animal design

Going Animalistic: Adding Animal Prints to Your Home

Choosing to decorate with animal patterns in your home decor can feel like you’re about to take part in a safari. You feel excited about the exotic things you’re about to see, but you’re also very nervous about being trampled by rhinos or charged by a lion. 

 

Animal prints in interior design aren’t a new trend – despite what you may think because of the Tiger King fad. This look has been around almost as long as the idea of interior design with intention has been. The keyword here is intention

 

As with any interior design trend or home decor trick, decorating with animal print patterns takes a conscious thought process. You don’t want your home to look like a decommissioned zoo. 

 

Here are our 4 tips for decorating your home with animal prints.

 

Try Key Items Instead of a Menagerie

 

 

The trick to any powerful design feature is not to go overboard. Having leopard print wallpaper, a leopard print bedspread, leopard print lamps, and a leopard area rug is the fastest way to feeling like you’ve walked into a pre-teen’s bedroom. 

When it comes to animal print, consider how animals in the wild behave. 

 

  • They generally stick with their own kind.

  • When they do mix, there are definite ratios.

  • Nature prohibits overpopulation.

  • Some animals are the king of the jungle (or room), and others are more muted and camouflaged in the foliage.

  • They have distinct environments — no one expects to see a tiger swimming in the Gulf of Mexico.

 

Consider Your Colour Scheme

 

 

Use your colours with intention in interior design — especially when it comes to incorporating animal patterns. If you have a hot pink accent chair, a zebra print can work wonders. Some aminal prints will clash with some colour schemes, so always test them out together beforehand. 

 

Remember Texture & Pattern

 

Texture and pattern are significant considerations when it comes to decorating with aminal prints. If you’re trying to put a leopard print on a striped or patterned sofa, you’re going to feel overwhelmed. There are so many animal print patterns to choose from, look for one that’s the right pattern size and texture for your space. A busy, small scale cheetah print may not be the best choice for a floral wallpaper pairing. 

 

Get Creative

 

 

When it comes to decorating with animal-inspired patterns, get creative and let your design style run wild. No one likes to see beautiful wild animals caged, and you shouldn’t feel caged yourself when it comes to interior design. If you want to try mixing tortoise shell decorative pieces with a cowhide accent chair — be our guest!

 

 

Interior design and home decor are all about letting your personality shine through while keeping the function and practicality of your home in mind. We love seeing people play around with animal prints and patterns in design. If this is a look you’re hoping to adopt, but you’re unsure how to go about it, get in touch with our team. We can help you navigate the sometimes confusing world of home decor.

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