Three-panel image showcasing unique home accents; a black and white mudcloth throw draped over a chair, a tiered bohemian chandelier, and a living room with a patterned ottoman in front of a fireplace.

15 Unique Home Accents to Give Your Space an Edge

July 20, 2025

I’ve always loved rooms that feel collected, rather than decorated. Rooms that hint at places you’ve been — or dream of seeing someday. My favorite trick? Unique home accents. Not the usual cookie-cutter stuff, but pieces that surprise you every time you walk by. Many of mine carry a quiet link to African craft — woven, carved, or molded with stories older than my grandmother’s kitchen tales. Want them? Here are 15 ideas that are worth hunting for.

Functional Home Accents
Unique Home Accents for Your Walls
Small Decor, Big Punch

Functional Home Accents

1. Upholstered Ottoman: Goes Wherever You Need It

Living room featuring unique home accents: a patterned ottoman with books, a gas fireplace with decorative items on the mantel and modern wall art. The arrangement is complemented by a neutral sofa with pillows, set against a backdrop of natural light streaming through a window.

An upholstered ottoman is pure fun in furniture form. Drag it next to the fireplace, park it at the foot of your bed, or stack books on it when your side table’s full. Pick bold textiles — African batik or Adire cloth for me — and turn it into a soft spot that doubles as art.

2. Handwoven Moroccan Rug: Makes Your Space Feel Alive

A bright bedroom is styled with neutral walls and draperies. A large window lets in daylight to illuminate the red Persian-style rug and leather ottoman. All-white bedding gives the room a fresh, clean feeling.

If my bedroom could talk, it would praise its beautiful Moroccan rug. Woven by expert Berber hands, these pieces come with a soft texture you can’t fake. Bold, heavenly, and warm under bare feet — they’re a little moment of Moroccan luxury for your floorboards.

You May Also Like: The 5 Moroccan Rug Styles That Make Every Step Special

3. Bamileke Stools: Small Thrones for Big Moments

A dark wood end table with a decorative carved drum-shaped base on a cream-colored carpet is a piece of unique home accents. Above the table is a framed piece of artwork.

Some accents pretend to blend in. That’s the opposite of what a Bamileke stool wants to do. Hand-carved from one chunky block of wood, it’s equal parts seat and sculpture — a gem among unique home accents. I use mine to stack coffee table books when I’m feeling fancy, or to prop up a cup of tea when I’m not.

4. Beaded Lights: Plays With Shadows

A three-tiered chandelier with a white and dark blue macrame design hangs above a round wooden table. This unique home accent emits a warm glow, casting a soft light on the dining area, which includes white chairs, books and a potted plant.

If your light fixtures are only here to light up the room, you picked the wrong ones. But worry not, it’s never too late to fix it. Look for South African beaded pendants — tiny glass beads strung into dreamy shapes that scatter shadows across the ceiling. Trust me, you’ll thank us later.

5. Baule Chair: An Heirloom You Can Sit On

A unique home accent, this dark wood chair with a high back sits on a carpet with red floral design. The simple, angular chair complements a modern interior design aesthetic. In the background is a couch with white cushions.

Not every chair can brag about royal company. The Baule people of Côte d’Ivoire craft these beauties with delicate carvings that once graced village chiefs’ homes. I love seeing one pulled up to a modern desk — old meets new in the best possible way.

Unique Home Accents for Your Walls

6. A Poster Gallery That Doesn’t Take Itself Too Seriously

A living room wall features a collection of six framed art pieces arranged in a grid, showcasing a range of abstract floral and still life motifs; a plush, off-white sofa with textured accent pillows sits below; a sleek wooden coffee table with a shallow, red decorative bowl sits in front of the couch; and a potted plant is to the side of the sofa, helping to illustrate unique home accents.

One blank wall is cool, but give me four and I go right into S.O.S mode. Don’t do that to yourself: instead, create a poster gallery. Mix floral art, watercolors, vintage travel posters, and an African proverb or two. One of my favorite sayings? “Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one person can embrace it”.

You May Also Like: 5 Beautiful African Wall Decor Ideas for a Standout Home

7. Portraits of Tribes That Strikes Your Gaze

A modern living room featuring a large black and white portrait of a woman with traditional jewelry prominently displayed above a white sectional sofa. Built-in wooden bookshelves flank the portrait. A round black coffee table with metallic decor sits in the center.

Why would you ever go for a random portrait when you can pick a Himba women with red ochre braids or a Maasai elder in crimson cloth? Hang one where guests linger. They’ll lean in. They’ll ask questions. And that’s exactly the point of all unique home accents.

8. Kuba-Inspired Murals or Wallpapers

A staged living room features a textured, maze-patterned ochre wallpaper, complemented by a framed abstract painting. Below the painting, a wooden console table holds decorative objects including a vase with organic arrangements and stacked books. A plush, two-seater settee with mauve square pillows sits in front of the console. A small, round coffee table in front of the settee holds decorative objects. The scene incorporates unique home accents.

A single wall covered in bold, repeating Kuba patterns? Yes, please. Kuba cloth comes from the Congo and was once used for ceremonial skirts and currency. Now it’s the star of your hallway. You will never look at your walls the same again.

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9. Fabric Wall Hangings: Move With the Breeze

Living room displaying a cream-colored sofa is styled with throw pillows of yellow, red patterned, and woven textures. A warm-toned woven geometric tapestry hangs above the sofa, next to framed artwork. A large potted plant sits to the left of the sofa on a textured area rug.

Sometimes the best art is soft and flowy. Hang up a big piece of mudcloth or a Moroccan wool tapestry behind your couch or bed. These textiles dance when the window’s open — and trust me, a gentle flutter brings welcome change among your framed artworks.

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10. Afrofuturist Art: Looking Ahead

Interior design showcasing unique home accents. A warm, stylish living room featuring an orange sofa with accent pillows, a round coffee table, and walls painted in earthy tones. An African-inspired art piece hangs on the wall, complemented by modern pendant lights. Potted plants add a touch of nature to the space.

I’m hooked on Afrofuturist prints — digital collages where culture collides with sci-fi dreams. They’re unique home accents with an avant-garde twist. Place one over your desk if you need a daily reminder that your space — and your mind — will always push forward.

You May Also Like: Afrofuturism Design for the Daring Home | A Complete Guide

Small Decor, Big Punch

11. Zulu Beer Pots: Worth A Lot More Than Beer

A black spherical vase with textured top sits on a minimal black metal wire stand, all against a light peach-tone background. The vase has rows of small, raised dots or bumps adding a tactile dimension to its upper portion. The stand consists of straight vertical supports connected to circular rings at the top and bottom, providing a simple yet elegant base for the vase. The background helps to highlight the vase and stand.

These pots once sat at the center of village feasts. Today, they hold dried branches or just sit pretty. With their round bellies and etched lines, they embody Zulu community in clay form. Unique home accents don’t get more rooted than this.

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12. Mudcloth Throws for Eye-catching Layers

A gray mid-century modern chair with wood frame has been draped with a black and white patterned textile throw blanket. The blanket has rows of white geometric designs with dots. Behind the chair is a fireplace mantel with decorative vase, a round table holding a lamp with a cream-colored shade. A large window is visible. The chair sits on a light colored carpet.

You can never have too many throws — and there’s always room for a hand-dyed mudcloth from Mali. Drape one across your couch, toss another on your bed. The patterns shift between simple dots and bold stripes, giving the eye something new to look at whenever the angle changes.

You May Also Like: How to Style Iconic Mud Cloth in a Modern Home

13. Benin Bronze Sculptures with Regal Roots

A bronze head sculpture rests on a round black table in a modern living room. The sculpture, reminiscent of Nigerian art, features a detailed representation of a human head, complete with a regal headdress and multiple bands around the neck, suggesting a person of high status. The head's patina suggests age and cultural significance. The table is simple in design with a smooth, matte surface and slender metal legs. It stands on a light-colored rug and is positioned in front of a neutral-toned couch with a pillow. The background reveals a contemporary living space, including a white cabinet, an abstract art piece on the wall, a decorative vase, and a potted green plant. The lighting is soft, highlighting the texture of the sculpture and the sleek lines of the furniture.

If you’ve never looked up the Benin Bronzes, do yourself a favor. These centuries-old sculptures still turn heads (literally). A modern cast piece brings a little royal drama to your bookshelf or mantel. Just make sure it’s somewhere eye-level — they deserve nothing less than central stage.

You May Also Like: African Bronze Art | From Ancient Kingdoms to Modern Homes

14. Hand-Carved Masks to Watch Over Your Space

A warmly lit, eye-level shot captures a curated interior design vignette. A wooden table with a white top serves as the base for the arrangement, providing a platform for a simple, dark bowl on the left and a light-colored, full vase on the right. The vase is filled with an assortment of lush green foliage and delicate white flowers, infusing a natural element into the space. Above the table, mounted on the pale wall, a dark, intricately carved African mask adds a cultural or artistic touch. Two pendant lamps with a woven, wicker-like texture flank the mask, casting a warm, inviting glow that ties the composition together.

West African masks carry stories of ancestors, spirits, and animal legends. Hang one where it greets you every day — maybe above a console or tucked into a gallery wall. It’s a reminder that art can watch over us, long after the carvers are gone.

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15. Carved Panels That Keep Ancient Secrets

A rectangular carved Dogon door panel depicting eighteen human figures arranged in three rows of six, displayed on a sleek, slender metal stand atop a console table near a window. The stone, likely sandstone or a similar textured material, exhibits a weathered, dark brown hue, adding to its antique or tribal art aesthetic. Each small figure is rendered in a stylized, rudimentary form, featuring tapered heads, arms, and legs, carved in relief. The vertical orientation of the piece is emphasized by the slim metal stand, which is secured to a square base, providing stability and a modern contrast. The console table below has a light-colored marble or stone top with visible veins and a streamlined black base. A geometric zigzag pattern frames the border of the rectangular stone. The piece sits near a large window with multiple panes and white trim, which diffuses soft, natural light onto the scene. The backdrop is a plain white wall.

Dogon or Senufo wall panels come alive the longer you stare. Animals, ancestors, maybe something abstract you can’t quite name. Mount one where you sip your morning coffee — you’ll notice something new every time.

We hope you enjoyed our selection of unique home accents

These pieces command attention and never fail to invite conversation, because a home feels most alive when it holds a few surprises. Mix them in slowly. Let them travel from room to room. And when someone asks where you found that carved stool or punchy poster — that’s your chance to share a piece of something bigger than decor.

Liked this article? Continue with our 15 Living Room Showpiece Picks, Guaranteed to Impress