If you’re in the know, you’ll be aware that deserts are far more than just barren landscapes. Yes, you’re looking at wide-open spaces, daytime heat and nighttime cold. Water could be an issue, but if you can overcome that hurdle, desert living has a lot to offer. Good design looks at the landscape and slots your lifestyle into it neatly. So, what design considerations should you consider if the appeal of desert living has already won you over?
Structural Design For Desert Conditions
The design of the building you intend to call home needs to be purposed for the environment you’ve chosen. What works well in Long Island, might not be the perfect choice for Arizona, for instance. Here’s what to look out for:
Indoor shading will be a blessing on hot desert days. You’re looking for roofs with generous overhangs, and spacious, shaded patios that serve the dual purpose of allowing you to enjoy the vista while keeping interiors cooler. An acclaimed design series by Garrett Walker for new homes in Chandler, AZ demonstrates the basic principles you’re looking for in a desert-country home.
Open Plan is great in the desert heat. We’ve recently recovered from the “open plan is good for anywhere” mentality. In colder climates, smaller spaces are cosier and more comfortable, and an open plan just means a higher heating bill for space you may not be using all the time. But in the desert heat, you’ll be glad of light, airy, and spacious open-plan interiors and high ceilings are part of the package when it comes to beating the heat. Aesthetically, it’s marvelous. From a practical perspective, it works.
Interior Design For Desert Conditions
Interior design is arguably the fun part of creating a home in a desert environment. As you’ll have guessed, cool whites and blues will help to create an indoor oasis you can’t wait to come home to, but do add some earth tones. A few pops of brown and cream provide the down-to-earth touch your cool decor needs to turn an interior design statement into a home.
Blazing reds and oranges will also have their place – probably as accents that reflect the desert sunsets you’ll enjoy watching each day – and pink and gold will also have their place as accent colors to offset the cool neutrals you’ll choose as a basis for your home decor color scheme.
Do keep the overall look spacious and airy. Heavy antiques and predominantly warm colours are not at home in the desert. You and your guests want a cool and refreshing look to offer relief from the desert sun, but with touches of desert-inspired warmth for cozy evenings at home.
Some Basic Interior and Exterior Design Tips
Making your home a more comfortable extension of the environment is part and parcel of your design strategy. From the structure to the on-point interior, maintain a sense of place that tells even the most casual visitor that your home is an organic part of its surroundings. These tips will give you broad guidelines on how to do just that, and your interpretation of these principles will celebrate your unique style in a desert home you’ll be proud to call your own.
