Western Design: Old, New and Blue

Western Design started out as a necessity. Victorian buffets, French chairs and gilded desks found the western frontier entirely too harsh for their taste, in other words, they didn't last long. Furniture in the west had to be practical and since room in the wagons was limited it had to created from materials at hand. And it was. Lodge pole pine was the ideal material, easy to find and relatively easy to work and so it goes it was the chosen material of western design. Thomas Molesworth created a legacy by creating the first commercial western design furniture at the Shoshone Furniture Company in Cody, Wyoming. He loved bright colors and never shied away from using wonderful and sometimes even garrish colors in his designs, orange, lime green where the ones I remember thinking Whoa! about. My favorites were the blue pieces that he created. It reminds me of the extraordinary blue skies in Wyoming and Montana and I really appreciate his unabashed use of that brilliant blue.

Through his legacy an entire industry was borne. Western Furniture makers such as Marc Taggart and Company (www.marctaggart.com) today create beautiful pieces that replicate his work . Marc's grandparents were close friends of Thomas Molesworth and his favorite room in their home was furnished by Mr. Molesworth. It is only fitting that Marc employ the best artistans in the business to re-create some of his favorite pieces.

Molesworth was a true pioneer and the spirit with which he created runs rampant through the artisans that create western design. New materials, styles and methods have sprung from the roots of western to give the genre a broad depth, one that appeals to both traditionalists and those seeking contemporary lines.

Wonderful examples of western design are available on the website at www.contemporarywesterndesign.com. Hope to see you there soon.

My First Take on Western Design

When people think of western design they think cowboy. Cowboy boots, cowboy chairs and cowboy life. Which is partly right. It is, in fact, how it started: as a necessity borne from the land of the cowboy, the West.



I have lived the cowboy life and of the land, but early on I didn't have any appreciation for the genre of western design. Survival was important, not design.



Introduced to western design in 1997, I immediately fell in love with its natural lines, invigorating colors and all of the earth elements. I am an earth sign so that makes sense! I was also intrigued by this group of artisans that were so dedicated to this niche . I couldn't draw a stick horse if some one asked so that is why, first of all, I was enamored, but secondly, it was because what they created made sense. It echoed the natural world and each piece was from a special place within them. It wasn't an assembly line, it was hands on creation and beautiful.



The western design that I witness everyday is no longer borne specifically to fill a void, nor is it cowboy kitsche in anyway, its an amazing array of interpretations of the West by those who live here and those who wish they did. Whether it is furniture, fashion, jewelry or fine art, these artists are creating some of the finest in original American Art. I hope that you will come and take a look at http://www.contemporarywesterndesign.com/. I am sure you will like what you see.



I'll be back with some great examples of what was and what is......



May the West make all your dreams come true!

Thea

www. contemporarywesterndesign.com