Luxury and elegance, creating the feeling of being in an oriental fairy tale - this is how you can characterize the Arabic style in the interior. This luxurious and somewhat pretentious direction combines bright and saturated colors, an abundance of traditional ornaments and expensive textiles.
General characteristics of Arabic style
This interior trend originated on the Arabian Peninsula. And today one can see his influence in the artistic traditions of the Mediterranean countries. The main features of the Arabic style in the interior include ornamentality.
The Koran forbids images of God, people and animals in dwellings. That is why they were replaced in this direction by exquisite and intricate, intertwining graceful patterns of lines and geometric shapes, complemented by plant and floral themes. Oriental ornaments are applied to walls, ceilings, columns, arches using stencils. The result is exquisite and complex patterns that have become the hallmark of this oriental style. Such arabesques giveinterior mystery and oriental exoticism.
Mandatory attributes of this style are numerous velvet and brocade pillows, heavy curtains, bright fabrics with silver and gold threads. In fact, these are magnificent chambers, and therefore oriental motifs, exquisite embroidery, carving, fringe, inlays, semi-precious or mother-of-pearl inserts are appropriate here.
Geometric perfection is revered in the Arab world. Tiles and soft carpets, panels on the ceiling and walls are made in the form of rhombuses, squares, regular hexagons. Architectural and decorative elements are placed in alternating cycles or in pairs. In the interior in the Arabic style, the center of the room is always expressed. It is marked quite clearly and is formatted accordingly. It can be a low bed in the bedroom, a resting place in the living room.
In larger rooms, furniture is usually placed along the walls. In this case, the center of the room is often highlighted with a mosaic accent or a soft fluffy carpet. In addition, it is emphasized using projection in the ceiling decoration. This technique is used in halls, lobbies of large houses or in very spacious rooms. If we talk about the most popular architectural form of the Arabic style in the interior, then this is a sphere or a semicircle. They are combined into complex structures, creating multi-stage window openings and majestic arches.
Quite often, a crate is also used, which can not only completely close the opening, for example, windows, but also partially mask the space -high doorways, the upper part of which is closed with a wrought iron or wooden lattice. Although, as a rule, the openings between the rooms are not closed by door panels familiar to Europeans. It is difficult to call the Arabic style in the interior straightforward or open.
The space in it is delimited in this case by curtains, semi-arches and arches. In more spacious rooms, even colonnades are used, which are crowned with vaulted arched structures. It should be noted that the Arabic style implies a certain degree of privacy, so the now fashionable open layouts are not suitable for Arabic interiors.
Colours
It is distinguished by its richness and variety of shades. Even if pastel and light colors are used as background colors, then yellow, red, green, golden and sky blue tones necessarily appear in textile design. Black outlines are used to separate the colors and highlight them. Carpets, bedspreads, furniture, curtains and decor are decorated in traditional bright colors.
Windows and doors
To emphasize the sophistication of oriental motifs in the room, you should pay attention to the special arched-lancet shape of doors and windows with a decorative bend in the center of the upper arc. In the Arabic style, the use of blinds is unacceptable. Soft curtains, made of heavy fabric, flowing in beautiful tails, cover the windows.
Thick curtains also cover doorways. If the door in the room is necessary, thenit is more expedient to make it openwork, from carved wood.
Arabian style furniture
For a European, the furnishings of a traditional Arab-style house may seem unusual due to the lack of cabinet furniture. But in the East, upholstered furniture of various types is very actively used. Comfortable ottomans and sofas of different sizes and shapes, ottomans and armchairs are indispensable elements of the Arabic style. They are often covered with colorful bedspreads of shiny satin, carpets decorated with intricate oriental patterns.
Tables in this style are used only low, having a non-standard appearance or an unusual shape of the tabletop. They are made of natural wood and generously decorated with inlay. In modern Arabic style, low glass tables with twisted legs made of carved wood or forged metal are allowed.
Chairs in the Arabic interior are replaced by a large number of pillows. In the bedroom, the low bed is located in the center of the room. Quite often on it you can see a heap of pillows of various sizes. A necessary element of the Arabic style is a canopy for an adult bed, crowning its upper part. It can not only perform a decorative function, but also have a practical purpose - to protect sleeping people from annoying mosquitoes or the bright sun. On both sides of the bed, you can install carved shelves or small cabinets for storing various small things.
There can be no massive and spacious cabinets in the Arabic style that are familiar to us. Their place is takenlight and openwork cabinets or niches built into the wall and barely covered with carved doors.
Textiles
Oriental motifs are also visible in the textile decoration of the Arab house. One of the main attributes of the interior in this style are carpets. They decorate the walls and floor, they are covered with sofas and armchairs. Soft carpets with traditional oriental patterns tend to have a long pile.
The windows are almost always covered with curtains made of heavy soft fabric with ornaments. The draping of the curtains is not too complicated, but a lot of fabric should be used. She gathers in numerous folds and is picked up by massive silk cords with tassels. Canopies for an adult bed are made of light, often translucent fabrics. Plain silk, organza are welcome.
Decor
All oriental styles are characterized by the use of decorative elements of craftsmen. Among them, the most commonly used are:
- artistic forging;
- woodcarving;
- embroidery;
- inlay;
- painting on trays;
- mosaic.
The doors of niches built into the wall, openwork and light cabinets and shelves are decorated with mosaics made of wood of various species. They collect unique mosaic patterns. Quite often they are supplemented with mother-of-pearl details. I must say that the inlay is very popular and in demand in the decorative finish in the Arabic style. It can be seen not only on furniture, but also on any available large surfaces in the room. inlaymade of precious metals - silver and gold, valuable ivory, bronze. The indentations created during this processing are often filled with blue paint.
Lighting
Arabic style in the interior of an apartment or a country house involves the use of many lamps that differ in shape and size. They are installed in such a way as to emphasize the beauty of every detail of a luxurious interior. On the walls, as a rule, there are small sconces. There are many of them, and they illuminate the room well. The light from them should be diffused and soft, and its shade is always yellowish, warm.
Floor lamps with voluminous lampshades that scatter light and create a comfortable environment for human vision and table lamps are relevant for this style. If the ceilings in the room are high, it is allowed to use a central chandelier with twisted metal or forged details.
Accessories
The most common Arabic style accessories include:
- forged bird cages;
- hookahs;
- bronze jugs with a high neck;
- floor vases;
- Eastern style painted ceramic jugs.
If you are decorating a room in Arabic style, refrain from using modern accessories - photographs, figurines depicting people and animals.
Metal or ceramic utensils, decorated with enamel, inlay, painting, fits perfectly into the Arabic interior. Looks interesting in ita copper set for wine or water, an old vessel for washing hands. Such accessories will give the room a special oriental flavor.
As accessories, you can use musical instruments, backgammon or handmade chess, antique editions of books. Inlaid chests and elegant small boxes look great.
A few words in conclusion
If you decide to decorate your house in the Arabic style, remember that it, like other historical trends, not only decorates the room, but also allows you to bring religious and philosophical ideas, ancient traditions to life. Therefore, this style requires careful and respectful attitude.
