Despite the common basic characteristics, the inhabitants of different countries of the continent have their own cultural characteristics. Therefore, it is important to decide what you want to focus on: to make a connection to specific people, or to create an environment, guided by the basic principles.
It is also important to understand the end result – will it be the maximum repetition of the arrangement of African design or just its characteristic features in a modern interior.
As you can see, despite the exoticism and originality, the style is quite plastic, so there is an opportunity to choose the option that suits you.
The African-style dwelling decorated by professional looks colorful, original, it radiates energy and closeness to nature. In it, a person will not feel overwhelmed by urbanization – only the charm of the exotic.
Main features
Among all styles of interior decoration, the African genre is considered the most distinctive and close to nature. This leads to special requirements for materials, furniture, colors.
Let’s consider its main features:
- The predominance of natural materials – stone, wood, items made of baked clay.
- The forms are natural, smoothed. One gets the impression that it was not a man who worked on their creation, but nature itself.
- Natural fur, leather, animal skins, fabrics with prints of African patterns.
- Natural colors – ivory, beige, sandy, woody; as well as white, black, red, orange, green.
- Wooden masks, ceramics, figures of African animals and aborigines, paintings with African landscapes and hunting scenes are used as decor.
- Furniture without a pronounced modern touch. The corners of the furniture are smoothed, the surface is most often made of leather. As an accent with an African print, there can be decorative pillows or individual pieces of furniture – a backrest, armrest. To find this kind of furniture pieces is better online because the choice is wider and richer in variations.
- The lighting is moderate, sometimes it is dimmed since the houses of local residents could not boast of an abundance of light. The color of artificial lighting is as close to natural light as possible. Colored LEDs and fluorescent lamps are not used.
African ornament
The ornament of the inhabitants of Africa reflects their reality. It often contains the bright sun, images of animals, display of everyday life, interweaving of geometric shapes. All this is reflected against the background of warm colors.
Cold tones are practically not used. The patterns are most often proportional and uncomplicated, despite the fact that they consist of many elements. Cyclical circles, rhombuses, spirals are often seen in African patterns.
Ethiopians prefer geometry, while Ivorians prefer plant images. Mauritians prefer animal images and hunting scenes, Nigerians often depict lizards and geometric patterns.
An important part of the whole style is adinkra – the application of ornament on household items, fabrics, or the body by hand. Such work is difficult and painstaking since it is necessary to apply proportional and cyclical patterns.
Color plays an important role for Africans, while the same tone can have different meanings. For example, red for some peoples symbolizes health, while for others – sadness and mourning. White color means a connection with the world of spirits, and some residents do not use yellow in the interior and clothes of boys until a certain age.
The ornament of the inhabitants of Africa is fraught with deep meaning; sometimes it can mean a phrase or a link between generations. Be sure to consider these nuances when arranging an African apartment interior.
