Having toured and observed many beautiful western theme homes I have seen some unbelievable western décor. I have also seen some staggering budgets and overwhelming expenditures. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how the smallest and least expensive things that always make the difference. I am talking about adding those small things to your decorating that make the theme authentic and realistic. You can find many ideas in magazines like Southern Living, American Horseman, and others. Having said that, it's a lot of fun just to sit back and look at the room and come up with your own ideas. We have had many positive comments on the “believable” décor in our house. You can earn those compliments too. Put yourself in the mindset of being in a real working 1800's bunkhouse. Your ideas will begin to flourish. Here are some great examples of what I am talking about.

In one room of our house we have a gorgeous western distressed look mirror with coat and hat hooks. We acquired this mirror at a hefty price from an antique store. We hung the mirror in our game room that has a Texas western theme. It was one of the centerpieces of the room. Having said all that, something was still missing. Don't get me wrong, it was a beautiful piece and looked great in the room. It was missing that authenticity, or what I would call that “true life usability look” to it.

So how did my husband and I solve the problem of the “naked” antique mirror? We turned to what we knew best. Western boot accessories and western wear accessories! We hung a pair of great spurs and boot straps from one hook. From another hook we hung a distressed straw western hat. And to add that final touch, we hung a calf rope. Now the mirror looked like it would if it was hanging by the back door of a cabin being occupied in the 1800's. It was perfect! We succeeded in making an expensive antique look even more impactful for less than $75.

We did not stop there. We added a distressed wooden shelf to another wall. On that shelf we placed some “decorated” real leather boots. When I say decorated, we accessorized them with some of our most authentic boot accessories. Things like boot tips, heel guards and boot straps. It looked great! Once again, the shelf looked like the inhabitants of the house just came in off the range and were giving their boots a long deserved rest! Now the key to pulling this one off was putting “old” boots on the shelf. We actually used a couple pairs of our women's western and western men's boots sitting in the back of our closet. These boots were definitely distressed. In addition, we acquired a couple of worn out boots from a neighborhood garage sale. Once again, we pulled it all off for less than $75. It ran much less than an expensive piece of western art or another antique, (not that we don't have a few of those things around too).

Looking to decorate your entire home or maybe just a single room with an authentic western theme? Want to give it those final touches that can really make the difference yet can be extremely affordable?

Follow your instincts and natural western appetite to decorate like a western expert. You can create a western atmosphere that will create memories for a lifetime.