Ride Along

As designers race to keep up with the latest trends, the return of the equestrian style for 2015 has been a welcome one. At the Winter 2015 Las Vegas Market, designers agreed that the equestrian look will more than likely eclipse the venerable coastal decor style, which, they also agreed, will never go away.

“When I think of equestrian design or an equestrian-inspired space, I think classic, chic and sophisticated,” said Jane Cunningham, president, CEO and principal designer of Room Resolutions. “Horses are elegant.”

With its pedigree stemming from the English countryside, the equestrian home decor style is a comforting throwback to a simpler time. Punctuated with leather padding and substantial dark-stained furnishings, it also can be overwhelming to the average consumer who simply wants to show their esteem for the elegant breed. Today’s designers are integrating the love of horses more subtly and in a variety of design styles.

The equestrian design for the home is synonymous with photos of lingering glimpses throughout the English countryside, leather upholstery with nail heads and rich furnishings, Cunningham said.

Horse-inspired decor brings an air of sophistication and style to any room, from bed to dining. To effortlessly incorporate the equestrian look, you can easily add up-close portraits, which Cunningham said truly captures the beauty of the sleek animal and evokes great emotion within the viewer.

“Strategically placed horse artwork can enliven or calm a room,” Cunningham said. “Perhaps this flexibility in emotions is contributing to the popularity in home design as well as in fashion.”

Incorporating a client’s love of horses more subtly and within a variety of design styles allows the elegance of the equestrian style to make an appearance in every home without feeling ranch-like or in any way overly Western.

“A well-placed chocolate leather ottoman with steel gray nail heads is both functional and beautiful, while adding richness to the decor,” Cunningham said.

She recently had requests from clients who have longed to have their home reflect their appreciation for all things equestrian, even if they have never mounted a horse or owned a stallion, much less held the reins of a worn leather bridle. To that end, Cunningham has infused the clients’ room with photos, artwork and large pieces to communicate the homeowners’ love for the elegant animal.

“For one (local) homeowner, with a true love of horses stemming from a young age, I was able to incorporate both equestrian artworks on the walls, as well as a uniquely handcrafted, driftwood entry table into her foyer,” she said. “This shows a bit of whimsy, perhaps, but in a very elegant and classy way, all the while providing an emotional significance for the homeowner.”

Adding just one piece can enhance the warmth and richness that the equestrian look provides. A contemporary equestrian feel in the bedroom, bath or study can be captured by including a large black and white photograph of a family of horses. Mix in French Renaissance style with its soft blues and grays or muted tartan fabrics for a more complete look that fuses a few different decor styles together to create a softer equestrian look, Cunningham said.

While the equestrian style has been represented in homes for centuries, Cunningham and other designers credit contemporary clothes and home essentials designer Ralph Lauren as the innovator who gave the established equestrian look a modern flair, making it more accessible to consumers and designers.

“We should credit (him) with mainstreaming the equestrian style in our homes,” Cunningham said.

The timing was just right for this trend to re-emerge, said Cary Vogel, owner of Interiors by Cary Vogel.

“The return of this trend first reappeared in the clothing fashion industry in the past few seasons with fashion designers showing leggings, riding boots, cropped jackets and other equestrian-inspired items,” said Vogel, a longtime local designer who earned his degree in design from Parsons School of Design in New York City and worked in stately homes on the East Coast before relocating to Las Vegas in 1988. “As history has taught us, trends first appear in clothing fashion and then move on into home fashion.”

The equestrian look has re-emerged in part due to pop-cultural influences such as the hit PBS series “Downton Abbey,” Vogel said. “Avid fans of the show can recall an elegant Lady Mary riding in a horse race on a recent episode as well as much of the cast participating in hunting scenes on horseback in the Scottish countryside,” he said.

True equestrian style is made up of one part nostalgia, one part comfort and one part understated luxury. “Think Hermes or Gucci,” Vogel said.

The heavy fabrics, plump furniture in supple leathers and solid pieces that pull the look together easily lend a comforting feel to any room.

“I believe that adding touches of equestrian flavor settles a room, giving it the feeling of security, substance and permanence, just getting better over time,” Vogel said. “Well-worn leather seating, or leather distressed and treated to appear well-worn, animates the room, giving it the cozy feeling of being a well-lived-in space with history.”

And that can translate into a room that owners and their guests will want to spend a lot of time in.

Vogel suggests adding a few simple pieces that are easily acquired at local home decor shops to pull off the equestrian expression in swift measure.

“For a quick infusion of the equestrian look, I’d suggest hanging a grouping of framed equestrian art pieces, from prints to oil paintings, adding a few throw pillows made of a horse blanket plaid fabric onto the sofa,” he said. “Or add a few accessories such as bronze horse sculptures.”

For a more involved room, grab the brush and a gallon or two of good paint for a total makeover. Adding a modern gray to the walls of a room as a canvas and balancing that cool color with various warm wood tones throughout the space can transform a room without breaking the budget. A simple cluster of photos of jockeys and horses on a nightstand or entry-way table can offer a nod to the owner’s love of horses without cluttering their style.

“For a more thorough thoroughbred look, I would paint the room a warm and rich color to provide an appropriate backdrop for the furnishings to shine,” Vogel said. “I would add leather seating, like a classic Chesterfield sofa, paired with a plaid carpet and English occasional pieces. Glints of brass and bronze metal items, such as lighting fixtures, can complete the scheme.”