African style in the interior: features, photos

If you are looking for a bright and cozy design for decorating an apartment, then the African style in the interior is definitely one of the most attractive options. Rich warm colors, natural materials and unusual decor will transform any room, ethnic motives are always relevant. However, creating a harmonious environment is not so easy – sometimes it is difficult to resist not to add a few more trifles to the decoration. How to maintain balance without turning a room into a museum or souvenir shop?

Beautiful room in African style

Light design of the room in African style

Characteristic design features

The dimensions of Africa are large; a huge number of peoples live on the territory of this continent, each of which has its own unique style and cultural characteristics. However, there are a number of common features characteristic of this design direction, which are applied to the interiors of residential buildings and apartments..

Important! Moroccan and Egyptian destinations are influenced by African motives.

To create a harmonious interior, you will need to combine common details, trying not to get bogged down in details. First of all, these are dynamic ornaments, bright colors, expression. In Afrostyle, only natural materials are used, the forms of furniture and decor are simple.

One of the most striking features is the use of animal themes in the design. These can be prints on textiles, paintings with images of lions, cheetahs, zebras, etc., skins and even stuffed animals..

Beautiful room in African style

African style living room design

Color spectrum

The African style in the interior is distinguished by the warm colors inherent in the landscapes of Africa. These are all variants of brown from light to dark wenge, grass green, marsh, olive, sand, brick red. Contrasting combinations are relevant, for example, black, red and gold. This range evokes associations with the desert, at night and bonfires that tired travelers kindle to warm themselves in the dark..

If you do not like bright combinations in the African style in the interior, you can choose a softer color. In dark rooms, the combinations of red and black are too gloomy and difficult to perceive. If the room is small, it is better to choose yellow tones, beige, light brown, ivory.

Shades such as saffron, amber, honey, cinnamon will look great. You can refresh the design by adding a little turquoise or light blue, blue to the calm range. Color combinations should be as close to nature as possible, try to select only the natural range and avoid overly bright neon shades.

African style design

African style in the interior

Wall decoration

There are many ways to create an African interior. When choosing finishing materials, first of all, you should give preference to texture and colors. The classic option for wall decoration is reed, but it can be replaced with textured wallpaper imitating snake skin, or photo wallpaper with animal prints.

Important: animal prints are very bright, in order to avoid excessive variegation, they must be diluted with more neutral wallpapers, for example, beige, sand, white, etc..

Beautiful living room in African style

African style dark room design

Rough plaster of light colors or imitation of walls covered with red clay are also relevant. Borders with traditional African ornaments or imitation of rock paintings look good as a decor. You can also choose an ordinary paint in warm colors as a finish..

With the help of paint, you can achieve an interesting effect of cracked earth under the hot sun of Africa. To do this, it is enough to choose two colors – one background, and the second contrasting. Cracking effect is created using craquelure varnish. As a result, after processing, the walls are covered with a network of small cracks. Craquelure varnish can be used to cover not only paint, but also plaster.

African style design

African style in the interior

Flooring

The best option for flooring in African interiors is natural stone or porcelain stoneware. The choice of shade depends on the color scheme of the walls and ceiling. The stone cools pleasantly in the heat, however, in the conditions of the Russian climate, problems may arise from autumn to spring. In order not to freeze, you will need to install a “warm floor” system, you can also lay woolen carpets with an animal print or natural skins.

The stone is better suited for country houses, but in apartments you can lay parquet flooring, laying it out in a deck way. In African villages, ordinary mats are often used for flooring, so you can choose a carpet with the appropriate texture for the apartment..

Natural bamboo is also an excellent material for decorating not only walls, but also floors. As a last resort, you can use various imitations, for example, a laminate with a characteristic pattern or even linoleum. Both options are quite budgetary, but the quality of the coverage is quite high. If possible, you can order slabs made of natural bamboo, but it should be borne in mind that the cost of such a floor will be quite high..

Dark African style design

African style interior

Ceiling decoration

The simplest option for decorating the ceiling is the usual whitewash or plaster of white, milky, beige. Such a design will fit into any interior, and the neutral range goes well with any colors of furniture, walls and accessories..

If the height of the ceilings allows, you can decorate them with decorative dark wood beams. Artificially aged surfaces look spectacular, and not straight, perfectly smooth beams, but processed driftwood or tree trunks also look original. This finishing option is good for spacious rooms, but in small rooms the decoration should be extremely simple..

You can decorate the surface of the ceiling using bamboo stems or regular reeds. To implement this idea, you will need to purchase bamboo ceiling tiles or attach the stems directly to the beams. Slabs can also be attached to beams or battens, as well as to a regular base..

Living room in African style

Chic design in African style

Materials and furniture

Since the African style in the interior is distinguished by the use of only natural materials, it is worth avoiding synthetic coatings and facades whenever possible. As a last resort, good quality simulations can be used..

What other options might be:

bamboo stems;
cane;
wenge;
sandalwood;
rosewood;
rattan;
palm bark;
leather and skins;
natural clay.

In African interiors, there is no place for graceful lines and sophisticated decor. Furniture should be heavy and rough, its forms are extremely simple and strict. Try to stay in the correct proportions. But the facades of the cabinets can be decorated with traditional carvings or ornaments. Forged furniture and accessories will perfectly fit into the interior; wicker boxes, armchairs, tables, small coasters, etc. will also look appropriate..

Beautiful African-style room design

Living room in African style

For upholstery of soft sofas, armchairs and poufs, it is better to choose natural leather or its imitation with an animal print. In small rooms, the abundance of bulky furniture only exacerbates the situation, making the room even smaller. In this situation, it is more appropriate to choose as many wicker elements, open shelves, etc. as possible. Wicker chairs and even sofas will perfectly fit into such an interior, and for softness you can put bright pillows, bedspreads or decorative mattresses. Numerous blankets and bedspreads also allow you to freshen up the atmosphere if it is not possible to replace the furniture with a new one..

Important! Ebony or cedar chests will be a great addition to the African interior. They are used not only for storing things, but also as benches..

If you have the necessary skills, materials and tools, you can create furniture yourself. So, an old chest of drawers or a cabinet inherited from a grandmother can be easily updated in accordance with Afrostyle. New soft leather upholstery or regular snakeskin imitation film will quickly transform the look of your old headset. If you got an old table, leather works well for decorating the legs, and the table top can be decorated with mosaics. Natural or artificial fur is suitable for decorating small drawers..

African style in the interior

Large bright bedroom in African style

Textiles and decor

For decoration in the African interior, various ethnic ornaments are used in the form of zigzags, rhombuses, circles, etc. If we talk about textiles, there should not be too much of it, but the selected fabrics must certainly attract the eye. Colorful curtains, sofa cushions, wall panels, lampshades are just a few of the options for using textiles. Traditional ornaments can also decorate furniture, carpets, ceramics, vases.

What else is used for decoration:

light rattan lampshades;
bamboo blinds;
bamboo curtains;
ritual masks and amulets;
pieces of fur, bright feathers;
ivory jewelry;
tusks and horns of animals;
figurines;
wooden boxes;
photo frames covered with leather;
weapons – spears, bows, arrows, axes, shields;
stuffed wild animals;
plants – home palms, laurel;
images of exotic birds as well as live birds such as parrots.

If you can’t get authentic ethnic ceramics, you can make an imitation yourself. To do this, take ordinary clay jugs and bottles, and then simply wrap them with twine..

African style room design with a pattern on the wall

African style in the interior

Living room decoration

The hall, due to its large size, is great for African style. A large amount of wood is appropriate in the interior of the living room. Low sofas with leather upholstery of a straight or angular shape look good as upholstered furniture. You can complement the seating area by choosing a low coffee table with a characteristic carving, as well as a floor carpet with an ethnic pattern..

If the living room is used as a dining room, a large dark wood table will successfully fit into the design, and light wicker chairs will suit it. The rocking chair can be placed by the window by placing a wooden shelf with books next to it – this is a great place to read.

Masks, feather decorations, figurines, as well as a large number of living plants are good for living room decor. Usually these are different types of palms and vines that can take root at home..

Large bright bedroom in African style

African style room interior

Afrostyle cuisine

There are fewer possibilities for the kitchen space due to the fact that first of all it is worth paying attention to the functionality of all interior elements. Soiled materials, as well as coatings that do not tolerate heat and moisture, are not suitable here. For decoration and furniture, hard woods with a water-repellent impregnation are well suited. The kitchen can be decorated with beams on the ceiling, put ceramic dishes on the shelves, and hang bunches of herbs. So that the technique does not get out of the general style, it is better to choose built-in models or close the stove and other modern appliances with wooden or wicker screens..

African style in the interior

African style bedroom design

Bright bedroom in African style

Bedroom decoration

For a bedroom in Afrostyle, you should not choose too dark colors or harsh combinations; it is better to choose a softer scale. The main element of the room is the bed, the best material for it is wood with rough processing. The bed looks perfect on very low legs, and even better if it is a simple podium. For decoration, you can use a canopy made of light or dense fabrics. Decorative masks and weapons for the bedroom are too aggressive, it is better to choose safari landscapes or images of wild animals in their natural habitat.