IN WITH THE NEW WEST

Just as our lifestyles have evolved during the past century, so have our interior design choices. It’s time for the Old West to move over and make way for the New West style.

The style, created by interior designer Lawrence Lake of Scottsdale, Ariz., offers a more modern approach to how we live in the West and decorate our homes.

“New West is an emerging design style from the American West with clean lines, light tones and natural materials,” Lake said. “It’s a whole house style; it’s a lifestyle.”

And it definitely is rooted in the West. Lake said East Coast manufacturers have more difficulty grasping the concept because of the basic architecture of homes there, which are more formal, divided into smaller rooms and have lower ceilings.

“We have more space, our skies are more open, our houses are bigger, and we are more casual and relaxed. We need designs that reflect who we are, where we live and how we live.”

Echoing this sentiment are the colors used for upholstery, all of which are nature based.

“The color palette is sky blue, because we live in the West where the sky dominates what we have; terra-cotta, because most of us live with orange or very brown shades of earth; and green, which in the desert is more of a pale desert green and in the mountains is more of a pine green.”

Furnishings from the New West style are much lighter and significantly less ornate than the Tuscan style that has permeated homes in the Western United States for most of the past decade. They blend elements of contemporary and traditional décor.

“It’s not necessarily traditional or contemporary, and can be both of those things,” he said.

The look, which was showcased at World Market Center Las Vegas recently, can be adapted to the location where the style is used. For example, in the mountains, it can take on a more rustic look. But in Los Angeles, it can be more contemporary. “As a designer you can pick what you want to dominate.”

That flexibility is a key element of the style.

“The idea was to create a style that gave designers options and flexibility of how it can be interpreted.”

Lake said he defined the concept after many of his clients and friends asked him what he saw next on the trend horizon.

“We have been in such a heavy European, Tuscan period, I was trying to think conceptually, what would be the next thing, what would be different from what we were doing a few years ago.”

Although he didn’t see any major design trends emerge, Lake said he started seeing home furnishings that were simpler, had cleaner lines and were lighter in color than Tuscan décor. It was also more contemporary.

But, when he told people about the changes, they were apprehensive whenever the term contemporary was brought up.

“I told them, ‘You would like it if you saw it.'”

That was when he decided he needed to explain the concept in a way that wouldn’t scare off those who were afraid contemporary décor would be too stark or cold for them.

Taking cues from early Western residents whose homes featured multicultural accents as immigrants and people from across the nation converged on the developing towns, the New West style easily fits in with other decorating styles, especially Spanish, rustic and contemporary décor, giving them a fresher look, Lake said.

This fits in with the mission statement he created that says: “New West style embraces the natural environment, respects historical character and strengthens the regional vocabulary.”

Despite this, he said the style doesn’t have to be confined to Western homes. It can be used anywhere as long as it conveys the proper feeling.

“It’s something more honest,” Lake said.

This also falls in line with the way consumers are shopping today, he added. Because of the financial crisis, people are seeking furnishings that have cleaner lines, are simpler and more hopeful.