Exotic motifs in the home: how to elevate your interior design with art from distant cultures
Exotic motifs have a magnetic power: they carry with them scents of distant places, craft traditions and visual codes that are different from our Nordic everyday life. At the same time, art from distant cultures needs to land softly in the home, without becoming a costume or backdrop. At Artiley, we work daily to help customers find just that balance – between personal taste, respect for the origin and a calm, cohesive interior design.
The key? To see the painting as a conversation partner to your existing environment, not as a showstopper that requires everything else to be replaced. With the right scale, color feedback and lighting, exotic motifs can make your room feel richer and more interesting, without compromising harmony.
What do we mean by exotic motifs?
When we talk about exotic motifs, we mean wall art that carries clear cultural signals: a Japanese aesthetic, a North African colorism, a Persian ornamentation or perhaps Latin American rhythms in form and color. Our experience is that the works that work best in Swedish homes often have a clear idea but a restrained palette. It provides a bridge between Scandinavian interior design and the world's imagery – a visual diplomat, simply put.
Color, material and scale – the keys to harmony
We usually start with three simple principles:
- Color feedback: Repeat an accent color from the painting in at least two other places in the room (pillow, book spine, ceramic). This creates a common thread without being matched down to the smallest detail.
- The 60–30–10 rule: Let the base of the room be 60% neutral (walls, larger furniture), 30% complementary tones and 10% accent – with the exotic painting often being part of the 10.
- Scale: A large canvas painting works best when it is about two-thirds the size of the piece of furniture it is hanging over. If you are hanging above a sofa or sideboard, use the 2/3 rule and a center point around 145 cm from the floor for a natural line of sight.
The choice of materials around the painting makes a big difference. Linen, wood and matte metal enhance the handmade feel, while high-gloss and chrome can provide a fun contrast but require sparing use so as not to steal attention.
Location – room by room
- Living room: Let the wall above the sofa or next to the window become the stage. Dimmable LED (2700–3000 K) directed diagonally downwards reduces reflections.
- Hallway: An exotic motif in the hallway becomes a greeting. A narrower format or diptych works here; hang slightly higher if many people pass by.
- Bedroom: Seek tranquility. Soft colors and calm lines from the motifs go well with textiles made from natural materials.
- Dining area/kitchen: A board that invites conversation. Consider distance from steam and splashes; choose a location with good ventilation and even lighting.
Example: Japanese rose in the living room
One of our favorite choices for introducing an exotic expression with a calm soul is Gilded Garden . The motif – a stylized Japanese tree in a balanced palette – adds poetic weight without dominating. In stylings we’ve done, it has worked beautifully with ash-toned woods, coarsely woven textiles and a black narrow sconce that captures the dark accents in the piece.
Here's how: Let the green tones of the painting return in a sculptural plant (such as a ficus) and a ceramic dish in moss green. Keep the other colors in the room creamy and warm – off-white, beige and a muted gray – so the work can sing without being distracting. A thin floater frame in matte black can discreetly frame the canvas painting. Avoid direct sunlight (art fades over time) and work with directional LED to highlight the texture.
Avoid clichés – think of a story
The most common mistake when decorating with exotic motifs is to collect icons from too many cultures in the same room. Instead, choose a story: perhaps Japanese tranquility in the living room, and North African warmth in the hallway. Let each room speak for itself but with a common base palette. This way, the whole becomes coherent, while each part gets its own identity.
Are you curious about mixing cultural motifs with more timeless expressions? Abstract wall art is an excellent anchor. It opens up for interpretation and can soften strong symbols. Read more in our guidePaintings with Abstract Motifs: How to Create a Modern Expression to Find Balance.
Quick pro tips from our gallery
- Test in miniature first: Tape the dimensions of the painting to paper to get a feel for the volume on the wall.
- Work with odd numbers: Groups of 1–3–5 works provide a natural visual rhythm.
- Texture makes a difference: Combine canvas prints with tactile textiles (wool, bouclé, linen) for depth in the room.
- Choose the right white: If you have warm walls (NCS with Y), keep the white of the board creamy. Cold walls look better with purer white shades.
Exotic motifs are fundamentally about respect, curiosity and personality. When we help clients, we often end up with a few well-chosen works – rather than one large painting with a clear character than several smaller ones that say the same thing. With the right placement, lighting and color repetition, art becomes a bridge between your home and the world outside.