DIY African-Themed Room Decorating Tips

African-themed art and furnishings may be a good option for you if you are searching for an intriguing decorating theme for your home. Perhaps you do not have a budget set aside to hire an interior decorator. Thankfully, you can use the following tips to design the room of your choice without any hired help.

Contrast elements to add appeal.

The beauty of decorating a room that is inspired with African items is that you can combine contrasting items, and it will usually add more appeal to the overall appearance rather than making the room appear disorganized. For example, you could combine zebra, cheetah, wood and stone elements, and it likely would not be a decorating disaster. 

Choose solid colors wisely.

If you are aiming for a room that is reminiscent of Africa, opt for earth tones such as dark brown, camel, black, cream or white. You can use orange, red or golden yellow solids if you prefer to have warm colors. All of these color palletes are ideal for your furniture, wall paint, and pillow purchases. 

You may be a person who likes bright colors such as fuchsia or turquoise. These color preferences can still look appealing in an African-themed room, but you may want to consider limiting the mix of elements. For example, with bright colors, it may be better to choose one animal print fabric rather than mixing several prints. You could then incorporate figurines and paintings of various animals that dwell in Africa. You could also add textured items such as faux alligator skin items.

Decide whether you want authentic African art or mass produced items.

True African art will likely cost more than something you would find in a discount store. This is why some people opt for lower priced furnishings, and they save the bulk of their project's budget for African art purchases. If your budget does not permit you to invest in authentic art, there are a number of retailers online and offline that sell high-quality replicas.

Ensure that you incorporate live or faux foliage.

The addition of plants to the room will add more to the exotic feel. Examples of plants that would go well with this type of decorating are rubber trees and other types of tropical plants. These plants will require special care since they will not be in their natural environment. This is why it makes sense to consider artificial varieties if you are not comfortable or do not have the time to take care of live tropical plants. 

If you get stuck making decisions about how to combine African decor elements, consider enlisting the help of a friend. Their input can help you determine what is aesthetically appealing. You could also consider asking for the advice of a seller of African decor if you have concerns about your finished room being cohesive. 

Share