Style tribe: top tips for using ethic prints in your home

From African to Native American, ethnic prints can be easily incorporated into your space. Here are 10 simple tips to get it right.

Look to Safari Fusion for natural and dyed feathers that add texture to walls, such as this Bamileke headdress. It also stocks baskets and bowls created using African weaving techniques and colourful wire. Safari FusionShow less

From aboriginal to Native American, these bold graphics, softened by earthy tones and tactile fabrics, are easier to use than ever, if you follow a few simple guidelines.

1. Mix it up

The eclectic trend that has dominated interior design over the past few years has encouraged us to mix it up when it comes to prints. Want to combine a floral and a polka dot? No problem. A paisley and a stripe? Go right ahead. It’s been great news for those who like to create a relaxed, personal style, rather than follow the pack. Now, the same is true of the new ethnic graphics, so don’t be afraid to experiment with three, four, five or even more different prints. If you’re a bit unsure about how it will turn out, try creating a mood board first, using fabric swatches and other samples to see what works best together.

2. Choose your continent

Having said that eclectic is in, it’s still important to create an overall sense of cohesion in your finished design. This can be achieved by sticking to prints from just one region – if you start combining Asian ikats with African animal prints and aboriginal dot-and-line patterns, the result may end up looking messy. This might be exactly what you’re going for – in which case that’s OK. After all, this is the age of personal style, rather than strict rules.

3. Pick your palette

Another way to create cohesion in a look is to stay roughly within the confines of a core colour palette. Choose one or two main colours, about the same number of neutrals, and a couple of accents, then simply vary the tints and shades – in other words, the lightness or darkness of each hue. When it comes to which colours are best, there really are no restrictions; each combination will add its own personality to your decor, whether you prefer rustic naturals (which will be the easiest ones to find), bold contemporary colours or even 1980s-inspired neons for an edgy, eye-catching effect.

4. Cut the colour

For a really up-to-date version of the ethnic trend, however, narrow the palette to a relaxed, natural monochrome, using shades such as ebony, chalk, slate and charcoal for your prints. Add cool (grey-toned) woods, stone and other natural materials, such as plants, to your room and you’ll have an incredibly contemporary effect. This look is an evolution of the pared-back Nordic wood-cabin style that has been popular for the last few years, and brings in a global feel that ticks that eclectic box again, while remaining restful and ­unstudied.

5. Forget folklore

For some reason – possibly because we’ve had all we can stand of Scandi-inspired folklore style – the latest take on ethnic prints has left the European countries languishing at the bottom of the pile. Instead, designers are looking to the cultures of South America, Africa and Asia. Some are using them in their traditional iterations, while others are creating contemporary adaptations, but most are favouring the more abstract graphic prints over those that contain recognisable images such as birds or flowers.

6. Think Native American

This is probably the most on-trend of all the ethnic looks and is set to get bigger as 2015 progresses. Colourful angular shapes stand proud against blocks of solid neutrals; warm earthy tones such as russet, tan and mustard combine with pops of vibrant colour such as turquoise and burnt orange. If you want to go all out, layer these with plenty of natural accessories in sun-bleached wood, leather and hair-on-hide, and the odd cultural motif, such as a dreamcatcher, feathers or even a vintage-style American flag.

7. Buy a rug

Rugs are often underrated or added as an afterthought, but they’re such a good way to tie a theme together and really should be higher on your ­priority list. An ethnic print rug will give you a base – in terms of style and also colour palette – from which to choose other ­elements of the room, such as cushions, smaller accessories and artwork. There are also a lot of great examples around at the moment, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to find your perfect one.

8. Go easy in small rooms

The problem with prints is that they can become too busy if overused, and this is especially likely in a small space. If you’re looking to add ethnic touches to a room that isn’t generous in size, stick to a few print accessories against a plain, preferably pale background. If you’re clever, you can actually use the way that print draws attention to highlight the best features of the room and distract from its size, for example by leading the eye to a far wall with a framed print.

9. Keep the walls white

Regardless of the size of your room, styling ethnic prints against patterned wallpaper is going to be far too much for your eyes to cope with. A block colour could work, but for a look that’s totally up to date, it’s all about the white wall. A whitewashed look is even better, giving a softer, more textured finish that plays well against both the stark and less well-defined ethnic prints. Try using a chalk-based paint to create this effect.

10. Get authentic

The best home interiors today are the ones that tell a story about the people who live there, and this ethos applies to any trend and style you want to include in your look. As such, the best ethnic prints to include in your home are those that have been collected from your travels. However, we can’t all be international jet-setters, so if you’re planning on stocking up at your local interiors store instead, just remember the William Morris adage about having nothing in your home that you don’t know to be useful or believe to be beautiful – in other words, choose for love, not for fashion.