Culture Blend

I like when people push things, and put things together that are not usually together. Like things from different worlds, different cultures. In ways you might not expect. It’s not a culture clash. It’s a blend of the various cultures of our world.

Like “Montauk Moroccan” as in this image from Currey and Company at High Point Spring 2013:

Currey and Company has a Pinterest board showing some pieces from their Montauk Moroccan collection, such as these:

I discovered, thanks to the AphroChic blog, “Japanese Africa” textiles from WAFRICA. Check out Japanese kimono with African patterns:

I’ve collected kimono, haori and obi in the past, plus vintage silk and wool kimono fabrics. I’ve never seen anything like these!

I previously posted about Southwest Adobe + Asian style that we saw in Santa Fe at a store called Asian Adobe. Here’s a look from that post:

I have some Chinese chairs with leopard print suede seats – definitely a blend of things you might not normally put together. Gotta post about those!

But I think this idea of a “culture blend” is more than a collection of things in a room from different places. If you travel and collect souvenirs, and decorate your home with them, you have a collection of things from different places. I do that – in the room where I sit right now, I’m surrounded by objects that remind me of places we’ve been and cultures we’ve learned about. Instead what I’m showing here is a deliberate and consistent blending of elements and objects representing two cultures, maybe three at the most, throughout a room so it becomes a distinctive new style.

As an example, I recently posted about Scandinavian-Indian style – mixing the patterns of India in light Scandinavian-feeling rooms. Here’s a sample from that post, from Maisons du Monde:

What are some styles that you like that mix cultures? Share some links in the comments and show us!