Out of Africa
HOME DECOR EMBRACES AUTHENTIC ARTISAN GOODS
Trek through home- decor stores these days and you’ll probably see goods from around the world — India, the Far East, South America. And Africa.
Just as fashion houses like Celine, McQueen, Valentino and Missoni have referenced African prints and hues over the last few seasons, so are interior designers and retailers doing that now, drawing on Africa’s wealth of crafts like woodworking, pottery, textiles and pattern-making.
Jeanine Hays, creative director of the interior design firm Aphro Chic in Brooklyn, New York, works with her team to develop modern takes on traditional African textiles and patterns found in ceremonial objects. For instance, they have a collec- tion of poufs upholstered in prints drawn from kuba cloth, silhouettes and headdresses. (aphrochic.com)
“We’re inspired by our own African-American heritage, and our interiors and products reflect iconic African- American imagery,” Hays says.
One eye- catching piece that’s cropping up frequently in interiors is the Juju hat, used in dancing rituals by the Bamileke tribe in Cameroon. The headdress features an exuberant circle of chicken or guinea fowl feathers.
Consuelo Pierrepont, designer and co- founder of Sway Studio, an interiors firm with offices in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, says t he Juju hats have a softness and geometry that make them a favourite decorative element.
Pierrepont also says that carved, wooden Bamileke stools have been popular with clients. The sides of the drum- shaped stools are carved in a hatched pattern evoking a spider’s web. The stools are known as “king’s stools” because they’re used by royalty on special occasions.
While original Bamileke tables are investment pieces, there are now less expensive versions. They can make great tables in rooms that see a lot of action, like playrooms. Some are made of resin, so they can stay outdoors. Others come in lighter finishes, like white or gold. (authenticafrica.com/houzz.com)
WE’RE INSPIRED BY OUR OWN AFRICAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE, AND OUR INTERIORS AND PRODUCTS REFLECT ICONIC AFRICAN-AMERICAN IMAGERY. — JEANINE HAYS, CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF THE INTERIOR DESIGN FIRM APHRO CHIC IN BROOKLYN, N.Y.