African Safari Décor

African Safari Décor Basics

What elements make up African safari inspired design? Think of the surroundings you would encounter on a real life African safari and consider how they might translate into your home. Natural wood, woven baskets, burlap sacks, fabrics such as cotton and jute – these natural, organic materials are a part of any safari and translate well into the home. Likewise, think of the animals and the lush vegetation that are central to a safari – these elements are often used in African safari interior design as well. To get the look in your home, consider these ideas:

• Choose large, dark wood furniture pieces
• Opt for jute rugs on hardwood floors, when possible
• Animal prints, like zebra or cheetah, make great fabric choices
• Combine both real and artificial plants to give your room the jungle feel. Palms and grass plants are especially ideal choices.
• Accessories with unique touches like mosquito nets on the wall and traditional African art
• A safari scene mural adds a striking touch

Of course, as with any design style, the trick to getting the African safari look is finding the right balance for the overall style of your home. Much of this may come down to which room you’re planning to decorate in safari style. For instance, a safari themed bedroom may allow you plenty of room for going bold with your design and carrying the look as far as you can take it. On the other hand, the family room or living room might require a slightly less dramatic touch, depending on how formal your home is. Although the only real rule in interior design is that you love the look you create, keep in mind certain design basics when working with African safari inspired design. For instance, because many of the colors and prints used in this kind of design are very bold and striking, the size of your room makes a difference. If you have a very small living room, a large furniture set covered in zebra print fabric with a mural of a safari scene on the wall will be overwhelming and make your room look smaller, while this look may work perfectly in a larger room. Remember that bold prints and bright or dark colors make a small room look smaller, so gauge your décor accordingly.

Where to Buy African Safari Décor

If a safari vacation to Africa is not in the cards right now, that doesn’t mean you have to give up on creating the perfect safari inspired interior. There are lots of places online you can shop to pull your look together beautifully. These are some of our favorites:

• Themed Home Décor – This website gives you lots of tips for incorporating African style into every room in your home as well as a wide selection of African decorating accessories to bring the look to life.

• Touch of Class – Touch of Class doesn’t only cater to the African safari look, but they do have a good selection of safari inspired home goods. Their offerings are slightly toned down – they can be a good place to start shopping if you’re not sure quite how dramatic you want to go with your look.

• Charlotte Kaye – Charlotte Kay has loads of accessories to complete your design.

• Safari Gifts – Although you’re unlikely to find the bigger pieces you want here, like Charlotte Kay, this is a great website for all of the finishing touches you need.