African exotic in the home interior

Ethnic interior is always exotic, original, bright and original. This is one of the few design styles that has managed to remain out of fashion and time trends for centuries.

The main thing in recreating it is not to go all out and turn the room into an ethnographic museum, but to be able to balance on the edge, demonstrating excellent taste. Premises interpreted in the spirit of fachwerk, tropics, Provence and chalets need this, but it is most difficult to be able to adhere to a sense of proportion, decorating the interior in the African style, because the abundance of extraordinary and exciting elements in this direction gives rise to an irresistible desire to demonstrate them in full . Undoubtedly, the task is not easy, but incredibly interesting. Ready to experiment? Do you want to get closer to the unusual and mysterious African world? Then get to work!

Style features

Let's talk right away. If you are disgusted by the brightness and variegation of a truly African interior, then you can stop at art deco or colonial style. Simply complement the chosen interior with details associated with sultry Africa. But if you do not mind feeling all the contradictory and colorful African life, then welcome to the world of its amazing nature.

African style is a broad concept. The African land, although not very friendly to people, however, has accommodated an incredible number of peoples, each of which has its own unique culture and some special traditions. The direction has collected and summarized the decorative features inherent in the internal arrangement of houses throughout the sultry continent, therefore, when decorating an interior in a real African style, the most characteristic stylistic features are taken as the basis, emphasizing the beauty of nature, unusual finishing materials and climatic aspects. Typically, designer stylizations contain a mix of interior components collected from different countries and localities, however, from the so-called “pan-African” motifs, two independent sub-styles were born - Egyptian and Moroccan, which go in a separate branch.

Before proceeding with the finishing work, you should decide on their volume: will it be a 100% reproduction of the main nuances of the interior arrangement of an African house or will you just need to bring shades of African color into the modern interior. Only having decided on the basic moment and stylistic direction, you can go to buy consumables.

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"Mood" of the African interior

What is inherent in the interior in African style? Of course, expressiveness, dynamism, colorfulness, contrast and in some ways even grotesque.

Since in such interiors they reproduce a picture of the surrounding world, only natural colors are used in the decor. The decoration is carried out only with natural materials, and the room is filled with predatory prints, figurines and images of the fauna of African deserts and savannahs. There is always a place for leather and furs in this decor. In addition, a colorful interior should contain many elements of primitive, but incredibly original arts and crafts of mysterious Africa, created by black craftsmen.

The interior, recreated in the African style, is easy to distinguish by the brightness and flashy contrast of the color palette of textiles and accessories, the obvious primitiveness of the decor, the rough texture, the simplicity of the forms and the extreme minimalism in the setting.

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African palette

It is worth dwelling on the color finish in more detail. As already mentioned, African interiors imitate local nature, its texture and colors, so brown, yellow, sand, terracotta, brick, grassy, ​​marsh and orange are indispensable in decor. Looking at such a palette, you involuntarily begin to think about the sands of the desert, scorched grass, incredible heat and riot of colors of the equatorial jungle. The priority is such warm, even hot, like African air, shades like amber, baked milk, saffron, cinnamon, charred wood, honey and others.

By the way, the black color for an African-style interior is by no means bad manners. It is often combined with fiery red or yellow. Such a composition is associated with a fire that breaks the deep darkness of the night and protects from savannah predators circling nearby.

You can introduce shades of blue into the decor, but this must be done in a very dosed manner. It is best if these are small accents.

Also in the decoration there are often combinations reminiscent of the colors of the skins of the inhabitants of the African continent.

African interiors are not against the play of colors, the main thing is that all the shades used are from the natural range.

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Aspects of finishing

In an African-style interior, coverings made from natural bamboo or made to look like it will be appropriate.

There are many ways to create an interior in a colorful African style. The main emphasis is on the color and texture selection of materials. So, for example, walls can be pasted over with wallpaper that resembles the structure of the skin of reptiles or reproduces the color of wild animals. Combined wall decors are very successful, when colored wallpaper with a predatory print alternates with plain materials of a plaster texture. You can simply paint the surfaces warm or leave them white and brighten up with an African border, which can be either paper or painted, or an interpretation of rock paintings. The painting of painted walls with silhouettes of animals or elements of vegetation should be large-scale.

You can make a background reminiscent of the African land cracked from the incredible heat. This will require paint in two shades, one of which will be dominant, and the second - accent, and craquelure varnish. Using these materials and the crackle technique, the walls are ennobled with a network of the finest cracks. Such an effect can be obtained by working not only on paint, but also on decorative plaster, which is also great for African interiors.

When recreating African-style interiors, designers like to decorate the walls of living rooms with fabric with colorful patterns, and the bathroom and kitchen with tiles or mosaics that resemble the leathery texture of reptiles.

But the floors in such a specific house are best made of stone. From finishing materials, you should choose large-format porcelain tiles in a color suitable for the style. Of course, a stone floor is cold, but in conditions of incredible heat, this is the best way to increase comfort levels and bring life-giving coolness to the house. In our climatic conditions, this effect, to put it mildly, is not in demand, so you will have to install a “warm floor” system or look for an alternative to stone floors.

What to replace? Well, for example, a matte parquet board with a rough texture, laid out in a deck way. The floors in the houses of the poor have always been covered with mats, which replaced the unfortunate bed, so the flooring may well become carpet-mat.

In an African-style interior, coverings made from natural bamboo or made to look like it will be appropriate. Laminate imitations are most often used, as they are more budgetary, but if possible, large-format slabs cut from real bamboo trunks are also ordered for flooring. The latter option is a very interesting solution for our climate zone.

The ceiling can be left snow-white or painted in any warm colors, pulled into fabric draperies or other design developments can be used. The room will look great, the ceiling of which is decorated with ebony beams. On top of the decorative beams, reeds or bamboo stalks are attached. Again, bamboo slabs of the appropriate configuration will help to realize such a difficult interior solution. They are mounted on the crate of suspended structures or directly on the base ceiling. This is a great way to make the environment incredibly realistic and accurately reproduce the nuances of African huts.

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African-style interior: how to decorate and how to furnish

The main point in creating an ethnic interior of any orientation is the use of natural materials in the decor. If this is not possible, then you need to purchase their high-quality imitations. It is important that the materials used in the decoration are typical for the area, the features of which will be reproduced in the selected ethnic interior. In our case it will be:

1. Cane;
2. rosewood;
3. Bamboo;
4. Wenge;
5. Rattan;
6. Clay;
7. Sandal;
8. Leather;
9. Palm bark.

The interior of the African-style room is filled with heavy, rough furniture, attracting attention with the simplicity of forms. Despite the geometric strictness of proportions, its facade can be decorated with carvings or ornamental painting. Forged furniture will be good in such a decor. By the way, other elements of the interior can be made in the spirit of ornate forging. Wicker furniture will harmoniously fit into a simple environment.

If we talk about upholstered furniture, then leather products will look perfect in an African interior, although it is quite possible to dwell on options with “predatory” upholstery. Lovers of lightweight designs can use wicker chairs with sofas covered with soft pillows, mats and mattresses.

There is no way to change the existing furniture - cover it with rugs or bedspreads that match the style, add fur pillows, and you will instantly feel the breath of Africa.

It is impossible to imagine an interior in a truly African style without massive wooden chests made of Lebanese cedar, rosewood or ebony.

You can try to make stylish furniture with your own hands, for example, transform a bulky chest of drawers or a sideboard left over from your grandmother's furnishings. Cover them with natural leather or cover them with a film resembling a reptile skin and decorate with handles shaped like elephants or snakes. The fronts of the drawers of the chest of drawers can be decorated with suitable fur, and the old chair can be pulled over with teak with a zebra color. The old table will also be transformed if its countertop is lined with mosaics, and the legs are “dressed” in leather covers.

Hanging shelving is ideal in an African-style interior, organized from rough shelves suspended on a simple rope somewhere under the ceiling.

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A little about accessories and textiles

“Complement the African-style living room interior with a coffee table with a transparent top and a voluminous glass wall panel depicting continental landscapes.”

The ethnic textiles of Africa are incredibly bright and colorful. Ornamental drawings consist of zigzag stripes, diamonds, circles. Zealous with textiles, there is no need, but it must certainly catch the eye. Panels and fabric panels for walls can be made from such colorful textiles.

As for the original ornament, it should be present on lampshades, carpets, decorative dishes. By the way, carpets in such an interior must be present. In some rooms it is allowed to replace them with animal skins.

From the elements of decor it is worth using:

1. Wicker lamp shades;
2. Wooden blinds;
3. Bamboo curtains;
4. Amulets;
5. African masks;
6. Ivory accessories;
7. Clay figurines;
8. Pillows-dums, photo frames, caskets covered with leather;
9. Wooden and earthenware;
10. Spears;
11. Musical instruments;
12. Hunting trophies;
13. Living plants (palms, ferns, laurel trees);
14. A bird theme featuring parrots, flamingos, ostriches and other exotic birds.

There is no way to get original ethnic dishes - make it yourself. To do this, it is quite enough to wrap the familiar ceramics with coarse twine or tow.

Don't turn an African-style room into an exhibition gallery. Leave only as many accessories in the setting as necessary to bring African flavor to it.

In the living room, you should mark out the overall sofa, on which a large company would fit without any problems. It is better if it is an angular model. It will be complemented by stylish armchairs under the skin. Well, if they have rich brown upholstery. Upholstered furniture can be covered with plaids of thematic coloring and laid out with sofa cushions. The African-style living room interior will be complemented by a coffee table with a transparent top and a voluminous glass wall panel depicting continental landscapes.

In the African bedroom, there is often a mixture of warm and cold tones. The setting includes both massive wooden furniture and wicker options. For example, cabinets, a bed and a wardrobe made of solid wood are complemented by chairs, chests and chests of drawers woven from cane. Floor vases with African prints, themed paintings, bedspreads will decorate the decor.

In the design of the bathroom, the main focus is best placed on animal prints. The main background should imitate the color of a leopard, zebra or the texture of reptile skin, while faucets and other fittings should be selected in chrome. In the case of a leopard finish, it is allowed to replace the chrome-plated accessories with gold-plated ones. This technique allows you to get a very warm and relaxing environment.But plumbing in the interior of an African-style bathroom should be exclusively boiling white.

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Conclusion

Eco-friendly natural design brings you as close to nature as possible, so the African-style interior is perfect for anyone who is tired of the bustle of the metropolis and the urban restraint of high-tech. Energetic and impulsive, it will remind you of the sunny summer, the beauty of hot countries and fill your home with exotic comfort.

Photo gallery - African-style interior:

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