Pendleton Styles the Modern West

Few brands embody the enduring spirit of the American West quite like Pendleton. For more than a century, the family-owned woolen mill based in Portland has woven blankets and textiles that carry stories of heritage, craft, and place that you can see everywhere from Southwestern-styled homes to chic rustic cabins and hotels that want to express a uniquely American heritage. Here at Sunset we’ve long admired and celebrated the company within our pages. In fact, the company, founded in 1863, pre-dates our storied publication, which was founded in 1898. Pendleton has been outfitting workers, homeowners, and homes in the West and beyond in a way that tells the evolving story of the American design and style. What makes Pendleton such an enduring brand is that its instantly recognizable patterns and colors are so compatible in the sleek, clean-lined spaces of the modern West. 

Case in point: Sunset’s most recent Idea House, the last unbuilt masterpiece of desert modernist Donald Wexler, which was completed earlier this year. Perched high above Palm Springs, the glass and steel home is a marvel of modernist design: all clean lines, concrete floors, and floor-to-ceiling windows that capture views of the dramatic desert landscape from every room. When we photographed the house for the magazine and opened it for tours earlier this year, we made a point to partner with Pendleton to style the living spaces to connect past to present, nature to the furnishings, and bring just the right amount of color and pattern to the space—albeit in that timeless Pendleton way. Pendleton rugs softened the polished concrete floors and the angular lines of glass-and-steel architecture, and infused warmth into the airy, modernist interiors. It’s proof of Pendleton’s ability to harmonize with contemporary design: the bold geometry of a Harding blanket or the subtle texture of a Matelassé bedspread feels right at home against minimalist architecture. At the Idea House debut party, the poppy colors worn by the ever-stylish Palm Springs locals echoed the bright colors of the blankets and throws. These juxtapositions demonstrate why Pendleton remains a design essential for a new generation of Western homeowners.

Courtesy of Pendleton Woolen Mills

And to further commemorate the Idea House and allow people to bring some of its timeless desert ethos into their homes, Pendleton released a collectible 1932 Sunset magazine limited-edition blanket that nods to the brand’s deep ties to Western culture. The striking jacquard piece features a cactus and the Sunset logo with the bold and graphic image welcome in any number of aesthetic settings: The desert iconography would play well in a rustic cabin, but could just as easily give a pop of botanical flair to a low-slung bed in a minimalist loft. The blanket is made in the USA and was woven at our mill in Pendleton, Oregon and then finished and cut at our mill in Washougal, Washington.

Courtesy of Pendleton Woolen Mills

Courtesy of Pendleton Woolen Mills

Our collaboration with Pendleton is just the latest in the company’s longstanding tradition of marrying past and present. Still owned by the Bishop family, Pendleton’s story is indeed woven into the cultural fabric of the West. From outfitting cowboys and ranchers to partnering with architects and designers, the brand has consistently bridged past and present. Its products have celebrated America’s National Parks, honored traditional textile designs, and, more recently, have been produced in conjunction with brands that lean more modern. Modernist chairs from a past collaboration with Gus Modern contrast the colorful angles of classic Pendleton designs with honeyed bent plywood. On luxury furniture resale platforms you can find Eames Herman Miller Chairs upholstered with geometric patterns that soften and deepen the power of the svelte fiberglass seating. Partnerships with Schoolhouse, Garrett Leight California Optical, Stanley, and Wrangler are proof that legacy has legs outside of the predictable associations. Multicolored overlapping stripes make the Schoolhouse x Pendleton blankets cozy and playfully chic at the same time. The blanket made in a previous collaboration with Venice Beach based glasses company Garret Leight California Optical channeled the beach vibes of the company with a sun- and surf-colored pattern and came with a matching glasses case. 

Courtesy of Pendleton Woolen Mills

Courtesy of Pendleton Woolen Mills

While Pendleton’s apparel—flannels, coats, and hats—has its own cult following (yes, they make the iconic sweater worn by The Dude in the Big Lebowski), it’s the brand’s home offerings that best illustrate its modern relevance in spaces from the bedroom to beyond. Today’s homeowners can choose from a spectrum of looks: the serene tones of Opal Springs and Mesilla that layer seamlessly into neutral palettes, the timeless strength of the Harding and Ganado designs, or the bold vibrancy of Wyeth Trail and White Sands, which bring graphic energy to otherwise quiet spaces. Even spa towels, like the colorful Los Ojos design, carry Pendleton’s DNA into everyday rituals. We particularly love the oversized spa towels that feature the White Sands pattern that appears on one of the brand’s most beloved wool blankets. We love the Appalachian-inspired Matelassé line, which comes in a range of colors, from white on white to black to red, and features a simple all-over graphic design that fits in any number of contemporary settings. Pendleton’s products have become the modern West’s design language. By embracing heritage while leaning into contemporary collaborations and products, the brand ensures that its iconic patterns aren’t just remembered, but continually reimagined in the homes, hotels, and cabins of the future.