Layer in textures and colors to set a sizzling southwestern-inspired stage in your home

From the ground up

Story by Barry Kaufman + Photography by Josh Gibson

From the ground up, the Palmetto Bluff home of David and Diane Kahn was built to capture the couple’s uniquely Southwestern aesthetic. From the organic texture of unfinished wood to the streaks of terracotta and turquoise in the kitchen island, it’s a masterwork of Southern design with Santa Fe flair.

But it’s in the accessories that the motif truly comes together. Curated over the years with help from Diane’s mother’s Southwestern art gallery, this look introduces the color palette and handcrafted designs of the desert in subtle ways throughout the home.

And tucked away just off the great room, we come to this wonderful vignette that drives home the way the Kahns and interior designer Adrienne Warner of Court Atkins Group helped bring this vision to life.

“She has some great accessories and pottery from Santa Fe, so she already had that vibe,” said Warner. “We were inspired to create this by her style and her unique pieces.”

At the base of this presentation, a sleek dark wood table evokes the rustic Western aesthetic. “We’ve had that piece for probably 15 years,” said Diane. “It’s one of a lot of pieces we’ve accumulated.”

Building on that base, Warner layered in accessories that captured Diane’s vibe with the skilled eye that has become her trademark.

“We started with the large black-and-white photo to create a sense of scale, then we threw in some color and texture with the blanket,” said Warner. “When you’re styling a space like this, you might not necessarily think you can layer something like that on a console table, but it really works nicely to soften the look and give you some texture against the wood of the stairs.”

That sense of scale established by the dramatic photo cascades downward, drawing the eye toward smaller accessories that round out the entire vignette’s form. The use of plants helps lighten the space, which Warner said was important, as this room is one of the few that doesn’t get a lot of natural light. And contrasting textures of clay and woven straw on the vases drive home the Southwestern vibe while introducing visual excitement.

“I don’t know if there’s an exact formula, but layering items like this creates a lot of balance,” said Warner.