The first post in our Design for the Western Lifestyle series will be about what we call the Refined Mountain Style. In Refined Mountain Style, the woods tend to be more finished. We often use cherry or alder for the doors and trim, and the beams are surfaced rather than left in the rough sawn or “crusty” state.

The furniture we incorporate into Refined Mountain Style is a little more European in feel, and the cabinetry is often a blend of natural woods with furniture-style painted and distressed pieces. As in all of our interiors, we will mix in touches of cowboy and lodge with Asian furniture pieces and European antiques to keep it interesting and eclectic. For visual examples, these are five spaces by Home on the Range Interiors that encompass Refined Mountain Style:

In this dining room, we used cherry for interior trim and ceiling paneling and incorporated Woodland dining chairs and sideboard.

This hall library shows an eclectic mix with a touch of Western with the twig light valance over the bookshelves, a painted door with iron clavos, an Asian cabinet and an oriental rug.

This Mountain Arts and Crafts guest bedroom uses a soft grey-green distressed paint on a tall wainscot mixed with indigenous moss rock on the fireplace to create a refined mountain look. The bed is framed by a cherry Arts and Crafts-style floating wall to give it a backdrop.

In this Lake Lodge home we mixed painted pieces from Woodland Furniture with soft floral fabrics to bring the mountain meadows viewed from the windows into the master bedroom.

In the adjacent bathroom we used rainforest green marble (which looks like twigs and branches in browns and greens) for the countertops and brought the mountain meadow feel back into the room with the fabric in the valances at the windows. The white painted distressed cabinetry keeps the room looking light and fresh, while the fir ceiling, reclaimed fir beams and alder trim bring back in the natural materials that are so important to the Western Design style.

Look for our next post in this series on Mountain Contemporary Style. If you’re searching for a designer who can translate your vision of a Western lifestyle into beautiful home décor, contact Home on the Range in Steamboat Springs, CO.

Images: Photos by Tim Murphy; Interior designs by Home on the Range; Architecture by Joe Patrick Robbins, AIA