Navajo style, also known as Southwestern style is becoming increasingly popular as an interior design style. Much of it rests on Navajo elements, such as rugs and wall hangings.
For many generations, Native Americans were the only inhabitants of the American Southwest and the Navajo tribe was definitely the most influential when it came to design style. They are probably most notably known for their textiles and when adding Navajo style to your home it is easiest to add some of their textiles. Their weaving traditions have been passed down through the generations for centuries. The graphic style of their Southwestern and Navajo style rugs and blankets is iconic, as are the colors they use, lots of natural colors such as burnt ochre and sienna, reds, yellows, gray, dark blue and plenty of browns. When buying rugs, blankets, wall hangings and other textiles, make sure you buy directly from Navajo artisans, so that your money goes to the right place. There are a number of shops owned and run by Navajo members who sell online and even ship their goods.
To begin adding Navajo style to your home, you can start with a few accessories, such as rugs and wall hangings, which we mentioned, as well as throw pillows that have been woven by the Navajo. If you’re going to commit a room to this style it is best to paint it an off-white, think of the color of a tepee, and then add earthy colors as accents. Think natural materials, such as terracotta tiles and wooden floors. But don’t be afraid to add a splash of turquoise.
If you can find them use animal hide as rugs, sheepskin can make a hard, wooden chair look especially inviting, and leather furniture in a Midwestern style really pulls a room together when adding Navajo style to your home. The Navajo also create wonderful woven baskets and beautiful pottery, which can be used in the kitchen as crockery, or placed in the living room as accessories.
Black and white photographs of Midwestern landscapes, or of cattle look great in a wooden frame and when clustered together on a photo wall. Or paint the frames in the same white that you used to paint the interior for a slick look.
While it is frowned upon to hang up taxidermied heads of animals, you could source them from old antique shops, or from flea markets. There are also companies who specialize in making papier-mache heads of animals.
When adding Navajo style to your home you don’t have to just stick to the living room, Navajo blankets are incredibly warm to sleep under in the colder months, or you could hang a blanket up as a wall hanging and have it cover an entire wall.
Nothing says Midwestern interior design quite like a cactus. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a large one, you could get a small collection of cactuses or even some succulents if you prefer. Place them in terracotta pots or ceramic painted in bright colors.