Inspiration

How to style a space inspired by the Californian desert

Article by Your Home and Garden

Close your eyes and feel the warm desert breeze on your face, Alex Walls shows us how to create a Palm Springs-inspired chill-out zone

How to style a space inspired by the Californian desert

This room reveal is all about relaxation and features perhaps the most casual styling I’ve ever done. Inspired by the ‘Palm Road’ art print, which evokes the emptiness and stripped-back beauty of an arid landscape, I immediately imagined a perfect setting of soft, earthy neutrals and natural textures – perhaps in a quiet corner of a lounge or bedroom – in which to unwind and mentally recharge.

This room transports me to an idyllic vacation spot with a light breeze flowing in through the window and a view out to distant rocky mountain ranges or a desertscape of agaves and prickly pear. I would love to have a personal retreat like this as a respite from the noise and mess of family life.

I love this neutral colour scheme, with the wall colour perfectly matching the sandy tones of the artwork. The 1970s rattan chair is something straight out of a Palm Springs home and I’ve styled it with an organic linen cushion, an animal hide and loads of texture in the furnishings to add variety to the muted colours.

The cheapest and most effective part of this styled look is the touch of greenery. Keeping to my ‘palm tree’ inspiration, I grabbed a single palm leaf from the local florist. Displayed in a simple vase, it adds an immediate freshness to the scheme.

Get the look

+ Walls painted in Dulux ‘Waiau Bay’.
+ Curtains in ‘Kunja’ by Designs of the Time, $300 a metre, from James Dunlop.
+ ‘Palm Road’ art print, $449.99, from Alex & Corban Home.
+ Large belly weave basket, $49.99, from Alex & Corban Home.
+ Rust knitted throw, $289.99, from Alex & Corban Home.
+ Harvey boater hat, $109.99, from Alex & Corban Home.
+ Suede cushion, $229.99, from Alex & Corban Home.
+ White knitted floor cushion cover, $119.99, from Alex & Corban Home.
+ Geisha wool rug, from $999.99, from Alex & Corban Home.
+ Teak root stool, $299.99, from Alex & Corban Home.
+ Amber specimen vase, $19.99, from Alex & Corban Home.
+ Gardenista book, $79.99, from Alex & Corban Home.
+ Serpentine bowl, $99.99, from Alex & Corban Home.
+ Anja occasional chair, $1429, from Alex & Corban Home.
+ Morocco cushion, $109.99, from Alex & Corban Home.
+ Springbok hide, $189.99, from Alex & Corban Home.
+ Hong natural light, $249.99, from Alex & Corban Home.