Yesterday, a Gentle Reader asked for our guidance in creating a safari-themed bedroom. After discussing wall colors (orange: no; brown or khaki: yes), today bossy color offers this life-changing advice.
WINDOWS
A grown-up interpretation of the safari concept includes natural materials. Consider natural woven shades on the windows – the grassier the better. (Sometimes these shades – also called woven woods – can look tortoiseshell-y, or Asian-inspired. Obviously we don’t want that look for you.)
ACCENTS: GREEN OR ORANGE
Lest you fear I’m not worthy of the bossy color moniker after suggesting brown or khaki for your walls, I recommend adding zing through green or orange lamps, pillows, and artwork. (Best to choose one of those colors and emphasize it; a 50/50 mix of green and orange won’t be as effective.)
2 Robert Abbey orange gourd lamps on your bedside tables – or one on a dresser – would inject a bit of modernity and keep the room from looking over-the-top safari:
The Bloom silk pillow is gorgeous…
…as are the pomegranate silk dupioni pillows, all from Michele Varian:
While we’re on the subject of pillows, I must suggest that you limit the animal print to one item per room. Since we’re already using your zebra rug, please move your lovely giraffe pillows elsewhere.
As for art, Andrew Zuckerman’s Blue-Fronted Parrot through 20 x 200 would look stunning:
As would The Gardens by Tyson Anthony Roberts:
Or Collocation No. 14 (NATURE) Left Panel by Mickey Smith. (I’d love to see this one HUGE, way out of scale with normal books):
BONUS SUGGESTION
If the posts thus far leave you saying, “Yes, but I wanted to go just a little bit MORE safari,” consider rigging up some gauze curtains on either side of your bed. The idea is to mimic the mosquito netting of fancy safari lodges, but I think it’s a rather romantic look anyway.
And more tasteful than, say, jungle wallpaper.
Best of luck, bedroom traveler! Please let us know what you decide.
Annie Elliott – aka bossy color – is an interior decorator and design blogger in Washington, D.C. She has been quoted in publications from The Washington Post to The Seattle Times and is considered an expert on color, residential space planning, and telling people what to do in the nicest way possible.