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African style in the interior: basic principles and tools for implementation

We will tell you how to create African style in the interior of the living room and bedroom, what basic principles it has, what you need to consider when implementing ethnic concepts. After reading this, everyone will be able to recreate an authentic environment in their apartment and enjoy the exotic.

Features of culture

Ethnic interiors have become very popular in the last decade. Many people can’t get enough of distant countries. And if there is no opportunity to go there, there is a desire to create something exotic at home. For everything to turn out tastefully, you first need to learn about the traditions and customs of the country, and only then try to create the beloved flavor with a swing.

The continent of Africa has a rich culture. When it was discovered by Europeans, they immediately liked the charm of the simplicity of local life, bright colors, unusual ornaments. There is always an atmosphere of historical mysteries.

There are two Africas. In the northern part of this geographic region are the countries where great civilizations were born and died. These are Egypt, Mauritania and Morocco. Europe has been closely associated with these states for many centuries, so you can see the national features of these countries in English and Mediterranean style.

But the color of Africa today is associated with the Black Continent. Its originality was revealed to mankind with new geographical discoveries and with the development of television. Programs began to appear on blue screens about the militant peoples living in Sudan and Algeria, about tribes that, in the modern world, managed to live in primitive communities. It is in them that the ancient cultural traditions of the region, which have their roots in the time of the birth of mankind, have been able to be preserved. The African style is based on them.

Basics of ethnic trends

The main theme of art of the black continent is the past. It is handed down from generation to generation with the help of images. They are not elaborate, very simple, but sincere and naive, without complex allegories. The style relies on clear lines, straightforward and ingenuous. But there is no crude primitivism. And all because in the first place goes plasticity of the elements, streamlined forms. Even if the decor is done in a harsh manner, it is perceived very calmly.

An important feature of this trend is a commitment to nature. It can be seen in everything: in the selection of colors, in finishing materials. Recognizable marker – warm halftones, rich shades of red, yellow and brown. There may be a lot of ochre, terracotta, chocolate. Black often acts as a companion to them. It must be present if an African interior is created. For expressiveness, turquoise is added.

Practicality is paramount, so there is no place for excess and frills. Precious woods and ornaments made of ivory help to create color. They are not for everyone, but you can replace them with ceramics and clay, crafts from birds feathers, nutshells, dried flowers and twigs of trees. They can be made by any city dweller, looking at the master class posted at the end of this article.

African style in the interior is also emphasized by using textiles. There should be a lot of it. The windows are better decorated with roller blinds, sewn from natural cotton or linen. Bamboo blinds will fit well in the decoration. On the floor must necessarily appear a jute carpet or palace with the original pattern, or products that skillfully imitate the skins of wild animals inhabiting Africa. It is always necessary to pay attention to the functionality of the room. For example, woven mats made of palm or coconut fibers are ideal for the kitchen. When the interior is decorated bathroom in the African style, the floor is decorated with tiles, but it must necessarily be an authentic mat.

As for furniture, here, too, the choice is not very large. Ideally, the items are made of dark wood, sofas and chairs covered with black leather, or wicker furniture. The main thing is to observe the principle of practicality: you do not need a lot of items, they should not be more than necessary for a modest life. How all these basic principles can be implemented in practice, can best be demonstrated by the correct decoration of the front room and the room for rest.

Living room

It is ideal for the realization of the African style. The largest room in a private home or in a city apartment gives the freedom to create the right mood. It is necessary to start in the choice of finishing.

For its execution, it is better to use natural materials, the simpler the textures, the better. Therefore, the walls should simply be painted. And do not be upset if the base is not perfectly even. It is not critical at all. Such roughnesses can emphasize the charm of handmade.

The color of the walls can be different. Much depends on what you want to emphasize. If on authentic decor, then it is better if the background remains light. Bright contrasting details, look good on a sandy shade. Brown walls will help to form a slightly mysterious atmosphere. On them you can place decorative painting or stickers, made in the style of rock primitive drawings. Terracotta color for wall decoration is suitable if you create a country interior. The panels of thin bamboo help to zone the selected space.

To decorate the floor, the designers advise to choose natural wood or parquet board, laminate, artfully imitating it. Let its color resemble the color of stained wood, and the texture remains matte: gloss and shine is very bad for the concept of African style. People who are brave are able to take a risk and put ceramic tiles on the living room floor. For this purpose, the most suitable is large, matte, with a color darker than the finish of the walls.

The ceiling should simply be whitewashed. To make it more expressive, the elements of rural decoration are ideal: beams of wood, twigs of rods, reminiscent of sorghum.

Furniture

To fill the living room, it is worth choosing objects of simple laconic shape, well-finished, but not polished. They should be pleasant to the touch, and that’s because in many ways the African style is more perceived just by tactile sensations. The owner of the interior must experience certain emotions. The countries of Africa are associated with a hot sensitivity, so experienced designers give preference to dark-colored furniture with matte surfaces. But here it is allowed to experiment, and then the style is emphasized by additional accessories. In the living room can appear ordinary chairs and armchairs, but then they just need to be decorated with covers and capes, plaids or blankets, the design of which resembles animal skins.

When buying an upholstered group, you should opt for models of simple shapes, upholstered in teak, linen or jute. Let the sofas and chairs be as low as possible. This will only benefit the interior. The coloring can be restrained or bright. A corner sofa with the color of the sun on the sunset and the cushions on it with a characteristic African ornament always look good. You can turn to the animal theme and buy furniture with upholstery “as a zebra” or “as a giraffe”. It will be the central accent decoration.

The decor

It helps to recreate an authentic environment and indicate the national roots of the style. The living room can be decorated with statuettes and vases, hunting trophies, spears, arrows. If you were able to bring traditional tools as souvenirs from a tourist trip, they will fit well into the decoration of the front room. Furniture manufacturers, inspired by the image of the drum-tamas, released a collection of poufs and chairs that can be used for purely practical purposes, and to decorate the living room.

Separately want to talk about the masks. They help to create direct associations with the Black Continent and its culture. But when using them must act very carefully, and first find out what symbolizes the selected mask. Such items are often used for ritual ceremonies. They can carry positive and negative charges. Agree that if a mask symbolizing death appears in the living room, it is unlikely to improve the microclimate of the house. Even if there are not superstitious people in the family, you should not neglect the traditions, the existence of which is several centuries old.

African style

Bedroom

Here, too, only natural materials should be used, the room will be warm and comfortable if the main emphasis is made not on the design of the room, but on its furniture filling. Here you need to put a large black bed, to construct a canopy over it, to cover it with a flowing white cloth or a material with a mesh structure. You can simply fix it on the ceiling with special holders. They are available in any hardware store, or attach high uprights to the corners of the bed. Either way, such a decoration will look very effective.

If there is space, it is advisable to put a wicker chair and a small coffee table near the window. They will help to complement the environment and make the room more cozy. Instead of chairs, designers often use comfortable soft poufs upholstered in fabric with an ethnic print. Such items look stylish, practical to use, as their internal space can be used as a storage system.

To decorate the room it is better to use large objects: large floor vases, paintings, mirrors, placed in a wooden frame. Real live plants in dark-colored tubs look good. When instead of one central chandelier in the room for sleep and rest there is a lamp, similar to a fan, the overall picture adds up, the bedroom in the African style becomes very cozy.

The creation of African style in the interior is not limited to strict rules, here you can experiment, but we should remember that the theme of decoration itself is very bright, expressive, energetic, it can be a source for the accumulation of strength, so the hot colorful direction is most suitable for people energetic, bright, looking at life with great optimism.