Ethnic style and modernity meet in these fascinating apartments

The ethnic style brings a nomadic feeling into the home. Typical for this unique look are exotic patterns, animal prints and interesting art. Depending on the chosen colors, the tribal chic can also look from slightly rustic to sophisticated. Today we present three furnishing concepts that allow the spirit of ethnic chic to flow into modern interiors.

What is ethno?

“Ethno” is an abbreviation for ethnology and describes the folklore that deals with the cultures of ethnic groups. Ethnic style means a mix of Indian, Arabic and African elements. Those who live in ethnic style feel like traveling to distant countries all year round. In the ethnic look, the traditions of tribes from all over the world meet. Typical furniture, accessories and works of art make up the style of living. For a few years now, ethnic chic has been very popular and is not only conquering the fashion world, but is also finding its way into our own four walls. Join the fashion trend and be inspired by these ideas!

These fascinating apartments show us that the simple design and the Scandinavian look can be the perfect companions for the ethnic style. The natural colors dominate in every facility and create a calming ambience. The color duo black and white is used skilfully and creates a perfect backdrop for the ethnic decoration.

This is how modern ethnic chic is styled

The first apartment is in Odessa, Ukraine and inspires with a harmonious mix of ethnic deco and Scandinavian cosiness. It is actually a one-room apartment that looks very airy and spacious thanks to the use of light colors.

The one-room room has everything you need – a kitchen, a double bed and a small bathroom with a bathtub. The real eye-catcher is actually the walk-in closet, which makes every woman’s heart beat faster. In most studio apartments, storage space is a major challenge. But here the walk-in wardrobe offers a variety of practical storage solutions. But let’s start our tour from the living area.

The focus of the open living area is a white sofa. A low wooden coffee table and a decorative fruit bowl continue the natural, warm color palette. Between the sofa and the kitchenette there is a small dining area with space for two people. Two beautiful, large basket lights hang above the counter, creating a warm, cozy atmosphere.

The breakfast bar has a naturally curved edge and looks very natural. The black bar stools create a nice contrast to the wood and also have a backrest braided with rope.

The kitchen is made of light wood and white. The kitchen cabinets are arranged in such a way that they form a frame and in this way set the scene for the white plastered wall. Walls and floors throughout the apartment are whitewashed.

The double bed is separated from the open living area with linen curtains. Classic white roller blinds match the simple ambience and offer versatile sun protection. They allow daylight to flow into the entire apartment and discreetly and elegantly protect against unwanted glances in the evening.

Decoration is used sparingly. Even when entering the apartment you can see a striking work of art in XXL format. It’s a black and white photograph of an African nomad that immediately catches the eye.

A row of large ceramic pots in deep earthy brown tones set accents in the bright, open space. The skull of a North African Nubian ibex with long, backward-winding horns adorns an ice-white wall.

A niche in the entrance area is optimally used as storage space. Storage baskets and decorative objects find their place on open wooden shelves. A special highlight is the ethnic phrase with feathered arrows. Various things and small items such as gloves can be stored in the wicker baskets. A round mirror with a brown leather strap is hung on a wooden hook. A look in the mirror is always part of the program before going out.

There is a walk-in closet behind the folding doors in the hallway. In addition, a black cloakroom offers everything you need in the hallway and impresses with its simple look. The natural color palette that characterizes the rest of the apartment is continued in the spacious wardrobe. Inside, the white laminate is also used as wall cladding.

In front of the partition on the right there is a cloakroom with drawers where you can store scarves or jewelry. The coat hooks provide a place to hang the outfit for the next day to speed up the morning routine. The frameless mirror on the opposite wall, which extends from floor to ceiling, creates a feeling of space.

The wall shelves use the space in the vertical. The clothes are stowed in baskets on the shelves at the top outside of the season to save space. A round sisal rug can be perfectly combined with the baskets.

The other clothes are easily accessible on individual clothes hangers. At first glance, it looks like this is a standard closet system with a clothes rail and shelves, but is actually a free-standing clothes rack that can be moved around if necessary.

The design in the bathroom is kept in white, with the ethnic decoration adding subtle accents. The narrow wall tiles are laid vertically and create an impression of height. The sink is reminiscent of a half-formed clay bowl on a pottery wheel.

The ethnic style looks particularly sophisticated in black and white

The second modern tribal-inspired apartment is not as puristic as the first because more ethnic decorations are used. However, they have something in common and that is the neutral backdrop in black and white. That way, the overall picture doesn’t look cheesy and cluttered at all.

A wall hanging, two murals and a bull skull decoration form a perfect gallery wall in an ethnic look. Many patterned pillows and an ethnic blanket are combined on the sofa with a wooden frame. The two low tables and the ethnic rug with fringes round off the design perfectly.

In the dining area there is a wooden dining table that can seat four people. It is interesting that two wicker chairs are mixed with black wooden chairs. Another basket lamp hangs above the dining table. The wall hangings represent geometric patterns and have a mysterious charm.

The kitchen exudes a French-chic flair, but a small rug connects it with the monochrome boho style. Wall shelves and wooden worktop give the white kitchen a warm look. The trio of black pendant lights above the breakfast bar looks modern, but is reminiscent of a wickerwork.

Different patterns are cleverly combined with one another in the master bedroom! Here, too, gray and white dominate the appearance of the room. Natural wood tones are used, however, through the rustic headboard and the storage baskets. The gray modern upholstered armchair has a handcrafted wooden frame. The ethnic carpet with fringes also exudes a certain character.

An ethnic rug is a rug that was woven by nomads for their own use. It can be antique or modern. Genuine ethnic carpets are usually small because nomads carried their half-lives with them when they moved from camp to camp. They didn’t grow cotton, they kept sheep. Therefore, many carpets are made entirely of wool. For similar reasons, tribal rugs are typically woven in a limited range of colors. The designs are typically geometric. A large rug with twenty different colors and many intricate motifs is very unlikely to be a real ethnic rug, no matter what the seller says. For many years the ethnic carpets were underestimated. Western buyers preferred plush and floral Persian carpets. Today tribal carpets are very popular again.

Ethnic style and jungle feeling

The third furnishing concept is extremely stylish and conveys a resort character. Dark solid wood furniture, woven poufs, storage baskets and armchairs made of rattan harmonize optically with the sofa, the walls and curtains in white. Indoor palms and palm prints also create a tropical feeling. Large clay vases and African-inspired vessels go perfectly with the ethnic look.

You can, however, implement the tropical furnishing style with less opulent furniture and opt for furniture with a more reduced design. The round dining table and the matching wicker chairs have a rather puristic cut, but are perfect for a tropical-style interior. The basket lamp in XXL format is also a real eye-catcher.

The dark kitchen contrasts with the warm wicker furniture. The light wooden floor contrasts well with the black wooden fronts and lets the kitchen island act as an accent. The area above the kitchen island is used to store attractive bowls and utensils in an ethnic look.

An African dream awaits us in the master bedroom. A suspended frame above the bed supports a floating canopy with sheer white curtains. The wicker pendant lights hang low over the tree trunk bedside tables. The patterned cushions harmonize wonderfully in terms of color and create a homely atmosphere.

A decorative owl figure nicely decorates the bedside tables. A round jute carpet in the middle of the room gives the concrete-look floor a feel-good character. The built-in wardrobe has doors with rattan inserts, which will acquire a nice patina over time.

Opposite the bed is a flat screen television. A wide variety of decorative objects can be found on the wooden shelf below. A rustic dressing table is set up in the corner. The round wall mirror with a carved wooden frame and the rattan armchair go perfectly with it.

The bathroom is a splendid mixture of natural materials. The wooden washbasin is combined with a countertop washbasin made of natural stone. There is space for storage baskets and towels on the shelf below. The bronze fittings ideally complement the bathroom concept. The freestanding bathtub is surrounded by a gravel bed that serves as an overflow.