Wave "Howdy" to This Design Trend for 2024—How to Design a Western Bedroom

Draw Inspiration from the Desert

The Western decor trend is a sister to the Southwestern style. Think patterns and colors from the landscape you'd find in Arizona or New Mexico but with a bit more of a vintage and rustic flair. You can achieve the look by pairing vintage rugs and throw pillows with bold geometric prints with a few aged wood pieces.

Hang Your Hats

Your favorite cowgirl and wide-brim hats can actually double as art. Above your bed is the perfect spot for this eclectic take on a gallery wall, and you can even mix in framed pieces with it.

Mount a Bull Skull Above Your Bed

Bull skulls have become an iconic symbol of the rugged, wild West. You'll normally find bull skulls in the focal point of a room, such as above a fireplace in a living room. A bed is an obvious visual anchor in a bedroom, so consider hanging one above there.

Scout for Horse Art

A Western-themed bedroom is the perfect place to embrace your inner horse girl. Decorating with beautiful horse-themed abstract art and sculptures is a grown-up, refined way to show off your love for these animals.

Take an Equestrian Approach

A horse theme naturally lends itself well to a little girl's room. Rather than leaning full-on into a Western theme, you can take it in more of an equestrian direction. It will still read as a bit cowgirl but in a polished way.

Hang Western Wallpaper

Wallpaper is the perfect medium for infusing a Western flair into a room, especially a children's room. Look for wallpaper showing off cowboys and mountains or perhaps cacti and desert landscapes.

Put a Vintage Quilt on Your Bed

Take a nod from Little House on the Prairie and add a few handmade touches to your space, such as a beautiful vintage quilt. To complete your bedding set, layer in other Western-inspired textiles, like a faux animal fur throw blanket and leather and feed sack accent pillows.

Combine Modern and Country Styles

A good Western bedroom mixes a few different styles in one, and it's all about balance. For example, denim pillows paired with galvanized steel cow art definitely leans country, but when you add an industrial black bed frame and white walls, the room suddenly looks more clean and modern.

Keep It Minimal

You don't need to change every detail in your room to give it a Western touch. Take the quality over quantity approach, and invest in one large piece of art that represents your favorite aspect of the region.

For example, an oversized black and white photo of a bull in a custom frame is an investment piece that you won't grow tired of, even long after the trend is over.

Decorate With Faux Animal Hides

Cowhides and wolf pelts offer texture with a side of Western flair. Faux versions are ethical and affordable alternatives to the real deal. A cowhide makes a beautiful rug, while softer hides are great throw blankets and pillows.

Choose Neutrals and Earth Tones

Keeping a limited color palette is one way to prevent a Western-style bedroom from looking a bit too kitschy. Draw inspiration from landscapes in Colorado and Wyoming, and decorate with neutral and earth tone colors like greige and burnt orange.

Throw in a Few Victorian Pieces

The Western expansion in the United States took place in the Victorian era, so antique furniture from this time period works well with this style. An ornate Eastlake hall tree can look right at home next to a quilt with a Southwestern-inspired pattern.

Grow a Cactus

Just like cows, cacti are another classic Western emblem. If you've got ample natural light in your bedroom, put it to good use and grow a cactus in there. The larger, the better in terms of making a statement.

Plan Around a Statement Piece

Deciding where to start when decorating your Western bedroom is sometimes the hardest step. If you're feeling lost, start by sourcing art. Mountain or desert landscape paintings are beautiful Western-themed options. Draw inspiration from the art's color palette when choosing accent furniture, bedding, and drapery.

Take a Coastal Cowgirl Approach

"Coastal cowgirl" is a riff on the Western design style. It brings in beachy elements to the Western and Southwestern styles. In a coastal cowgirl room, you'll see bright and airy colors with pops of burnt orange. Macrame art might hang next to a cow skull, while lush greenery lives next to driftwood.

Go All in on Pattern

We've already talked a lot about patterns and their role in the Western design style. This example is proof that you don't have to stick to just one or two pattern touches in a Western bedroom.

Go ahead and toss a few gingham throw pillows onto a quilt with patchwork stripes, and place a storage chest with a geometric print right alongside it. If you're a maximalist, embrace it.