Southwestern Outdoor Rugs

Aztec-inspired stepped diamonds, banded borders and a palette pulled straight from the high desert — clay, sand, black, turquoise. Southwestern outdoor rugs suit adobe walls, gravel yards and anywhere the light is hard and bright.

Sun-heavy climates are exactly what these weaves were engineered for.

2 products

Southwestern and western outdoor rugs

Stepped diamonds, banded stripes and zigzag geometry in a palette of clay, sand, black, cream and turquoise. Southwestern is one of the few decorating styles that was outdoor before it was ever interior, which is why it needs so little adapting to work on a terrace.

Why it suits hard landscaping

The palette comes from the ground it was made on: adobe, dry earth, sun-bleached stone, agave green. Put a Southwestern rug on concrete, gravel or pale paving and the two agree with each other immediately.

It is also the answer for a space with sparse planting. Most patterns look better with foliage around them; this one does not need it, because the style assumes a dry landscape rather than a lush one. A gravel courtyard with three pots and a Southwestern rug looks finished. The same courtyard with a floral rug looks like it is missing a garden.

The variations

  • Kilim. Flat banded geometry, the graphic end of the style.
  • Western and ranch. Warmer and softer — saddle browns, cream, faded reds, often with a border.
  • Desert modern. The same geometry pared back to two colors, usually black on sand, which suits contemporary architecture better than the traditional palette does.

What it goes with

Terracotta pots, natural wood, black metal, leather, and cactus or grasses rather than perennials. It sits well beside terracotta and rust, and it is the one style where turquoise stops looking like an accent color and starts looking structural.

Material and sizes

Soft polyester chenille, short dense nap, no-skid backing, overlocked edges. Water-resistant, mildew-resistant, fade-resistant and quick-drying. Spot clean only. Four sizes, 24″ × 36″ to 60″ × 84″.

Free US shipping, and 10% off any three pieces.