African style in the interior: features, photos

If you are looking for a bright and comfortable 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 motifs are always relevant. However, creating a harmonious atmosphere is not so simple - it is sometimes difficult to resist, so as not to add a few more details to the decoration. How to maintain balance without turning the room into a kind of museum or souvenir shop?

Beautiful african style room

Bright room design in African style.

Design Features

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

Important! Moroccan and Egyptian trends are influenced by African motifs.

To create a harmonious interior, it will be necessary to combine common details, trying not to get involved in particulars. 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 characteristic features is the use of animal themes in the design. It can be prints on textiles, paintings with images of lions, cheetahs, zebras, etc., skins and even stuffed animals.

Beautiful African style room

African style living room design

Color spectrum

The African style in the interior is characterized by warm shades inherent in the landscapes of Africa. These are all varieties of brown from light to dark wenge, grassy green, swamp, olive, sand, brick red. Contrast combinations are relevant, for example, black, red and golden. Such a gamut causes associations with the desert, night and bonfires, which kindle tired travelers to warm themselves in the dark.

If you don’t like the vibrant combinations in the African style in the interior, you can choose a softer color. In dark rooms, the combination of red and black is too gloomy and difficult to perceive. If the room is small, it is better to pick up yellow tones, beige, light brown, ivory.

Such shades 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 unnecessarily bright neon shades.

African style design

African style in the interior

Wall decoration

You can use various methods to create an African interior. When choosing finishing materials, first of all, it is worth giving preference to texture and colors. The classic option for wall decoration is reed, but it can be replaced with textured wallpaper that mimics snake skin, or photo wallpapers 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 African-style living room

African style dark room design

Coarse light-colored stucco or imitation of walls covered with red clay is also relevant. Borders with traditional African ornaments or imitation of cave paintings look good as decor. You can also choose ordinary paint of 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, just select two colors - one background, and the second contrasting. The effect of cracks is created using craquelure varnish. As a result, after processing the walls are covered with a network of small cracks. Craquelure varnish can cover not only paint, but also plaster.

African style design

African style in the interior

Flooring

The best option for flooring in an African interior 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, but in the Russian climate from autumn to spring, problems may arise. In order not to freeze, you need to install a "warm floor" system, you can also lay woolen carpets with animal print or natural skins.

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

Natural bamboo is also an excellent material for decorating not only walls but also floors. In extreme cases, you can use various simulations, for example, a laminate with a characteristic pattern or even linoleum. Both options are quite budget, but the quality of the coating 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 easiest option for decorating the ceiling is ordinary whitewash or plaster of white, milky, beige color. 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 beams made of dark wood. Artificially aged surfaces look spectacular, and not straight, perfectly smooth bars, but processed driftwood or tree trunks also look original. This type of decoration 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 ordinary reeds. To realize this idea, you need to purchase bamboo ceiling tiles or attach the stems directly to the beams. Plates can also be attached both to beams or crates, and to a conventional base.

African style living room

Chic African style design

Materials and furniture

Since the African style in the interior differs using only natural materials, synthetic coatings and facades should be avoided if possible. In extreme cases, you can use high-quality imitations.

What other options could be:

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

In the African interior there is no place for elegant lines and sophisticated decor. Furniture should be heavy and rough, its forms are extremely simple and strict. Try to keep 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 drawers, armchairs, tables, small coasters, etc. will also look appropriate.

Beautiful African-style room design

African style living room

For upholstery of soft sofas, armchairs and poufs, it is better to choose genuine leather or its imitation with 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. Wicker chairs and even sofas will fit perfectly into such an interior, and for softness you can put bright pillows, bedspreads or decorative mattresses. Numerous rugs and bedspreads also allow you to refresh the atmosphere if there is no way to replace furniture with new ones.

Important! An excellent addition to the African interior will be ebony or cedar chests. 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 my grandmother, can be easily updated in accordance with the afrostyle. A new upholstery made of soft leather or an ordinary film with imitation of snake skin will quickly transform the look of an old headset. If you got an old table, leather is good for decorating the legs, and the tabletop can be decorated with mosaics. For the decor of small drawers suitable natural or faux fur.

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, however, the selected fabrics should certainly attract the eye. Colorful curtains, sofa cushions, wall panels, lampshades - these are just a few of the textile uses. 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;
• animal tusks and horns;
• figurines;
• wooden caskets;
• leather-covered photo frames;
• weapons - spears, bows, arrows, axes, shields;
• stuffed animals;
• plants - home palm trees, laurel;
• images of exotic birds, as well as live birds, such as parrots.

If you can’t get genuine ethnic ceramics, you can make an imitation yourself. To do this, take ordinary clay jugs and bottles, and then just 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 the African style. A large amount of wood is appropriate in the interior of the living room. As upholstered furniture, low sofas look good with leather upholstery of a straight or angular shape. You can complement the relaxation area by picking up a low coffee table with characteristic carvings, as well as a floor carpet with an ethnic pattern.

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

Masks, feather ornaments, figurines, as well as a large number of living plants are good for living room decor. Usually these are different types of palm trees and vines, which are able to take root at home.

Large bright bedroom in African style

African style room interior

Afrostyle cuisine

For a kitchen room there are fewer opportunities due to the fact that in the first place it is worth paying attention to the functionality of all interior elements.Here easily soiled materials, as well as coatings that do not tolerate heat and moisture, are suitable. Hardwoods with water-repellent impregnation are well suited for decoration and furniture. The kitchen can be decorated with beams on the ceiling, put ceramic dishes on the shelves, hang bunches of herbs. So that the equipment does not get out of the general style, it is better to pick up the 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 African-style bedroom

Bedroom decoration

For a bedroom in afrostyle, do not choose too dark colors or harsh combinations, it is better to choose a softer gamut. The main element of the room is the bed, the best material for it is wood with rough processing. The bed on very low legs looks ideal, and even better if it is a simple podium. For decor, you can use a canopy 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.

Video: Features of interior design in African style

50 photos of African-style interior design ideas: