Ethnic Decoration – Not Just a Desire for Exoticism

It’s curious how home decor trends seem to reflect our needs for what we lack in the outside world. The wood, plants, and earthy colors that are fashionable in interiors today certainly mirror our environmental concerns! And let’s talk about the bohemian or chic ethnic style that seems to be featured in every trendy magazine right now. The cold minimalism of the early century has gradually been replaced by a mix of colors, tribal designs, macramé, and woven wicker. This might show our desire to travel, to experience exoticism, but why not also an unconscious will to preserve ancestral crafts? A desire to decorate with objects that have meaning, a story, made with care and time by someone, somewhere, rather than by a machine programmed to work all night.

Thus, ethnic decoration is based on the use of traditional craftsmanship from indigenous communities around the world: a Moroccan rug, cushions from India, a Japanese teapot, a hammock from Mexico are just a few examples of the countless artisanal objects that could give your home the bohemian and cozy look seen in magazines.

Behind a trend, there is an ideological affirmation or rejection. It must have meaning for those who use it. Ethnic decoration aims to value handmade techniques passed down from generation to generation and to support their preservation. Therefore, buying industrially made copies of these objects is not a practice of true enthusiastsof ethnic decoration.

Today we can easily find genuine handicrafts on the internet, in specialized shops, or in markets in major cities. Here are some tips to find ethnic but also ethical decorative crafts!

• www.etsy.com (handmade platform with millions of direct sellers around the world)
• www.carnetsauvage.com (selection of artisanal objects)
• www.pakal-shop.com (items from Mexican crafts – garden, beach, and surf)
• www.souffledafrique.com (African crafts)