Southwestern Outdoor Ideas with a Modern Touch

Southwestern Outdoor Ideas: One of the most enduring classic design styles popular in North America and other parts of the world is the Southwestern aesthetic. No matter how grand or rustic your home, imbuing it with a touch of Southwestern design is one way of making it look cozy, inviting, and inspired by nature — including your home exterior.

However, if you don’t want to go all-out Southwestern in designing and decorating your outdoor space and wish to include modern touches to the overall look, it’s totally fine. There are certain design changes and decorating tweaks you can implement to achieve a healthy mix of classic and modern.
But before we go there, let’s revisit the origin of Southwestern design and what makes it so remarkable.

What Is Southwestern Design?

Southwestern interior design is a design aesthetic aptly named after the American Southwestern states from which this distinctive style emerged. These states include Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of California, Colorado, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah.

Southwestern design is associated with the generous use of earth tone colours and natural elements that are reminiscent of the American Wild West. And to understand the spirit behind the Southwestern aesthetic, we need to know the people whose unique cultural contributions led to its formation.

Just like the rest of America, Native Americans were the original settlers of the states. This is why the influence of Native American culture is a key element in Southwestern design, especially the art and craft of the Navajo people. The Navajo have a rich history living in the southwest and are talented textile craftspeople. Their blankets, quilts, and wall hangings are characterized by a distinctive graphic style. It’s no wonder Southwestern design continues to use Navajo-inspired elements, including artworks, pottery, and woven baskets.

However, the American Southwest was later invaded by Spanish Europeans, whose design styles have influenced even more traditional “American” styles. The Spanish brought along their ironwork, textiles, and wooden carvings.

Another major influence on the Southwestern aesthetic is Mexican design, as reflected in traditional adobe-style homes that are still being built today. The Mexican influence enhances the relaxed Southwestern approach to design and mirrors the simple way of life in the American Southwest.

Mixed into this interesting jumble of aesthetic influences is the American approach to design. This characteristic American touch is embodied in the minimalist design preferences of missionaries who settled in the American Southwest. Their taste is reflected in their plain wood furniture done in the Shaker style, which focuses on simplicity, utility, and honesty.

Another distinctively American Southwestern influence is the rustic design sensibilities of ranchers who lived off farming and cattle-raising. Ranchers typically decorated their homes with objects taken from their own ranch or excursions, such as hunting. This is where décor like ram’s or deer’s horns and cowhide or bearskin rugs come in, as well as leather accents.

Arizona Desert Mountain Retreat
Image courtesy of: ArchitecTor, PC

A beautifully designed outdoor seating area by ArchitecTor. The purpose of a successful landscape design is to integrate the architecture with the natural surroundings, creating a unity between your home and nature.

Stunning Southwestern Backyard with a Swimming Pool
Image courtesy of: Robinette Architecture

Outdoor Southwestern Design

The Southwestern style we know today has undergone changes over time. However, the distinct stylistic influences of the Native Americans (especially Navajo), Spanish, Mexicans, and Americans remain.

Moving away from the overly traditional, the exteriors of Southwestern-style homes today are built according to a variety of architectural styles. These include Pueblo Revival and Contemporary Southwest.

Pueblo Revival homes typically include:

Stucco walls with rounded corners done in earth colours
Rows of wooden beams
Protruding vigas or wooden beams jutting out of exterior walls
Flat roofs drained by canals
Recessed casement windows with lintels
Staggered roof lines

Of course, Southwestern-style homes continue to be made with design variations. Some of these features include:

Enclosed courtyards
Ornamental grillwork over the windows
Gently and ever so slightly sloped terracotta-covered roofs
Covered porches or patios at or near the front entrance exterior

Contemporary Southwestern outdoor design mixes traditional Southwestern architecture with modern design elements. These modern touches include the use of vigas made from steel or glass, squared or more angular corners, and stucco finishes with bright or vibrant hues.

Colorful Southwestern Seating Area
Image courtesy of: Robinette Architecture

A lovely backyard seating area around a fire pit that adds a bright splash of color.

In considering the Southwestern approach to outdoor design, you need to be familiar with the specific elements that make it truly unique.

1. Colour

The colours used in Southwestern design are inspired by the hues of the American desert. This is reflected in the preference for the following colour palette:

Cactus green
Terracotta
Sand
Rust
Mahogany brown
Sky blue
Bright red
Sunset yellow

All these colours blend well with rich neutrals, as well as with brighter hues serving as accents, imbuing the Southwestern look with warmth.

You can see these colours in:

Terracotta floor tiles
Brightly coloured accent tiles
Warm-coloured walls
Red, green, and blue graphic wall hangings and artwork
Natural wood furnishings
Colourful throws draped over sofas and chairs
Pillows and cushions

Southwestern Backyard Area in Santé Fe
Image courtesy of: Linda Applewhite

A backyard entertaining area designed by Linda Applewhite that shows how color can be integrated seamlessly into outdoor spaces.

2. Textures

Like the colours used in Southwestern design, the textures mirror natural elements of the American Southwest, as embodied in the use of rough or raw and natural sources.

Woven grasses (e.g., rattan chair seats)
Stone and clay tiles
Hand-carved furniture
Cowhide or bearskin rugs
Wooden structural beams
Wrought-iron railings, doorknobs, and light fixtures
Loosely woven wool, linen blend, or cotton for upholstery, rugs, and bed coverings

Southwestern Outdoor Entertaining Area
Image courtesy of: Tate Studio Architects

The Territorial style and adobe exterior of the house were both designed to complement the architecture of the local community. While the exterior remains more traditional, the interior spaces — like this covered sitting area and its furniture — are heavily influenced by contemporary style.

3. Furniture

Southwestern-style furniture can be intricate, as seen in traditional chair backs and headboards.

However, the modern Southwestern approach has a more minimalist aesthetic, with a preference for plain, unadorned plank tables and chairs with clean lines. Southwestern upholstery may come in leather or loosely woven fabrics, usually featuring a Native American motif.

In selecting outdoor furniture, the focus should be on finding materials that can withstand exposure to the elements. Aside from metal (aluminum, steel, and wrought iron), wood, and rattan, modern Southwestern outdoor furniture may feature recycled plastic, polymer, and resin made to resemble natural materials.

Southwestern Concrete Patio
Image courtesy of: Houzz

Colorful Porch Swing
Image courtesy of: Pinterest

A colorful swing with Southwestern pillows and area rug from Black Forest Decor

4. Accessories

Whether practical or fanciful, Southwestern accessories are crucial design elements that will help you achieve an authentic feel of the American Southwest in your home exterior. So, make sure to incorporate some of the following items:

Heavy woven quilts
Rugs as tile floor coverings
Woven blankets and pillows
Woven wall hangings
Clay jars and pots
Potted or garden succulents and cactuses
Mosaic art and dishes
Wrought-iron statuary
Wrought-iron lamps
Wagon wheels
Leather saddles
Cowboy art

Southwest Patio with Desert Views
Image courtesy of: ArchitecTor, PC

Southwestern Outdoor Décor — Mix and Match the Old and New

An outdoor patio, courtyard, or garden is a Southwestern-style home staple.

Serving as traditional socialization spots, these open-air spaces typically feature a clay fireplace, a lush display of tropical plants like bougainvillea, and a cactus garden. Terracotta tile is usually installed as patio flooring, while four-foot stucco walls are used to enclose patios for privacy.

You can update the look of your Southwestern-style outdoor space by mixing things up with some modern and fresh touches, without losing any of the classic warmth and textures of the original design.

Put together non-matching furniture pieces that can add an eclectic vibe to your Southwestern home exterior.
Make use of inventive wall décor by lining up a wall with baskets or Southwestern-inspired pots. Be sure to include terracotta pots you can use to hold air plants or succulents.
If you have sufficient space and the topography allows it, install a terraced cacti garden instead of a traditional level one.
Use the Southwestern blanket ladder as inspiration for creating plant stands to hold small cacti and succulents in clay pots.
If you’re not a minimalism fan but want to add a more modern, eclectic vibe to your outdoor area, mix up patterns and prints with your throws or pillows. Don’t be afraid to include a few simple or plain ones, either.
Include a bar to serve as a stylish yet functional section to your outdoor area.
Aside from the traditional Southwestern terrarium or cactus garden, consider installing a water feature, such as a waterfall, wading pool, or pond. This will add to the relaxing mood in this area and imbue it with a touch of freshness and vitality.
Add some plant boxes filled with your favourite succulents or blooms.
Use Scandinavian furniture and match it with Aztec pillows or some other Southwestern retro elements.
Scatter outdoor area rugs and throw in some floor cushions with Southwestern and other prints or patterns.
Add a few small accents with non-traditional Southwestern hues, such as purple, pink, and cream.
For your outdoor kitchen, opt for stainless steel appliances, mahogany cabinets, and granite countertops. You can even add a wood-fired, bespoke, or gas-powered pizza oven into the mix.
Aside from featuring an outdoor fireplace, install a modern fire pit as an accent or the centerpiece of your outdoor entertaining area.
Add outdoor sectional furniture that can accommodate your entire family for movie or game night.
Be sure to add mood lighting, including a few fairy lights to inject a fanciful yet relaxing ambiance to your outdoor area.
To maintain a modern, streamlined look, avoid going overboard with too conventional “matchy-matchy” Southwestern accessories.

Contemporary Southwestern Outdoor Entertaining Area
Image courtesy of: Tate Studio Architects

Southwestern Landscaping Ideas
Image courtesy of: Robinette Architecture

Southwestern Landscaping Ideas
Image courtesy of: Robinette Architecture

A Classic and Modern Mix That’s Uniquely Yours

Southwestern outdoor design allows not only for the easy expansion of your living space but also for the integration of modern or eclectic design touches. With a well-planned home exterior, you can enjoy the beautiful homey Southwestern vibe mixed with elements that reflect your modern aesthetic.