What's Your Southwest Style

Santa Fe -- call this desert décor – features cute wooden bears, jackrabbits, and coyotes—a touch of whimsy and color. Color is what it’s all about. You’ll see every shade of blue -- turquoise, aqua, teal and cobalt mixed very well with copper, terra cotta, ochre, taupe and rust. Throw in lots of whitewashed wood with geometric designs and you have the beginnings of Santa Fe style.

You might find a verdigris lizard climbing up the wall and most certainly a “ristra” or string of chili peppers hanging next to the blue front “portal”. This weathered door could have a wrought iron snake as its handle. Saguaro rib shutters look great on windows inside or out. Mesquite logs burning in the shaped adobe beehive fireplace throw shadows on the “Santos” in niches above. Colorful painted furniture may tell a story with murals, petroglyphs or Native American pueblo step motifs. Art objects honor centuries past and present and the mix of cultures that converged in this high desert area.

Spanish Colonial is a timeless design which begins with thick adobe walls that enclose charming patio gardens in their center, lush with foliage and brilliant red cascading bougainvillea. Moorish influences brought to Mexico by the Spanish are evidenced in tile work, arches and fountains. Ornate mirrors, made of tin by Mexican artisans, are stamped with angels, birds, fruit and flowers. Brass and copper accents embellish the shaped, scored, punched and soldered frames. Accent with large, wrought iron candleholders, Talavera pottery, bright paper flowers in silver vases and carved Cantera stone. Oriental rugs add rich, warm color to brick, limestone or Saltillo flooring. Hand-carved pine and massive furniture pieces draw on sixteenth century designs and bring an Old World flavor to this grand and elegant style.

by Jacque Ramsey