African, Asian and Island Decorating Styles

There are a lot of reasons that people choose to decorate with an ethnic flair, some are paying homage to their homeland, their ancestral home, a past encounter and some are just surrounding themselves with a culture that they love. Whatever the reason, ethnic interior decorating is a very popular trend and creates more drama and eye appeal than many traditional styles.

• African Decorating. This decorating style can give emphasis to native African culture or to the safari elements or a little bit of both. Which ever way you lean, there are some common elements. Look for rich woods with large, stylized details, no fancy scrollwork or intricate carvings. The fabrics are bold, featuring many textures, and animal prints are always welcome. The color palette should be warm and earthy with a focus on rich browns, golds and black used as an accent color. Lighting is soft and warm, evoking a comfortable yellowish glow. Use your accessories to emphasize your particular bent. Both cultural and safari elements can be found as inexpensive replicas in stores such as Pier One, Pottery Barn, IKEA and many others, but look for bona fide pieces while on holiday.
• Asian Decorating. Asian interior decorating is a catch all for many different ethnic regions and is called by many different names, but lumped together these styles have many common themes. Whether you’re going to follow Feng Shui or wabi-sabi or if you’re going to ignore the rules entirely, there is one common element in Asian decorating schemes, it’s a sense of peace, tranquility and care. Asian interiors are well thought out and each element is carefully placed to increase a sense of harmony within the home. Look for furniture made of bamboo or black lacquered wood, incorporate ceramics and stone into your room. Asian pieces often feature intricate detailing and carved woods, try not to overwhelm the room with these pieces, but treat them as an accessory or accent instead. Look for rich deep tones that lean into the reds and oranges with blacks and golds throughout. Freshen and add interest with floral inspired whites and greens.
• Island Decorating. Imagine a tropical oasis and take your inspiration from that image. Island interiors feature heavy, dark woods with neutral colors and touches of gold used to emphasize these statement pieces. The fabrics in an island home are natural with cottons, raw silk and even mosquito netting adding texture to the room. Look for accessories that feature natural island elements; palm trees often play into this decorating style quite well, as do playful monkeys. Accessories can be a bit “overdone”, so feel free to keep collecting. Add additional visual interest by popping in accent colors that are nature inspired.

African, Asian and Island ethnic decorating schemes offer the homeowner a chance to express a side of themselves that’s probably not evident in their everyday life, a true oasis from the world outside. By sticking carefully to the decorating style of choice you’ll impress guests with your taste and depth of personality.