Image source: http://www.elpasorugs.com/doormats/SS%20Doormat04_sm.jpg
Bold and colorful, a southwest door mat or welcome mat will impart a spirit of the independence of the old west to your doorway. Calling up the time of the Indian and cowboy, the bright colors of these mats will add a bit of the southwest to any home. It won't even matter if your southwest door mat is waiting outside your door in Ohio, Maine or Oregon, wherever it is, it will add a bit of the rugged southwest to your home.
When you decide to buy a southwest style door mat or welcome mat, you will find that these are sturdy, made to last mats, that will stand up to a lot of abuse and still look great. Made of heavy coir fiber (coir is the tough fiber from the outside of the coconut, and is difficult to wear out when used in mats and rugs, besides being unaffected by salt water), which guarantees that you will not have to worry about replacing your door mat very often. Its abrasive qualities help remove mud and debris from shoes and boots, and it can be sprayed or hosed clean. A rubber bottom is usually found on southwest door mats to help keep them in place.
There are so many southwest designs to choose from that you may have a hard time making a decision. By going with what really catches your eye from the start, you will probably find just the right design for you. Many people love the natural and original look of the welcome mats with a Native American design. Recalling a time before the settlers arrived, these mats will feature such elements as Kokopelli or a roadrunner on a geometric background. Also available are Lizard, Sun Face, and the geometric designs so beloved from Navajo rugs and blankets. Whatever Native American design you choose for your welcome mat, you can be assured that its bright colors will always get attention and admiration.
Some people are more attracted to the lively and robust cowboy era and this still lives on in the many designs offered in this genre. The feeling of bunkhouses, corals, and rodeos is summoned up immediately when your visitors see a cowboy on a bucking bronco at their feet. And nothing conveys a feeling of the southwest like horses, and you will find that several different styles are available. Running horses or horse heads in the bold, bright colors you expect can be found. Rodeo sports and cowboy hats and boots are lively and colorful designs and bring you right back to the bunkhouse or coral. You can almost hear the shouts of the crowds and neighing of the horses. Let these colorful, durable, and beautifully designed southwest door mats lead the way into your home.
