Design in the Desert

I’ve been lucky enough to watch as the “Bohemian” aesthetic blossomed into “Desert Chic”, reached full bloom with the mature “Desert Modern” and is now withering into a sort of brutalist prairie-core-esque look I like to call “Desert Cabin”.

To be clear, “Desert Cabin” is simply what I’m calling this aesthetic, but I see it as a take on Prairie-core. It is humble and cozy but with raw and spartan elements. this look values function and sturdy natural materials.

If you’re a colorful vagabond don’t think you need to go trading your carnival wear in for a floral print dress or undyed linen.

If your style is Chic black and white textiles offset by colorful wall murals, no need to plaster over them to switch to the Spanish Mission aesthetic evoked by Desert Modern.

All of these designs are alive and thriving. What interests me is the progression and throughline that is so Hi-Desert in all of these trends.

The color pallete.

The shade de jour may switch around but the array stays relatively the same. It’s all about bringing the colors of the desert exterior to the interior space. Alo Vera and Sage greens, Rusty Globe Mallow, and every shade of Sandy Beige.

The Textures.

Besides being dry, the main feature of the desert is its textures. Gritty sand, sharp spines, fuzzy tarantulas. Ok that last one maybe has less bearing on design but my point is to create any of these quintessentially desert looks the natural textures of wood, stone and fiber must make their way into the home.

Denise Taylor//Getty Images

A variation on a core theme! We are all products of our environment, our spaces tend to reflect the natural land around us. A place as distinct as the desert has an impact on us and we have found many unique ways of expressing it.