Sleek yet rough, desert modern interior design is certainly captivating. It treads the line between neatly stylish and comfortably warm. The style brings about the best-loved aspects of interiors – modern and earthy. Read on to find out how to bring the look into your home!
What is Desert Modern Interior Design
Desert modern living room by Decorilla interior designer, Anna Y.
Ultimately inviting, a desert modern interior style is an amalgamation of what we love most. Clean lines meet rich color, texture, and pattern. You can incorporate modern interior design while adding personality and a connection to nature.
Desert modern interiors are all about:
- Embracing a natural aesthetic in a built environment.
- Honoring natural materials and the exterior.
- Reducing clutter while emphasizing visual interest through texture.
- Balancing light-filled spaces through scale and height of décor and furniture.
- Using rich hues to evoke a desert scape.
Not sure if desert modern is right for your home? Take our Free Interior Design Style Quiz to discover your unique decorating style today!
13 Best Desert Modern Decor Ideas
Desert modern décor for a patio by Decorilla
Getting to a swoon-worthy, comfy desert modern interior design takes a few measured steps. From refined minimalist interior design to bold hues and daring décor, here are the basics to bring it together.
1. Tactile Textures
A desert modern interior is satisfyingly tactile – from the living room to the bathroom and every space in between. Rich textures in the shape of woven baskets, nature-inspired décor, rugs, and upholstery bring this style to life. So, in creating your own, focus on texture instead of quantity. A sense of earthiness reigns in these spaces.
2. Clean Modern Lines
Desert modern home interiors and decor by Decorilla designer, Nishtha S. (left) and Stay Some Days (right)
While a modern desert home feels lively and invigorating, it relies on clean-cut furniture and décor. That said, you’re not limited to straight lines and severe edges, but a modernist principle rings true throughout. Moreover, modern furniture design can look good while being unobtrusive. In this, their precise forms allow softness and texture to stand out even more.
So, embrace the look with statement accent chairs or a slender sofa. It’ll also enhance the feeling of lightness in your home as these tend to feature slender legs and subtle silhouettes.
3. White or Light Base
Modern desert bathroom interior design by Decorilla designer, Lauren O.
Desert modern interior design lends itself to a neutral base. The reason lies in how it can showcase art, natural accents, form, light, and texture. Limewash is a great option as it boosts the visual quality of walls, especially when left bare. It also sets a great backdrop to reflect natural and artificial light.
4. Natural Light & Great Windows
Desert modern interior design by Decorilla designer, Liana S.
This style also encapsulates the essence of open spaces. A desert is unlike any other, and it receives tons of sunlight. As such, modern desert homes make the most of natural light to showcase décor and furniture as well as create an inviting atmosphere.
So, amp up the light in your desert modern living room and other spaces by embracing minimal window dressings and grand windows.
5. Rich Desert Hues
Although neutrals are necessary for modern desert home interiors, so too is color. More specifically, hues true to sandy landscapes will be most fitting. Think of the desert throughout the day – what tints and shades will you find? It can be a vibrant scene displaying anything from sunny yellow to the deepest oranges to the changing sky to an array of greens from desert plants
With this in mind, let an arid landscape inspire your color choices. Whether on walls or accent pieces, rich hues should have a place in your interior.
6. Arches & Alcoves
Not only the landscape but also regional architecture influences desert modern interior design. Whether in the Mojave, Gobi, Atacama, or Tabernas desert, arcs and alcoves flourish. Why? It could relate to cooling down interiors and using local materials for construction. Either way, coved entryways, arched nooks, and even curved bed frames can accentuate the style.
7. Indoor-Outdoor Connection
There’s an undeniable connection between the interior and exterior in desert modern design. Nature is always present. It can be in the form of having living spaces flow to the outdoors, accentuating great windows with a view, or including succulents indoors.
You can include the look into your home with cacti in sunny spots and textural pots. Alternatively, construct a space that makes the most of the outdoors – weather permitting!
8. Intriguing Natural Elements
There is an undeniably organic feel in desert modern interior design. One of the contributing factors is the presence of natural elements. They can take the shape of furniture or décor, but they have a slightly rougher aesthetic than clean-cut modern styles.
In addition, these pieces are often oversized or highly noticeable. It can include a live-edge wood table, stone accent tables, or rustic elements as desert modern décor.
9. Patterned & Colorful Rug
Desert modern style in a dining room by Decorilla designer, Drew F.
As décor items are minimal in a desert modern style, it’s important to add character through key elements. Rugs are one of those that can make a substantial impact. Plus, their bold patterns, Aztec prints, or kilims are perfect in a modern desert home. And embrace colors – blues to pinks to orange – with a lively and textured rug underfoot.
10. High-Low Desert Scape
A desert modern interior design would feel half-baked without native plants. Cacti, succulents, and any greenery that thrives on loads of sun and little water will fit the look. Moreover, these plants often have striking shapes and can grow tall while remaining slender and manageable.
So, in addition to dotting a few succulents in sunny windowsills and tables, add one or two tall cacti in pretty pots. They will undoubtedly create a statement in front of a blank wall. Be mindful that if you live in a sunny and warm climate, it’ll be easier to incorporate than in a wintry home.
11. Tribal Patterns
Unfussy and blatant patterns feature most in modern desert interior design. Their bold and unmissable shapes contrast neutral or block colors of these homes. You can uplift your interior with one or two patterned throw pillows, arty pottery, and rugs.
12. Minimal Abstracts
Modern desert home decor by Decorilla designer, Rosela B.
Keep artwork uncomplicated by focusing on minimal yet color-rich abstracts. The wonderful thing about desert modern decor is its simplicity. Only a few pieces – especially in a contrasting or bright color – are enough to make a beautiful, tasteful statement.
13. Tan Upholstery or Hide
Desert modern living room by Decorilla designer, Stefany R.
Animal hide is commonplace in any desert style home. The typical tan tone warms a neutral palette instantly. That said, you can opt for animal-free products in your desert modern living room and other interior design. Alternatives include an array of vegan leather – derived from mushroom, grape, or pineapple fibers. Another option is to choose a warm yellow upholstery for your statement sofa instead.
Want to create your own desert modern interior?
Get the satisfying balance of a desert and modern style just right. Schedule a Free Interior Design Consultation to make it happen!
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