As an ethical homeware shop, Africa is a really important continent to us at Karakorum, not only because of the wonderful artisans and enterprises we work with, but also because founder Natasha is from South Africa.
We recently shared a blog post about 5 of the African artisans we work with, which we highly recommend reading if you’d like to learn more about some of the people and enterprises we work with.
Africa is the second biggest continent, made up of 54 countries that are very rich and diverse in culture. So it’s no surprise that “African style” is actually a mix of many traditional styles from different countries, areas, communities and tribes.
For this reason, Africa is an incredible source of inspiration, and leaning into this mix-and-match kind of style can create a very eclectic and unique home.
Before we dive into our styling tips, we must reiterate that if you’re buying African art, textiles, baskets or pottery, it’s really important to make sure no one is being exploited for that work – everyone deserves to be paid a fair wage, and to work in decent conditions.
Here are a few of our favourite ways to incorporate ethical African design into your home.
1. Use natural materials in your African-inspired home
When we think of African style, natural materials play a big part in the overall look – I’m sure you’re picturing wood, clay, stone, textiles and other woven materials long before synthetic materials like plastic.
Wood is always a lovely natural addition to any room, whether it’s furniture or beautifully carved bowls and wooden spoons from Kenya, these items always add a warm and tactile feel to a home.
Of course, basketry is a huge element of African interior design, and here at Karakorum we stock many beautiful African baskets from Kasinde Crafts and Taita artisans in Kenya, the Batwa women in Uganda, and Gone Rural in Eswatini – all of which are unique to their culture and communities.
Pottery is of huge cultural significance across the globe, not least in Africa, and tells us stories of cultures throughout history, as they’re not only practical items, but represent conceptual ideas too. You can read more about African pottery here.
Soapstone is a traditional material mined in Kenya, and carved into useful cooking and heating equipment, as well as decorative items that would look beautiful in many homes, like pots and candlestick holders.
2. Opt for warm colours that evoke the African landscape
Bringing the natural, earthy colours of the African landscapes indoors makes perfect sense when you’re wanting to add African design touches to your home.
Picture the rich terracotta-red earth, golden and ochre grasses, and the hot orange sun, and then incorporate these tones into your walls, furniture and textiles to give your home an African-inspired look.
Plants are always a welcome interior element, and the greenery would create a stunning contrast to the warm tones in the rest of the room. Consider adding in a few plants that have native roots to Africa, like snake plants or fiddle leaf fig for authenticity.
3. Soft furnishings made of beautiful African fabrics
Africa is renowned for its incredible fabrics, which all hold much cultural significance, allowing communication with other people without speaking a single word.
These traditional African textiles hold a lot of history, passed down through generations. Here are a few to look out for.
Batik
Batik, a type of fabric that’s said to be older than history, has traces found in Egyptian mummies. It’s created by painting or printing fabric with wax before dyeing, and then removing the wax, revealing a bold and contrasting pattern.
Historically, people used batik to communicate important messages, and it is still very popular in West Africa, where it is sometimes known as Ankara, Dutch wax or African wax print. You can read more about the history of batik here.
Mudcloth
Mudcloth is another type of fabric that has been made, used and loved in Africa for centuries. It was first created in Mali, a landlocked West African country, and the colours are created with a mixture of fermented mud and different vegetation.
The designs hold different cultural meanings, which you can discover in this helpful article by Thula Tula.
Kuba cloth
Kuba cloth or Kuba textiles are from the Congo, and have elaborate and complex designs with cultural significance. Traditionally, men weave the raffia cloth, and women transform it into ceremonial skirts, ‘velvet’ tribute cloths, headdresses, basketry and more.
Kente cloth
Kente cloth is what many people think of when they think of “African fabric” – it’s a very bold and colourful textile made of silk and cotton, originating from Bonwire in the Ashanti region of Ghana.
It was traditionally worn by royalty, but it is now worn by many people for special occasions, and mass-produced printed kente-style fabric is popular throughout Africa.
Incorporating some of these textiles in interior decor is a sure-fire way of putting an African stamp on your home, and with the rise of ethical online shops stocking them, you don’t have to take a long trip to know that you’re buying fairly from African artisans.
The African Fabric Shop stocks beautiful fabrics from Ghana, The Gambia, Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso and South Africa, which are available by the metre, so you can create your own cushion covers, or you could even try your hand at reupholstering an armchair.
If you’d prefer to buy pre-made, these Matika mudcloth cushion covers are so striking, and keep your eyes peeled on the Karakorum New In section, as we plan to stock mudcloth throws and cushions very soon…
4. Display traditional African art
Finally, for a beautiful African-inspired interior, some traditional art will finish a room off perfectly, and as always, it’s important to buy from genuine African artists, and to ensure that they are getting a fair wage for their work.
Whether you decide to go for a display of woven baskets on your wall, traditional African masks, African prints or paintings, a display of African pottery, or a mixture of all these elements, they’re a great addition.
It seems to be rather tricky to find genuine African art (rather than cheap, reproduced prints with no money going to the artist) but we found True African Art, which is exactly what it says.
Run by Gathinja who was born and raised in Kenya, True African Art ships beautiful original paintings and prints worldwide, making sure that the African artists are not exploited for their work.
If you’d like a little more inspiration for an African-inspired home, we found loads of amazing African decor ideas on Pinterest, or have a browse of the Karakorum blog, where you’ll find loads more posts about home styling, as well as helpful articles about buying ethically.
And if you’re in need of a little styling help, Karakorum founder Natasha offers a bespoke styling service. Get in touch to find out more.
