Rewritten and Updated
This unique design philosophy often involves incorporating furnishings, artwork, textiles, and architectural features from different cultures and periods. There is something about the simple handcrafted, organic, vibe that anything ethnic adds that really appeals to me. Incorporating ethnic chic elements into our homes goes hand in hand with todays desire to have more ethical and sustainable products in our lives and to reflect that in our own decor Let’s chat about ethnic chic-how to get it.
What is Ethnic Chic
Layered and personal, it honors the customs, cultures, and resources of countries around the world and blends them into a “well-traveled” whole. Lighting, furniture, textiles, flooring, textures, and accessories are married with past cultures, modern taste, and contemporary living. Ethnic chic is naturally connected to raw and reclaimed materials and is a relaxed eclectic look that can be dovetailed with many styles and can be added to over time.
How to Incorporate Cross Cultural Elements in your Own Home
Incorporating cross-cultural elements into your home involves a thoughtful blend of various influences to create a space that reflects your personal style and your appreciation for diverse cultures.
Research and Seek Inspiration
Begin by exploring different cultures through travel, art, literature, and online resources. Take note of design motifs, color palettes, and traditional craftsmanship that speaks to you.
Mix and Match Styles, Colors, and Textures
Sue Bond’s signature style, blending art and sculptures by African artisans, beautiful fabrics, oversized art, and stunning floral arrangements, is cherished by her clients worldwide.
Tell Your Own Personal Story
Few are as skilled at telling their own story as Jill Sharp Weeks. In her Santa Fe home Jill effortlessly melds elements from diverse cultures and ethnicities with the discerning eye of an artist.
Make Sure Form Balances Function
Don’t just focus on aesthetics. Make sure the elements you choose work with your existing furniture and layout. However, I am a strong believer in “buy what you love, you will always find a place for it”.
Designed by Yvonne Obrien, this room at the wonderful Lodges at Londolozi captures the essence of the lodges history while maintaining comfort and function.
In this entry by Antonio Martins I love the drama created by the mix of the oversized art, the workbench, the suzani pillows and that fabulous lamp. The console table is a repurposed workbench probably from the former Eastern bloc.
The iconic Mary Emmerling (author of over 20 books) is a pioneering figure in the integration of artifacts and heirlooms from diverse cultures with American antiques.
How I Have Incorporated Cross Cultural Details in my Own Homes
A beautiful painting of an African Woman by my friend Pat Huber held court over an old terra cotta pot from Poland with filled with delphinium and vintage lawn bowling pins. An antique side chair with a vintage carpet pillow completed the vignette in my former dining room. 
The family room in my chualar home contained a mix of American antiques, and artifacts from the middle east.
Vintage Romanian shutters flank an artisan made twig table and vintage chinoiserie chair in our fixer upper.
I hope you enjoyed Ethnic Chic How to Get It. You might also enjoy my post The Collected Look How to Get It here. Do you have some globally inspired details in your own home? I would love to hear about them.
What is Ethnic Chic
How to Incorporate Cross Cultural Elements in your Own Home
Incorporating cross-cultural elements into your home involves a thoughtful blend of various influences to create a space that reflects your personal style and your appreciation for diverse cultures.
Research and Seek Inspiration
Begin by exploring different cultures through travel, art, literature, and online resources. Take note of design motifs, color palettes, and traditional craftsmanship that speaks to you.
Mix and Match Styles, Colors, and Textures
Sue Bond’s signature style, blending art and sculptures by African artisans, beautiful fabrics, oversized art, and stunning floral arrangements, is cherished by her clients worldwide.
Tell Your Own Personal Story
Few are as skilled at telling their own story as Jill Sharp Weeks. In her Santa Fe home Jill effortlessly melds elements from diverse cultures and ethnicities with the discerning eye of an artist.
Make Sure Form Balances Function
Don’t just focus on aesthetics. Make sure the elements you choose work with your existing furniture and layout. However, I am a strong believer in “buy what you love, you will always find a place for it”.
How I Have Incorporated Cross Cultural Details in my Own Homes
A beautiful painting of an African Woman by my friend Pat Huber held court over an old terra cotta pot from Poland with filled with delphinium and vintage lawn bowling pins. An antique side chair with a vintage carpet pillow completed the vignette in my former dining room.
The family room in my chualar home contained a mix of American antiques, and artifacts from the middle east.
Vintage Romanian shutters flank an artisan made twig table and vintage chinoiserie chair in our fixer upper.
I hope you enjoyed Ethnic Chic-How to Get It. You might also enjoy my post The Collected Look How to Get It here. Do you have some globally inspired details in your own home? I would love to hear about them.
Love this! I grew up in Washington DC where so many had traveled throughout the world with their work. Love the collected global style vs showroom or model house perfect.
I also love how you incorporate ethnic style into your wardrobe and would love to see an Ethnic Chic outfit or three!
Homes that reflect their owners’ travels, interests, and passions seem so much more authentic in a world that’s overly-curated for social media. That’s why I’ve always enjoyed your eclectic and collected interiors.
That said, I find the expression “ethnic chic” to be troubling. On one level, it reduces the art and culture of societies to an aesthetic and marketing catch-phrase, which promotes marketing cycles of overconsumption, misuse of sacred items, and production of knock-offs. That defintley does not honor the customs, cultures, and resources of countries around the world.
On another level, using the term ethnic to describe a style perpetuates the existence of a normative non-ethnic style. The question is, “ethnic to whom?”
You put my thoughts into words better than I could. Thank you for your sensitive interpretation and input.
Absolutely love all of this. We have collected a considerable cache if artwork traveling in Europe (such a great way to remember a trip) And I have collected sweet grass baskets by the. Carolina low country for years. It’s pieces like this that have made our house « ours. »
Thanks as always for a wonderful post.
Loved Mary Emmerling’s books. I used to spend hours enjoying her books. Books are gone now, but you reminded me of her talent. So much fun to people’s interpretations of ethnic items and antiques or modern pieces. It’s an art. You certainly have it. You always hit it!
Cindy-
Have been working on changing things up in our home & now I have a name for it!! I love that!
We have been doing more traveling & I love to buy from the artisans of the areas. It is such a win-win!!! I can help the people & make our home so personnel and such a happy place filled with good memories! Things made by hand are such a treasure!
Thank you for this post. I love history. That love has informed my travels and purchases for the home. As a result, my home is filled with 50-years of collecting items from around the world. If only nations and peoples could live so harmoniously together as their everyday and special items do. For decades I tagged my style as: Mix and Match. A friend informed it is better named: Global. Unlike the rooms you shared, few items it mine are without color. They are limited to stools, tables and items from peoples and regions whose works are natural in their color. The majority of my items spice rooms with neutral upholstery and wall. They bring color and pattern to my home. Global items need caretakers. As industrialization and climate claim flora and fauna, peoples and their culture disappear, too. Each item is a piece of history and and hallmark of their people. Also, I try to support those who continue to sustain their culture through their art and crafts. I mine them for the gifts I give to share with others and help support the artisans.
love, love, love all of these!!!!!!!! never thought about that name describing the look but it fits perfectly!!!
One more thing (I feel like Colombo) – Google "Meg Ryan's New York apartment". It was recently on the market and recently sold. Images show that she decorated heavily in black and white, mixing in beautiful textured worn wooden pieces. Airy, interesting, chic, livable… Just gorgeous!!!
I loved her apartment D.A totally agree with you!!
I love love love basically black and white rooms, with touches of color and texture. These are gorgeous examples that you have provided. And the mix of contemporary or modern with antiques is also very effective, and something I learned to do from my mother, and have done in my own home as well.
One of the things I have always loved about contemporary French design is the ample use of black and white mixed with African art, furnishings, and textile designs. Several of these images remind me of some of my favorite rooms bookmarked in French design magazines.
J'adore!
Love black and white and African Art as well!!
Every single room makes me smile!!
I agree Karolyn…the look really appeals to me…
Love this style. Especially love the unique decor in that photo where they stacked that vintage luggage up in a niche. Very clever! And not just "arranged stuff".
I love that as well Carla…it looks haphazard but actually very carefully thought out. A hard balance to maintain!
I love the round the world and back look. My neighbor brought back some male nude carved sculptures from Thailand. Her elderly mother was appalled. When the mother came over, they were used at hat racks with hats hung from the "objectionable" part!
Hope you are feeling better.
That is hilarious!
Such great points Cindy! I love an eclectic, global look. The orange and blue living room is stunning, that giant blue and white bowl filled with orange tulips makes me want to cry it's so gorgeous!!!
I agree Emily!
I love all the ethnic details in these photos and they make me want to go treasure hunting for some ethnic chic for my own home! Thank you Cindy for sharing what I feel will be a continuing trend!
YES, I DO!
I'm sure you MISSED MY COUPLE in the living room as they are tucked away behind a BIGGER COUPLE but I brought them home from AFRICA in 1981!!!My MOTHER's dear friend with incredible TASTE told me to BUY the unusual.So, that is what I did………I emptied my TRAVEL TRUNK from LONGS (now CVS)and amazingly they fit!They are one of my most PRIZED POSSESSIONS.
Love this post! It gave a name to what I have been curating for years! I plan on pinning every image into my décor file and using them as inspiration as I continue to update, redo and amend my home. Thanks for all the great ideas
Every single image that you used to show us ethnic chic design was so so layered and interesting, each look like one of a kind telling it's own story. Love this type of design when done well and YOU my dear do it very well.
Thank you so much Kathysue! My uncle was a US ambassador to Indonesia and I remember being fascinated with the batik textiles and artifacts my aunt sent us. I have a lot of American Antiques but love mixing them with finds from other cultures.
I love the oversize art in the Antonio Martins entryway. We bought a small painting in Colombia, in these colors, which the artist painted using motor oil on paper. Sepia colors can be so dramatic!
I can't wait to see that!!
You are so good at this! I think it does make for a more interesting mix.
So are you!!
Hi, I just found your blog thru the "Contessa" . (Nice interview BTW). I have always enjoyed rooms with this kind of vibe, although never really thought about what goes into them. Your tips were really helpful! I find I always buy the same kind of thing at antique stores (vases, for example) and this will help me branch out. I'm looking forward to reading more of your blog.
Welcome Joan. Thank you so much for stopping by to comment!
Hi Cindy…. I've never heard of ethnic chic before but I love it! It adds so much interest to a room. Have a good week.