artwork in a traditional wood-paneled room or display a large piece of Western-inspired art, such as a man on horseback, over a mantel of a traditional fireplace. A pair of antlers, either left white or painted a striking shade of bright turquoise, adds whimsy to a living room. Replace traditional sconces in dated shades of bronze with gooseneck barn lights in galvanized metal or bright red for a barn-inspired lighting scheme.

The Floors

• Both traditional and cowboy design embrace wood flooring, but wood floors in a traditional room tend to be polished and wood floors in a cowboy room tend to be rustic and worn. Dark, wooden wide-plank floors with a slight sheen can add elegance to a traditional design scheme, but remove the sheen and add a few scuffs to the floor to add a barnyard feel for a cowboy design scheme. Regardless of the room's design scheme, showcase the floors and only use rugs to hide the floor's imperfections. Rugs such as seagrass or sisal add texture and, depending upon the color of the rug, a neutral balance to a room that combines traditional and Western decorating schemes. If you're looking to add color to such a room, opt for a kilim rug, which adds texture and rich color.