How to Decorate Your Home with African Décor
There’s no denying that designing your house with art can influence one’s spirituality, mental health, productivity, relationships, physical health and other activities of life. Houses with African art can give the feeling of times past, style and prestige, regardless of where the house might actually be in the world. Art in Africa is filled with meaning and tribal signs and symbols; from the masks to statues, footstools to veranda posts, ivory to precious stones/metals, animal skin to fabrics and room dividers to doors.
The best African decorating cues can add just the right amount of style and natural elements — they’re free-form and traditional yet artistic and sculptural; they illuminate with their theme and energetic presence. And their life span, timeless, as this design style cuts across generations. But when considering African décor in a room’s design, there are few things to take into account.
The Floor Level
The art of the floor determines the type of flooring or tiles used, the type of rug to be used and the arrangement of furniture close to the ground.
The room measurements for the rug have to be considered and recorded accordingly before placing a furniture in the house.
Add Rug
A living room without any rug looks bare and naked. Add a rug or carpet for visual and physical comfort. Not necessarily a room-filling rug which covers almost the entire floor of the room but seating area rugs which extends about halfway. Also, adding a small rug by the bed side in the Bedroom to make feet landing and walking more comfortable.
Rugs from Morocco, Algeria, and Raffia floor mat and leather rugs can be considered.
The Entrance
The entrance or foyer as the first space creates the first impression.
Make a Statement and Design to Your Routine
That space gives the first impression when somebody walks into your home from outside. It can say much about personality, character, taste and preferences.
Statement-making placement of life-size sculptures or statues on the side, a wooden miniature on the console table by the wall, a stool and mirror. The entrance door could also be a carved wooden door.
Typically, the entryways are usually small not a huge space, so a console table with drawers or a handcrafted raffia bowl will be great addition there to hide your keys, mails and keep things organized. The bowl or drawers on the console table serves as carry-all especially for a kind of person who likes to drop everything when he/she walks through the door. A wall-mounted mirror gives you one last chance to check yourself before you step out the door. Another element is a stool that slide under the console table can provide a place to sit while lacing or wearing shoes.
The Living & Dining Room
The main living areas, whether combined or separate rooms in an open space, set the stage for life with family and friends.
Furniture, Art and Accessories
Working from your inspiration images and floor plan, choose specific pieces of furniture — chairs and tables — that will make the space habitable and homey.
For an African-themed living room, focusing on an asymmetrical plan helps — for example, installing a sectional sofa, chairs with a tray on the carved wooden table centered on TV stand, with matching armchairs and wooden side stools on either side. Accompanying foot stools could be placed on the sides of the chairs.
Sculptures and vases are properly spaced and scattered throughout the room (on the TV stand, center table and shelf on the wall). Adding House Posts (Veranda posts similar to the ones in Nigeria) placed at the corners of the room to give the feel of royalty or prestige of a palace. Also, framed paintings, prints, photographs, tribal masks and old maps mounted on the wall would give the room a face. A replica of these items can be considered.
A three-way room divider can be positioned in between the living and dining sections but ensuring there is a clear walking path through the living room.
For the dining area, the carved wooden table with chairs and pottery bowls on the table for flowers, kolanuts and sweets.
Another helpful element is the shelf to store magazines, books and board games. The ayo board would be an interesting traditional collection, known also as wari, played with pebbles or seeds.
The Bedroom
The bedroom can serve as your nightly sanctuary.
Plan the Furniture
The key piece of furniture is the bed, which has to be given the pride of place in the room. That is, a special space, most likely with the headboard positioned against one wall and clear paths for walking on both sides of the bed.
There could be wooden tables with drawers for storing clothing and other essential items, and a wardrobe for folded clothing. Also, there could be console table near the bed and by the wall, and a TV stand for the TV and other game console.
Bedding
Much comes to personal preference for the bedding style. African inspired bedding sheets, pillows and blankets can be used made from materials: Ankara, Adire and other textiles.
Home Office Space
The work space away from the Main Office.
Plan the Furniture
The main pieces of furniture are the Desk with the Chairs excluding the working materials and computers in this case since they are personalized items of the owner of the house.
There has to be book shelf for storing books, magazines, working documents, files and art miniatures.
Focus on Things You See
The rectangular in shape Plaques from Benin (Edo State, Nigeria) can be mounted on the wall as well as paintings and framed graphic posters of African art for a touch of contemporary art.
