The Silk Road: Embrace Mongolian Designs

By Ana Zuravliova

Trend Specialist at Blinds Direct

Fri 11 Feb 2022

Last updated Tue 24 May 2022

Mongolia has for years been seen as a place of mystery and adventure. While hundreds of thousands of Mongolians still live nomadically, it may seem a strange place to seek interior design inspiration, but this is far from the case. Today we’ll be looking at some of the amazing interior design attitudes inspired by Mongolia.

Mongolian interior design

For much of Mongolian history, people lived as nomads moving from place to place with the annual changes of nature. Even today, about one quarter of Mongolians still live a traditional nomadic life. This often involves living in traditional Mongolian dwellings called Gers. Gers can be transported as their occupants move around the country but while they’re practical, they are jaw-droppingly beautiful too!

These homes are often adorned with beautiful natural woods with richly patterned fabrics. As Mongolian nomads have an inherent connection to nature, many of the materials used within their homes are natural, often handmade into soft furnishings which can easily be packed up and moved. 

Colour is celebrated too with warming reds and rich blues offset against natural shades of cream and white. The woods used help to tie the beauty of the space together into a fresh, airy home where you can relax and regenerate following a hard day.

How to add Mongolian style to your interior design

Function and form

Firstly, consider the function of things in your home. In an unconventional way, Mongolian-inspired interior design is somewhat similar to minimalism in that things don’t need to be superfluous.

Take the windows for example, yes, they can add expression to your home, hosting colour and patterns but you can make them more useful. Handmade Roman blinds with a thermal lining for example, or blackout curtains, are both beautiful but they also serve a valuable purpose in the home. 

Courageous with colour

Being brave with colour is another valuable lesson you can learn from Mongolian homes. While colours can be bold and vibrant, try to avoid using artificial looking colours.

Lime greens, electric blues, and jewel reds are better replaced with natural tones including leaf greens, dark blues and maroon shades of red. As mentioned before, using cream tones to break up your decor will help it remain calming. Moreover, consider using geometric patterns too!

A natural connection 

Finally, it’s vital you maintain a connection with nature. If you use wooden blinds, tables or shutters, enjoying the beautiful colours and grains of the wood will help you to feel at one with the natural world. Moreover, for soft furnishings, using slightly coarse, more tactile fabrics such as wool and cotton will again make you feel part of the wider world.

The global nomad trend

The increasingly popular global nomad style is an amalgamation of cultures, countries, and customs in our homes. It reflects a coming together of different shapes, designs and fabrics in a way that celebrates our shared international community.

As many people today move around the world as easily as the Mongolians of old moved around their beautiful country, we have in many ways become global nomads, embracing the customs and norms of other peoples and taking influences from those we encounter – be that in person or even from research. 

Cushions, blankets and rugs are a great way to create a nomadic nature in your space. Charming nomadic prints, eye-catching yet natural colours and textured materials are the best places to start to really make the most of this theme. To be even more creative, consider tassels and fringing on your throws – as well as raw edges and even feathers!

After learning these important lessons from the Mongolian steppe, in next month’s instalment of The Silk Road, we’ll be looking at the subcontinent of India, and all the beautiful styles and ideas you can embrace from this magical part of the world.

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