African-inspired designs are famous for their bold colors, delicate patterns, and natural materials. They are considered exotic and enchanting and tend to stay in mind forever. African interior design is based on bohemian themes, and sometimes, you can get carried away and go overboard with bright, lively colors. The inspiration behind African interior design is earthy tones, lots of wood, captivating animal prints, and artifacts.
If you want to bring a bit of that African exotic into your home, you can do it beautifully and meaningfully with the following tips. Here are ten creative ways to incorporate African patterns, from choosing a suitable color scheme to selecting traditional textiles and artwork.
-
Research the African art and design
Whatever you do, you should start with research. To ensure you get the right information, you must familiarize yourself with the arts and crafts and design styles from different parts of Africa. Learn about traditional and contemporary African artworks, including masks, sculptures, textiles, and paintings. Explore their symbolic meanings and cultural context. With that kind of knowledge, you will be able to make informed decisions when you choose decor pieces for your home.
-
Add warmth with earthy tones
The most effective technique to bring the warmth of the sun and the scent of Africa into your home is with color. The most commonly used shades are metallic and jewel tones, deep browns, red, orange, yellow, burgundy, etc. Also, the look will be enhanced with electric blue, fiery orange, and saturated purple detail accessories. Another way to bring in the colors of African your home is with wallpapers with African rural native or animal themes and motifs.
-
Natural materials for furniture
The African-inspired design is based on natural materials that are locally sourced. Furniture made of bamboo, rattan, clay, stone, and woven fibers like sisal or jute will authentically showcase the beauty of Africa. Utilizing these materials will bring an organic look into your home. You need to think about dark-colored wooden furniture, a significant characteristic of the African-themed interiors. When discussing wood types, you can choose between cedar, African mahogany, and ebony. You can also use these materials for flooring or accessories to infuse the space with an attentive African feel.
-
Textiles and patterns
To complete the look of furniture and flooring, you need to choose the right textiles and patterns. African textiles are popular for their intricate patterns, bold prints, and rich textures. Many African-inspired fabrics, such as mud cloth, Kente cloth, Ankara prints, or Adinkra symbols, can be incorporated into pillows, curtains, throws, or upholstery.
-
Add a tropical touch
Hot weather is associated with African territory, so tropical themes are not excluded from the interior design styles. The reviving tropical theme is a blend of Asian theme interiors with African and South American touches. Having plans and palm leaves in the house can bring a tropical vibe and bring nature around.
-
Artisanal crafts
Alt text: Handcrafted wooden decorative mask sculpture
Africa is famous for its craftsmanship, so integrating handcrafted items into your decor is necessary. Find one-of-a-kind pieces like hand-carved wooden sculptures, intricately woven baskets, beaded jewelry, or traditional pottery. They are witnesses of the cultural heritage of Africa. Faux animal skin or ethnic prints will bring significant aesthetic improvements to the whole look of your home in addition to celebrating how they are an unimportant part of the African customs and the life of African tribes.
-
Wall decor and artwork
When it comes to the walls, use some African artwork, like paintings, photographs, or masks that showcase African landscapes, wildlife, or tribal motifs. If you want to add a more eclectic touch, you can even create a gallery wall with a collection of different art pieces in complementary colors.
-
Lighting and accessories
Something that goes along with the whole decor and vibe of the home is the lighting. You can bring in the African ambiance by choosing lighting fixtures like handcrafted lampshades, lanterns, or woven pendant lights. This will create a warm and intimate atmosphere. Accessories like tribal masks, animal-inspired sculptures, colorful ceramics, or beaded textiles will bring the cultural charm of Africa to your home.
-
Embrace the wild side
Ethnic textiles and faux animal skin can boost the mood, and leopard and zebra prints on textiles, upholstery, and rugs will showcase the wild side of Africa. Weaving carpets and textiles is a tradition of African women, and using them as part of your decor will surely add an African feel to the design.
-
Don't be afraid to accessorize over
You can put as many accessories as you want in your home, there is no too many. However, you might want to talk to African interior designers who know how to mix and match the accessories and place them strategically so they really feel authentic.
Who else can help you with the design?
If you are renting your home, you can talk to the property managers or the landowners to find out how you can change the design of the home. Sometimes, there might be certain rules regarding how much you can change in the home, especially if you're renting it, so make sure that you are on the same page with the property manager regarding the changes that you want to make. Or, you can talk to a real estate agent who can connect you with interior designers from their network specializing in African design.
Conclusion
Bringing an African feel to your home is a challenging task. The rich and exotic nature of African traditions and life can boost the mood of the house's residents and teach them about life in Africa through the crafts and details of the decor. It will surely add warmth to the house and make you feel relaxed.
