A lot of interior design nowadays can be a bit bland and generic. Many people take this approach to house decoration because it is a lot safer. But if you’re the sort who wants to spice things up a bit and is willing to take risks, you can try to explore cultural or ethnic designs. For example, many African Americans are now exploring their history, and as part of their design inspiration often look for ideas in African art and history. They also take advantage of their afro magazine subscriptions to check for decorating ideas and themes. Help bring your culture to life as part of your home design with these suggestions.
Fabrics Can Bring Any Room To Life
One great way to bring your ethnicity and culture into a room is by using fabrics that have ethnic designs. Color and texture can greatly affect how a room looks, but it is not easy to bring that to life with only paint. This is where the fabrics come in. They can be used in a variety of situations. For example, you can have some room curtains featuring designs from the particular culture that you want. African cultures have incredible ethnic designs that can catch the eye of everyone.
You can also use the fabric in other spots. Pillows and cushions with ethnic designs can help emphasize the look of the room. You can also use fabrics as wall coverings and the like. You can even have them on the ceiling, providing an eye-catching conversation piece. While the fabrics are doing the heavy lifting when it comes to color, you should also note that you can enhance their effect by painting the room with matching colors. Depending on the fabrics, this may be in earth colors or something lighter.
Wood Is International
Wooden decor can be found in multiple cultures and can make it a great centerpiece. Depending on the ethnic theme you are aiming for, there can be different results. For example, Japanese wooden furniture has clean and simple lines. This makes them perfect for design styles that focus on minimalism. Other cultures that have a more robust and fancier approach like Indian or North African aim for more opulent effects.
Depending on the piece, there are various purposes that it can be put to. A solid table in the carved African style can be the centerpiece of your living room while an Oriental bamboo screen can be a great accent to a bedroom.
Think Of Your Seating Options
One important part of interior design that people forget is the seating arrangement. Many think that a chair is always good enough, but there are different styles of seating and lounging out there. For example, an effective way to provide seating for Indian-style rooms is to use divans. A single divan is a great centerpiece while multiple ones can give your room a sort of oriental splendor like no other. Puck the right pieces and pair them with little pieces of Indian decor and your living room will seem like a palace.
On the other end of the spectrum, Japanese-style living rooms are much more minimal. The chairs are much more functional and have more of a Western influence since Japan doesn’t have native chairs.
Other cultures have different seating options. Depending on the ethnicity you want to highlight, you should look for chairs and sofas that can match the effect that you want to create.
Bring In Cultural Accessories And Decor
To complete the look of any room, you need to add in some accessories. Various pieces can make a room echo the ethnicity that you want it to reflect. For example, for those that want an African style to their rooms, there are a variety of small statues, masks, and more that you can showcase. Other cultures have their decorative pieces that you can use to highlight your ethnicity. You can even mix-and-match them to highlight the differences.
The important thing about these accessories is that you know the story behind them. A small wooden sculpture or a tribal mask can be infinitely more interesting when you know their stories. When your visitors ask you about them, you can show off your knowledge about your own culture and share it with your guests.
Looking to spice up your home with ethnic design can be very rewarding. Showing off your culture can be a nice feeling, and the pride you take in it is always great. Infuse your home with your ethnicity and see your visitors understand you better.
