How to Use African art, craft as décor

Long ago, people would design their huts with African pieces such as spears and animals skin for beauty. However, nowadays, they prefer to use modern art.
Whether it is because they never see the beauty in African pieces compared to the modern art or simply do not have the interest, is a debate for another day. For those that would love but do not know how to decorate with them, could incorporate African décor into your living room.

African pieces tend to leave impact and create memories because of their uniqueness, which is what everyone would want their guests to appreciate once they get into their living room; African art can also reflect a person’s passion.
Eric Muwonge an art exterior designer at African art décor says one can never go wrong with African art or art at that because every mistake in art is a design when the piece peels off or wears out, it is also a design that could be magnified into something incredible and attractive to your guests and you as a person.

A FEATURE WALL

For people who love a particular piece of art, say art piece clocks, portraits or animals, a feature wall comes in handy.
This is where you display a collection of your favourite art pieces. A feature wall or wall of attraction will lift up your spirits.
The feature wall could have one art object of your choice in a variety of shapes for example, if you are interested in African animals, you could have all different kinds of animals but to prevent monotony shapes have to vary as Muwonge explains.
“There are two places in the living room a feature wall can be put up and that is either the television area or its opposite side but you could consider putting it up on the wall going up the staircase if you have one.
However, let it not be overcrowded as it could look irrelevant and unappealing.”

SCULPTURES

Sculpture according to Muwonge are abstract which means they do not tell a specific story or give an immediate interpretation of what an object could be so they are an ideal way consideration for people who want to be complicated and also leave their guest wondering on what they saw could be.
Sculptures are also a consideration for the television area to make it more alluring and give company to the television and especially since they are not so diverting, a person can have it around and still concentrate on what they are watching. And in instances where television is off, the areas tends to be dull so these sculptures will keep the area attractive.

ARTISTIC FAMILY PORTRAITS

The fact that we are not good at everything spreads up to our tastes while choosing art pieces.
Despite the desire, there are people who are bad at choosing the right art pieces for their living room.
While choosing, the need for distinctiveness in the artistic art portraits could come in handy to be on the safe side with art.
For example, rather than using the usual frames, put your family photos in an African print photo frame to spice it up and make it pop on the wall.

DESIGNS

For wall designs, a person could use a big center piece of a mirror with African design embroidery or they could put two or three African portrait pieces on the wall opposite the television wall to make it look beautiful but also simple.
A person could also play around with the small pieces like art butterfly wall hangings by creating a diagonal kind of angle from small to big or vice versa.
For plain ceilings with no curved wall designs, one could consider using a well-structured mirror art piece on the ceiling.

Alternatively, you could instead of using a modern chandelier; an African piece designed chandelier will leave your ceiling creative and attractive.
The floor could have an original animal skin center rug to make your living room look classy.
However caution should be put on what skin best reflects the colour of your walls.
For example a zebra skin rug does not suit a red painted living room better than the leopard skin would.

DOS AND DONT’S OF USING AFRICAN ART

African art pieces are a tricky choice probably the reason why most people are scared to go wrong with them.
However, when incorporated into your décor the right way, it can leave your house not only outstanding but also with a story to tell your guests that visit.
Eric Muwonge advises that when using African art, it is important to first consider the colour of your walls, your wall colours have to be bright so as to make the wall pieces stand out especially since African pieces are normally in dull colours.

A white wall colour is often recommended but a home owner designer should make sure that they do not put same colours in one place because it tends to be monotonous and unattractive.
Still on colours, it is advisable to work around with piece colours for example, and a zebra piece border line will not contrast well with a white red or orange wall colour the way a white colour would.

Positioning of these pieces should also be well considered, big art pieces should not be put next to small art pieces because, the big pieces tend to draw all the attention taking it away from the small one.
It is wise to use big art pieces as center pieces on the wall and for your wall not to look crowded, one art piece is enough.
Same design art pieces should never be put in the same place because it makes no point having same designs in one place especially portraits or sculptures.

ARTISTIC FLOWER VASES

Artistic flower vases bring out creativity and life in a room especially since living rooms often have a dull metallic and wood like look because of the furniture.
These vases brig life into the room with plant and forest like reflections. The big flower vases are often used to fill up the empty corners in your living room.

MANTAINENCE

Muwonge advises that dusting the pieces twice a week will leave them fresh and new but if you leave in a dusty area, using a dumb cloth to clean and for the wood art pieces, wood polish could be used once in a while to keep them shinny.