WestWind Homes helps home buyers take a floor plan and turn it into a home that’s a completely unique expression of their style. Many people have a good idea of what they want, but they’re not sure how all the pieces fit together to make it happen. That’s where our experts in both Laredo and Rio Grande Valley (RGV) can help them create not just a house, but a home.

We follow interior and exterior design trends, and stock all the most popular finishes, materials and colors to offer buyers a wide selection. That’s just another reason why so many buyers choose WestWind Homes. Here are five RGV home trends you’ll find in our design center right now.

Tuscan-Style Decorating and Design

All the way back in Roman times, people built homes in the Italian countryside because of its laid back, wholesome atmosphere. Even then, they wanted somewhere to escape city life and surround themselves with comfort. Tuscan-style decorating evokes the look and feel of a countryside villa.

Tuscan Exteriors

Tuscan-style decorating involves the use of natural materials and warm colors inside and out. Picture a sun-drenched countryside with a vineyard in the distance, a crumbling stone farmhouse nearby and footpaths that meander through the hills.

If you’re building a Tuscan-style home in Rio Grande Valley, think warm stucco, terra-cotta colored brick and stone accents. The key is choosing materials that look like they’ve already been weathered and faded by the passage of time, then adding sunny color to siding and trim. Use colors like buttery yellow, fresh green and vivid ochre.

Water is often a central feature for Tuscan-style exteriors. Consider adding a fountain on your back patio to delight both the eyes and ears. Surround it with greenery and plant trees that will grow tall and sway in the breeze.

Tuscan-Style Interior Decorating

The soothing, simple trend continues indoors. Tuscan-style interior decorating includes tile that mimics terra-cotta or marble, depending on the formality of your home. Accent with wrought iron. Paint walls in soft whites or creamy yellow.

Choose wood furniture with simple lines. Display your grandmother’s pottery and your children’s artwork. In the kitchen, set out clear canisters with pasta and hang fresh spices above your kitchen window to dry and scent the breeze. Our design experts can help you pull all the elements together so you’ll swear you’re in Tuscany, not Texas.



French Country Decorating

French country decorating still has a warm, laid-back feel, but a different type of formality. Key colors include muted cream, blue and pink. If you love patterns like toile, floral or plaid, you’ll find plenty of ways you can indulge yourself when you decorate in this style.

Sometimes decorators also refer to French country as shabby chic. Wood furniture, light fixtures and trim might have ornate carvings and soft-colored paint, but it also looks well-loved. The look is more feminine than Tuscan style, with crystal chandeliers and upholstery and window treatments trimmed in pom-poms or feathers, or just made of sheer lace.

A French country kitchen might have vintage wooden food ads as wall decor and wrought iron bowls overflowing with fruit. Opt for painted cabinets, soft wall colors and a sensational light fixture or two.

Mediterranean-Style Homes in Rio Grande Valley

Mediterranean style interior and exterior design is one of the most popular trends we see in Rio Grande Valley, both for new home construction and in terms of building solid resale value.

Get the Look

Mediterranean-style home design starts with an open floor plan. Add large windows so indoor spaces are drenched in sunlight. Choose brick or stucco for exterior surfaces. Here’s what else we can help you add:

  • Color – Much more vivid hues than French country. Think emerald green, cobalt blue, wine red and citrine yellow.
  • Pattern – Use that color in patterned tiles to accent staircases or showers. Continue throughout with throw pillows, rugs and bedding.
  • Texture – Consider a troweled-on texture in your home’s main areas or as an accent wall. Mediterranean-style decorating often involves heavier texture than other styles.
  • Light fixtures – Use iron or brass in old-world looking styles in the entry or dining area.
  • Heavy accents – Choose an ornate wooden table for your entry or a carved front door.
  • Luxurious excess – Hang window treatments so rich velvet or tapestry pools on the floor.
  • Reflective surfaces – Add mirrors to increase and reflect the natural light and make rooms feel even bigger.

Contemporary Rio Grande Valley Homes

Old world charm isn’t everybody’s thing. You may be in the group that thinks, if you pay for a brand new home, you don’t want to fill it with things that look time-worn or well-loved. If you tend to prefer sleek surfaces and modern finishes, you’re probably more interested in contemporary design when you shop RGV homes.

Contemporary Home Basics

Contemporary design is defined by clutter-free areas, up-to-the-minute style, very intentional use of color and subtle sophistication. The contemporary color palette creates a background with neutral greys, black and white, then adds vivid color to create focal points.

Straight lines and geometric shapes appear inside and out. For your exterior, choose grey and black for siding and brick, then paint your door in stark contrast. Inside you might install striking black kitchen countertops and use cool brushed nickel for faucets and cabinet hardware. Use recessed lighting or a sleek pendant instead of hanging, ornate light fixtures. You might also use spotlights to highlight colorful art or sculpture.

Contemporary homes tend to have hard floorings like tile or vinyl for clean lines and reflective planes. If you want pattern in your upholstery, choose geometric shapes or lines over more whimsical prints. In the kitchen, display colorful, clear glass and boldly colored dishes in glass-front cabinets.

Spanish Hacienda

Spanish style homes are perfect for Rio Grande Valley’s hot, dry climate. They have a lot in common with Mediterranean style homes, but with a South-of-the-border flair. Get the look with stucco exteriors and warm earth-toned roofing materials. Add arched entranceways and carry the rounded doorway motif throughout.

Spanish haciendas often have white walls and white stucco because the color reflects heat. It’s also a soothing backdrop for the colorful textiles and tiles this type of home usually contains. Think about adding a wooden beam or exposed trusses on the ceiling to draw the eye upward and complete the look.

Interior Decorating for your Spanish Hacienda

Choose Spanish baroque style furniture to fill your home with heritage and history. Heavy headboards look great against simple white bedding with colorful throw pillows.

In the kitchen, choose warm wooden cabinet doors in a mid to dark tone. Neutral countertops in creamy colors keep things from feeling too heavy. Think about a tile mosaic above the stovetop or a strip of patterned Talavera-style tile along your backsplash.

Then add lush greenery. Inside grow plants in every room to soften all the heavy wood and iron accent pieces. Allow ferns, ficus trees, snake plants and ivy to spill over into interior spaces.

Exterior Living Spaces

Hacienda-style landscaping is easy to care for, even in Rio Grande Valley’s brutal summer heat. Plan flower beds that contain junipers, hazel Spanish lavender, native succulents and drought-resistant shrubs. Line them with clay-colored brick to create focal points. Plant a fruit tree. Then add curb appeal by painting window sashes a bright turquoise or sapphire blue.

Visit Our Design Center for RGV Home Trends

Those are only a few of the popular interior and exterior decorating styles available through our design center. Send us a message to visit with one of our designers, receive brochures, schedule a home tour or find out more.