African Home Decor

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Whether you want to flaunt some stunning souvenirs you picked up from Africa or desire to add a touch of safari to your living space, African home decor is the most urbane and unique way to do up your home. African home decor can really bring life to any room and give a sense of cultural richness to your home. Flamboyant colors add stunning brightness and the depth of African decor makes every place look livelier. African home décor will give you a sense of being closer to nature. Whether your personal style is modern, minimalist, traditional or eclectic, an African home decor theme offers a variety of colors and textures, carvings and art work. However, in your overriding urge to feel more close to nature or make your room extra special, you need not buy things made out of endangered species or wood sourced from unsustainable harvesting. Instead of enhancing the artistic appeal of the decor, such items are cause for embarrassment and guilt! Continue reading to know some beautiful tips on African home décor that is bound to thrill everyone with its artistic appeal.

African Home Decor Ideas

Prints, textures and fabrics
In African decor, texture is very important. Add natural prints like straw mats, picture frames in bamboo and some plants. Putting leopard and cheetah prints on pillows, blankets and carpets will also give you an ethnic African look. Mudcloth fabric is also one very uniquely African art form. It is made from cotton coated with mud and painted with colorful, tribal or primitive designs. Mudcloths are great for draping on the couch or pillow or as wall decor. For drapes, use gauzy white translucent material and splash some color with woven or embroidered edges. Use a traditional silver amulet as an ornament hanging from the curtain rod to give your window a fascinating and distinctly African-Ethiopian look.

Color
African home decor is majorly inspired by nature. So earthy tones like black brown, cream, blues, rich greens, oranges, etc., are good color choices. For a more subdued look, use neutral dark red and add vibrant colors in your accessories. For a louder look, paint your walls with golden sunset or an orangish, sunrise or foliage yellow.

Furnishing
African art such as primitive tribal masks and figurines made out of ebony will give your room a very serene feeling. You could use furniture made out of bamboo to keep it casual and outdoorsy. If you want to give a more elegant look, then go for carved hardwood furniture stained in deep dark tones. You could also add different animal carvings or sculptures made from either wood or soapstone since animals are an integral part of Africa.

Traditional African Instruments
Armpit drums are an integral part of African society. So put an armpit drum to enhance the look of your room. If you think armpit drums are very common, then you could go for instruments like the lute, sanza, balafon or ivory horn. These instruments will also lend a musical feeling to your room. Don’t put any instrument which doesn’t belong to Africa; your efforts and the entire look will be completely ruined by mismatched combinations.

Lighting
Give dramatic lighting to your room for a warm homely feeling. You could use lamps with animal or plant prints. Hurricane lamps will also accentuate the look. Moroccan lamps that are hand crafted will give a very unique look. Candles are also a great source of light. Put candles that will enhance your decor. For an extra romantic or elegant look, place the candles strategically before mirrors such that their light gets reflected all around.

African gourd
Gourds of different sizes are used widely for many different things throughout Africa. Gourds can be used for holding water or other liquids or just as decorations. A collection of different shapes and sizes of gourds with different patterns can emphasize your décor. Get carved gourds to give a more artistic touch to your room. If you can’t find gourds then you could also use clay pots of different shapes and sizes. It will create almost the same look.