Egyptian interior design, renowned for its grandeur, rich history, and striking elements, offers an exotic and bold approach to styling your home.
By blending the architectural beauty, vibrant colours, and symbolic patterns from one of history’s most fascinating civilizations, you can transform any space into a personal palace.
This article is not just a guide; it’s a journey back in time to ancient Egypt, aiming to infuse your home with the mystique and elegance of Egyptian style.
Whether you’re an interior design enthusiast or a lover of history, this exploration into Egyptian interior design will provide not only visually stunning ideas but also a deeper understanding of how each element reflects an age-old culture.
How do you define modern Egyptian interior design? This part focuses on the modern outtake of the Egyptian interior design.
Modern Egyptian design often features an earthy color palette that includes warm tones such as sandy beige, terracotta, and muted gold. These colors are inspired by the natural hues of the Egyptian landscape.
If there is one word that would generally describe the modern Egyptian interior design style, it would be warm. Many Egyptian decors have warm yellow to gold colors. In many modern Egyptian interior design rooms, gold is the principal color. It makes sense because this represents the color of the sun, also a life-giving element. It is also a nod to the god Ra, the sun god that the ancient Egyptians worship. This color palette also represents the power of the Egyptian civilization.
Egyptian interior design conjures images of temples, tombs, and the palatial residences of pharaohs. Key elements include bold colors, symmetrical patterns, luxurious textures, and a celebration of life and legacy. The Egyptian style, inspired by a civilization that flourished thousands of years ago, incorporates a rich palette of gold, red, blue, and black, often highlighted with intricate hieroglyphics and symbols like lotus flowers and the Eye of Horus.
Blue is also one of the predominant colors in Egyptian interior design. This represents the Nile River. You can almost always find these colors painted on old Egyptian ceilings. You can often find blue and green combinations or blue and terracotta complement each other blue. If walls aren’t in warm neutral colors, they would be in white, which is perfectly understandable. This helped cool off the heat during summer.
Beige, light yellow, ecru, and white are other color combinations common to the Egyptian interior design style. These are often in wall decorations and paintings. Other colors representing lush and rich Egypt are sand, beige, orange, and ivory.
Egypt decorations often depict scenic images as in their paintings and murals. But such representations are not only applied to the walls; sometimes, you can also see them on floors and ceilings. Wooden chests are often decorated in colorful inlays tha show gods and goddesses. However, unlike other wooden chests, Egyptian-style decor has rounded corners. Other common decors you can use to stay within the Egyptian interior design style is the Nefertiti bust, cats, and reed mats.
Reed is a common plant in the Nile River, so it has been extensively used for various indoor decors such as mats and baskets. On the other hand, cats have also revered animals because the ancient Egyptians believe these bring good luck and likeness to their gods.
Geometric lines govern Egyptian furniture, but the corners are smooth and rounded. Furniture pieces are more functional than decorative. Most often, it molds to the shape of the human body. But take note that it’s not just entirely utilitarian. You can find carvings on the backside and the armrests of chairs. Tables and chairs have decorative feet, usually claw-shaped or adorned with duck-head designs
Beds are often placed high and usually have canopies. Wooden boxes of varying lengths and sizes are placed strategically in the room, acting as focal points or storage containers. Usually, the bed would take up some space. Egyptian inspired beds are often canopy beds
Egyptian style furniture is often massive, made of dark wood, and polished with a dark finish. These furniture pieces are often decorated with ivory and gold inlay.
The Egyptian style is more suitable for homes with large areas because of the arches and large furniture pieces. If you decorate smaller spaces, such will look cluttered and overcrowded. Here are several tips to help you bring out that inner Egyptian and feel like the Queen of Sheba in your home.
Photo by Emma Van Sant on Unsplash
If you don’t want big renovations to transform your home into a modern Egyptian interior design, adding some Egyptian-inspired decals is the best and easiest way. You can add a pharoah sticker and place it on your neutral wall. This would look best if placed against a day bed or sofa.
You can also change the shades of your bedside table lamp into a shade with geometric patterns. This could easily copy the hieroglyphic characters. Also, you can add throw pillows with bird and floral prints. These two designs are common elements in Egyptian interior design.
Focus on your color palette. This is another easy way to tap into this design aesthetics. Choose gold and ochre as your main colors. Use them as the color of your comforter, sheet, and pillow cases. Pair them with a headboard with ornate carvings. Complete the look by adding some painted stencils on the walls.
Photo by Julie Kwak on Unsplash
Add some wicker baskets and include some striped rug in there. Pair this with a rug with geometric.
Tiles play a significant role in Egyptian decor, both for their durability and decorative potential. Traditional Egyptian tiles often feature geometric patterns or scenes depicting daily life and nature. These can be used as flooring, backsplashes in kitchens, or as an accent wall in bathrooms to add a touch of ancient elegance.
The gold and black color combinations are quintessential for Egyptian interior design. To pull this one off, you need to think of luxury. For the bold and brave, paint your accent wall in gold. If you have columns, paint them black. You can also put a black sofa against your gold accent wall and throw in gold pillows as accents. Since the color is already quite luxurious, ensure that most details are kept simple.
But gold and black are just the only colors you can tap into. Think about the colors of the desert. Use sand hues for your accents while keeping the walls in neutral colors. Accents should still be in gold but keep this minimal.
Another color combination you can play around with would be lapis lazuli and gold., Your tertiary color is amber to achieve a room design fit for a queen.
Look for large wall art or tapestry that shows some ancient Egyptian painting that came straight out of a pharaoh’s tomb. Hang it on a wall painted dark brown. If you put it in the bedroom, the best place would be on the wall by the headboard. To highlight this wall art, make sure that the pillows are in stark white and the bed covers in taupe or tan to highlight that decor.
Tap the beauty of Egyptian sunset in an oasis. Add palm tree accents. Use red-orange shades and accentuate this with cream or beige colors as your secondary hues.
If the room dimension is smaller, opt for minor Egyptian details and ensure that the walls are in white or a lighter shade.
Columns are part of the Egyptian design, but not all homes have this design element. This should not stop you from decorating your home in this style. Modern Egyptian homes simply imitate the stone column of the past. Nowadays, such columns are made of polyurethane and painted in marble or granite finish.
Another way to copy the hard stone columns is to add decorative plaster to the wall and paint it in your choice color. You can also decorate the room with wall mosaics. Other alternatives for wall materials are stucco and frescoes.
Decorate your kitchen or dining room with natural stones. Ceramic is another material used as accent to your Egyptian-style home. Look for vases and decorative plates made of ceramic and adorned with gold inlay.
You can decorate the nursery with Egyptian-inspired elements. Paint the ceiling black or dark blue. Add some led lights to mimic the stars at night.
Add caskets made of ebony or ivory to your design space. Make sure that the legs of these caskets are designed as animal hooves, preferably from faux tusks.
Accessorize your space with items that reflect Egyptian art and history. Replicas of Egyptian statues, papyrus scrolls, and artwork featuring gods, goddesses, and pharaohs can serve as striking focal points. Even smaller items like pottery, metal utensils, and themed bookends can add to the overall aesthetic.
Integrating Egyptian architecture into contemporary spaces involves embracing structural elements like large columns, detailed friezes, and bold geometric shapes. While replicating an Egyptian temple may not be feasible, incorporating architectural elements such as arched doorways or murals can pay homage to this ancient style. Use of materials like stone and sandstone textures can also add an authentic touch.
Finally, consider how different rooms can reflect various aspects of Egyptian design. A bedroom might feature a mural of the Nile or a canopy bed reminiscent of an Egyptian boudoir, while a living room could display a collection of Egyptian-themed artifacts and wall hangings.
Egypt is a wonderful country full of vibrant colors and rich history. Egyptian interior design is for those who love to inject exotic design elements in their designs.
Here are some key take aways from the article;
Incorporating Egyptian interior design into your home can be a fascinating journey through time, offering a unique and opulent way to express style and history in your living space. By blending ancient motifs with modern elements, you can create a home that is both a tribute to a magnificent era and a reflection of your personal taste.
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