15 Home Decor Trends in South Africa
Every local knows that living a trendy South African lifestyle is about more than enjoying Kruger National Park, the Drakensberg Mountains, and admiring the rich wildlife. Is your house due for an upgrade? Embrace the country’s unique home design styles by reading up on the latest ongoing design trends for home decor in South Africa.
Earth Tones
Greens, browns, and blues are still growing in popularity. Humans find themselves drawn to the world’s natural beauty, and these colours are exactly what you need to help emulate nature. Plus, these colours are soothing and can lower your stress levels simply by being near them.
Using earthy tones in your decor furniture can make you feel more at peace in your own home. When you’re near soothing colours, it’s easier to slip into a creative flow, which is an essential part of working from home. Being creative and productive at our work can lead to higher life satisfaction, making earth tones one of the best additions you can make to your interior design. You can accent an earthy room with light blue or pink for beautiful results that make you feel at home.
Earth tones work best when combined with wood and stone tones. Related textures such as cork, terracotta, and rattan are also growing in popularity. Gone are the days of smooth white or yellow walls in every home. Consider adding textured brown walls to your house to increase visual interest in the space.
Bold Colours
South African designs have always been known for their use of bold colours. Shiny reds, deep blues, and brilliant sunny yellows can immediately draw the eye towards a specific room feature. It can be challenging to master the use of bold colours. Start by making your rooms dark, and then use contrasting furniture colours that pop in your space. Doing so can lend a fun, playful vibe to any room, perfect for lightening the mood of your living space.
Yellow is trending as the most popular bold colour in South African interior design, so if you’re wanting to make sure that your decor follows the trends, make sure to incorporate some bold splashes of yellow!
Pastels
Pastels are fading in popularity in many parts of the world, but in South Africa, they are soaring in popularity. Pastel colours offer a pleasant contrast to the more traditional bold colours in many South African homes. If you already have a bold home and want to experiment with a softer colour palette, give pastels a try.
Pastels can briefly attract the eye to an area, but it is easy for the brain to push soft colours to the background after a little while. Choose pastel colours when you are looking to design a room in a way that isn’t distracting to your mind. Most pastels mix well together, so you can try various colours on your walls. This leads us to colour blocking.
Colour Blocking
Colour blocking makes rooms visually attractive. This interior design trend involves using multiple colours on the walls of a room. For example, pastel pinks, blues, and greys can work very well together when painted on the walls in boxes or stripes. It can be tough to master the right colour combinations, but an eye for interior design can lead to unique and beautiful rooms. Neutral, desaturated tones are in style right now and pair well with potted plants to freshen up the interior. Give each of your rooms its own life and personality.
Indoor Plants
It’s no secret that indoor plants are trendy home decor in South Africa, and this doesn’t seem likely to change any time soon. Biophilia is trending around the world. Potted plants bring all the benefits of the beautiful outdoors inside. They bring the good without the negatives that come along with it, such as heat, dirt, and bugs. You can get a beautiful look and feel whether you choose live plants or decorative plastic plants.
You can use strategically placed plants to disguise a box of toys, a cat’s litter box, wall outlets, or cracks on your wall. Though luckily, you don’t need to hide something to justify owning a stunning decorative plant. Setting a tall, decorative tree in the corner of your living room can tie the space together by its mere presence.
You don’t need to settle for bright green leaves. Consider dark green or purple leaves from certain types of houseplants to make your plant enjoyable to look at. Other options include bold red or yellow flowers to brighten a space.
If you own pets, choose your plants carefully. Many plants can be toxic to certain animals, and your pet’s health and safety are more important than selecting a specific flower for your bedroom. Browse online to find safe alternatives and plants that work well for the health of your pets..
Biophilia trends don’t require actual plants in your home. Use green and brown to convey the sense of plants indoors. Soft shapes with curved edges can also call up images of nature. You can consider hanging pictures of flowers on your walls or stocking a fish tank full of lively plastic plants and pebbles. Open your windows to allow maximum natural light to enter your home. Install screens on your windows to keep insects out but allow air to flow freely. Natural ventilation can keep you comfortable without skyrocketing your energy bills.
Geometric Patterns
Geometric shapes have always been a staple of African home design. Using them in your new home decor can help your South African home feel simultaneously classic and modern. Geometric patterns create a sense of symmetry in a room. Combining the sharp edges of geometric shapes with the soft curves of most house plants can lead to brilliant combinations.
Luxury Minimalism
Living a lifestyle both minimalist and luxurious can be a real challenge. At a glance, these words seem like complete opposites. However, living a luxury minimalist lifestyle is possible when you shop with purpose and eliminate what you don’t need. Texturing your walls is the best way to draw the eye to something detailed without actually taking up floor space in your room.
Trends are moving home design towards function over luxury. Designing for comfort is in style. Current trends suggest that luxury items will remain valued if your decor furniture can pull its weight. For example, bookshelves that contain items that enhance your space or books you use are better than books that exist only for decoration. Making quality over quantity the focus in your life can help you let go of any clutter you don’t need so you can fall in love with what you choose to keep.
Consider these items in your luxury minimalist designs:
- Wood-based items
- Plush pillows
- Extra soft blanket
- Supersized headboards to suggest luxurious beds
- Scented candles
Strive to eliminate items that don’t serve a purpose. So if you don’t believe you’ll use the candles, they may not be an appropriate piece of decor furniture in your home.
Metal Kitchens
Metal kitchens are sleek and easy to clean. More and more people are taking an interest in cooking, so convenience is starting to take priority over looks. This isn’t to say that metal kitchens are ugly to look at. They’re very impressive and can create a modern social space in your home. If a metal kitchen feels like it’s on the cold and uninviting side, try decorating yours with wood features (remember earth tones) and lush plants. Green plants and metal surfaces can make a stunning visual combination.
Larger Kitchens
If you’re looking for a more intense house redesign, consider expanding your kitchen. These days, people spend more time at home and cook more often in their own kitchens. Extend your kitchen to ensure you have enough room to move about freely while preparing food.
Tiles
Tiles allow homeowners to create intricate, eye-catching patterns not only on their floors but also on their walls. The tiled kitchen walls are attractive and interesting to look at. Tile grout creates a design that breaks up the monotony of the wall. Choose earthy colours for a homely kitchen or bright colours to create a fun, social atmosphere.
Natural Materials
It’s no secret that natural materials like animal skins and leather play a large role in African decor furniture. This is especially true with any fabric used for decorative blankets and rugs. Also, consider textured materials such as rattan and wicker to accent the furniture in your living room. For example, consider a clay pot, coconut bowl, or a handwoven wicker basket instead of using a glass flower vase on your bookshelf or coffee table.
Natural materials don’t just look stylish - they’re generally more affordable when sourced from local materials. Depending on your resources and skills, you may be able to craft some of your home decorations using materials you have on hand. This can help you personalise your space to ensure you feel at home.
Nguni cowhide is a popular decor furniture item in South Africa. These beautiful speckled cowhides make impressive rugs and pillow covers. You can even decorate the drawers of your dresser with cowhide. The skulls and horns of Nguni cows can be seen in many South African homes, attesting to the strength and beauty of these native animals.
Sustainable living is also trending fast and probably always will. If you want to make your home feel modern in an eco-friendly and sustainable way, choose natural products that are either biodegradable or easily recycled. Support local artisans in your area. If local providers don’t stock the decoration you have in mind, shop natural decor furniture online to support other artisans from other communities instead of buying mass-produced items.
Multifunctional Decor Furniture
Multifunctional furniture, such as beds that double as couches or cabinets, is an excellent way to preserve space. Fill your home with functional items that look great. Prioritise comfort. If you work from home, make your workspace a pleasant place to be. Look for areas in your home where you can maximise your storage space. For example, consider an ottoman with a removable lid that allows you to store books or children’s toys inside. You can buy lamps with extra charging ports for laptops or cell phones. Clean clutter from your home so you can fill your storage space with functional items you value.
Wood Panelling
Upgrade your home’s interior design with panelled cabinets. You can also opt for panelled walls, pantries, refrigerators, and freezer doors. Consider adding wooden bookshelves or a wooden desk to your office. Panelled walls make your home simultaneously feel sophisticated and in touch with nature. Wood panelling pairs well with plant life, so consider a vase of false flowers on a nearby counter. Boldly coloured flowers can make an impressive statement next to deep brown wood.
Placing metal and wood decor furniture near each other can give your home a unique and modern look. The contrasting textures can draw attention to specific features of a room. Use sparingly to increase visual interest without straining the eye.
Refurbished Furniture
Trends are moving towards a growing demand for recycled products, including refurbished decor furniture. Secondhand products can save you money and reduce your impact on the environment. Embrace it! The right refurbished furniture can give your home either a rustic look or a modern look, depending on your preferred design style. Search out homemade, DIY creations and support local creators in your area. Give your furniture a new life and keep your home looking fashionable at the same time. These could enhance your home decor in South Africa.
Vintage Decor
Step back into the past with old-fashioned decor furniture—vintage decor pairs well with wood panelling and green plants. Upgrade any room in your home by combining different elements of this trend list to create your favourite look. Even certain colour combinations can be vintage, allowing you to bring retro design styles into your home even on a budget.
elevenpast offers high-quality home decor in South Africa. Our stock includes tables, rugs, beds, cabinets, seating, and more. We offer items of various textures such as wicker, wood, metal, and natural fibres. Browse our inventory today and contact us with any questions about shipping information or item quality that you may have.