Looking for primitive decorating ideas for living room? You're not alone! Many eras of human history have passed, but our celebration of the past can be too limited. In particular, there’s nothing wrong with appreciating primitive aesthetics.
It might seem difficult at first, but the primitive style is great for cultivating a rich and inviting atmosphere for the living room. Here are some primitive decorating ideas to make your living room an entryway to another time.
Primitive Decorating Ideas For Living Room – 26 Tips to Revamp the Space:
Quick Look
- Reclaimed Wood Table
- Tiki Idol
- Succulent Plants
- Windchime
- Cinder Block
- Bamboo Poles
- Natural Fiber Rug
- Wicker Floor Vase
- Mounted Horns
- Log Planter
- Wood Panel Mask
- Flax Cloth
- Branches Display
- Alocasia
- Clay Pottery
- Crane Flower
- Spruce Bench
- Cordyline
- Chopping Block Stool
- Kentia Palm
- Bukedo
- Schefflera
- Urn
- African Milk Tree
- Moai
- Flint Arrowhead
1. Reclaimed Wood Table
The first on our list of primitive decorating ideas for living room is reclaimed wood. In the past, people had to reuse things like wood more often, crafting worn and pockmarked items by hand. To capture that rough-and-tumble texture of old-fashioned life, plop down a reclaimed wood table in your living room.
The ruts and furrows on its rich woody surface aren’t ugly, as they’re a testament to authenticity. It’ll work well when buttressed by similarly wood-like colors and objects at the center of the room.
2. Tiki Idol
Celebrate the ancient culture of Polynesia with a Tiki idol, a humanoid wood or stone carving for decoration and religious ceremonies. They come in a ton of shapes and sizes, some being long solemn heads, others squat onlookers with large teeth and protruding tongues.
They can be a bit off-putting, but they’re an unmistakable symbol of the tribal past. The Tiki idol will make a nice accent off to the side, a charming connection to age-old tradition.
3. Succulent Plants
Succulents are thick, hardy plants that survive in dry climates and will bring the air of the desert to your home. They come in several species and colors to go with whatever furniture you have, embedding the stark elegance of nature’s harshness into your living space.
The swollen stems, brimming with moisture, can be long and spindly or flat and wide, covering the wonder of nature.
4. Windchime
The windchime is an ancient type of instrument that not only provides folksy decoration but also resounds with pleasant tunes in the wind. This blast from the past can take the form of clacking shells, whistling wood, and more.
If you like this, check out the Nalulu Rustic Bamboo Wind Chime
Designed by hand with open flame, this biodegradable windchime is topped by a coconut shell and produced sustainably.
5. Cinder Block
Stone evokes the past, and one pragmatic way to incorporate it is by using cinder blocks. Paint some simple, flat cinder blocks without complex edges or corners for convenient stone age decoration.
Two cinder blocks across from each other can hold up a shelf. Grow plants in them to make a decorative garden stack. Even use them to store your shoes.
6. Bamboo Poles
Bamboo is a timeless staple of Asian iconography, having been cultivated in the region for centuries. Bring the ancient oriental flavor home with potted bamboo poles.
The glazed shoots are a good accent for the living room, especially if they emerge from a darkly colored pot. Use the right amount of poles so it doesn’t look too busy, and keep it near a light source so people can appreciate the texture.
7. Natural Fiber Rug
A natural fiber rug displays the sensibilities of rural leisure, with its hay color and tactile composition. The tight organic weave makes it good for often-tread areas of the home, so think about which natural fibers will suit your feet.
Jute is more soft than durable, seagrass is coarser and more durable, and hemp is coarse and durable but softens and sheds with use.
If you like this, check out the Safavieh Natural Fiber Collection
8. Wicker Floor Vase
The traditional wicker technique carries the relaxingly warm presence of the Mediterranean and the Near East. This old method is exemplified well by the floor vase, which you can fill with greenery to liven your home.
You’ll find wicker vases in various shapes and sizes, from pot-like baskets that are skinny funnels in the top half to wide conical pillars with openings flared like trumpets. They all have a certain playful ruggedness that works for a more primitive era.
9. Mounted Horns
The spoils of a successful hunt have been a status symbol for generations. Show off your appreciation for a more bloodthirsty time by mounting horns on your living room wall.
This natural ornament is a tribute to the majesty of the wild, a striking glance into the primeval world. There are many beastly remains to choose from, like commonplace bull horns or impressively curved ibex horns.
10. Log Planter
Whether you fill it with plants or household items, a hollowed log is a touch of nature that’ll make your living room more primitive. Have green shoots rise out of this natural planter to quietly complement your furniture.
Fill it with only pebbles and black soil to make it a mysterious mellow artifact. Or you might just need it as a spot to easily access small items like keys and chargers.
11. Wood Panel Mask
One of the most underrated primitive decorating ideas for living room is wooden masks. A beautiful mask made from panels of wood can be haunting and enrapturing. Masks are a cultural universal found throughout the world, carrying a symbolism of the human condition.
Wood masks in particular stir up primitive emotions and take us back to a different time. Hang a solitary mask on your living room wall to tie the place together and draw eyes to what you want.
If you like this, check out the NOVICA Yellow and Brown Painted Ghanaian Wood Wall Mask
12. Flax Cloth
People have been using flaxen clothes as far back as ancient Egypt, a richly homey material that fits any space. Use it as a living room window drape, or dress sofas and rocking chairs with it.
Cover a coffee table with a flax cloth, or enlighten a section of the floor that catches the sunlight.
13. Branches Display
Bring the outdoors indoors with a display of branches, transporting the living room to a simpler time. The handsome bark will complement the wood you have, supplying an amply ecologic tone.
A pale, hunched branch would do well on a dark coffee table. Have a sprawling branch creep from a vase near a window for an ethereal allure. Arrange small branches to look like a miniature tree as a table centerpiece.
14. Alocasia
The eye-catching alocasia plant is also called elephant’s ear, evoking the primitive yet majestic pleasantness that the name suggests. This gregariously green plant can beautify your living room, especially perched before a window sill.
Put it in a cool-colored pot and rest it on an accent table to create a chill atmosphere. The leaves grow to be large and imposing, bringing some of the jungle to your abode.
15. Clay Pottery
A form of craftsmanship as old as it gets, clay pottery bears the heart and soul of common folk. Clay pots are useful to store items on a coffee table or shelf, though they just as easily spruce up a room with the echoes of yesterday.
This sort of decoration has a lived-in feel to it, invitingly earthy and arid.
16. Crane Flower
The crane flower, also known as the bird of paradise, is one of the most memorable plants you’ll see. The gorgeously vibrant stem and flowers look like birds from afar, with a potent mix of color to keep you gawking.
This treasure of paradise belongs in your living room to brighten the mood and maintain a pop of primitive spirit. It’s easily grown indoors, but you have to wait three to five years before it can flower.
17. Spruce Bench
The right spruce bench is a throwback to a rough-hewn time, just a plank with two supports. People build with spruce because it has one of the highest strength to weight ratios of all woods.
The light wood has a neutral complexion that can fit with a variety of living rooms. Make it extra room for your guests, or brace it against a wall so you can line up all manner of items on it.
18. Cordyline
The cordyline is a striking starburst of a plant that’ll attract all eyes in the living room with its hypnotic warm colors. It needs a well-drained high-quality potting mix and a warm draft-free environment to look healthy and steal the show.
The cordyline nails the primal splendor of nature, making it an ideal centerpiece for the living room.
19. Chopping Block Stool
For as long as there have been humans they’ve had to chop meat. A chopping block stool evokes that primitive impulse while bringing an interesting wooden look to the living room.
The more tattered the wood the more it’ll capture the feel of a bygone era. It adds a little rustic charm and will work as a nice accent piece even if no one sits on it.
20. Kentia Palm
The kentia palm is a symbol of escapism, reminding us of a primitive tropical world we wish to escape to. It’s easy to grow indoors, turning the living room into a beach-like setting.
The kentia palm’s leaves grow to be quite large, so make room for it and let it exude its calming vibe. The twists and curves of the leaves and stems are naturally elegant and will pair well with existing furniture.
21. Bukedo
One of the most popular primitive decorating ideas for living room is bukedo! The traditional African bukedo is a callback to days of yore, a disc-like bowl woven from the material of the raffia palm. This instantly noticeable and colorful ornament belongs on any living room wall with its delightful patterns.
The raffia material will work on a coffee table as a minor focal point, maybe holding miscellaneous objects like remotes and eyeglasses. It would also work wonders as a bowl for grapes and kiwis.
If you like this, check out the Symmetric Matrix Woven Seagrass Wall Decor Hanging Basket
These sturdy bukedo-inspired woven bowls are works of craftsmanship from artisans in Vietnam, each one with a unique design.
22. Schefflera
Also called the umbrella plant, the Schefflera bears glossy leaves signaling the mystery of the ancient untamed canopy. The bounteous leaves flop into an interesting pattern likely to eat up space, so make space in your living room.
The playful curvature of the leaves is undeniably endearing, making for a relishingly green display. The sprawl of stem and leaf might climb to nearby furniture, but if you’re going for a primitive wilderness look that may be fine.
23. Urn
Urns are an ancient type of vase that came about as burial jars, in places as varied as China, Greece, and central Europe. Despite the morbid origin, the urn is a good living room ornament, whether fitted with a lid or containing assorted household items.
There’s a lot to consider when matching it with your decor, from stout urns with pointy lids that you can hide in a corner to wide open-mouthed basins that serve as accent pieces.
24. African Milk Tree
The unusual and interesting African milk tree beckons with green fronds to a time forgotten. The climbing green pillars of its body will pair nicely with windows and furniture, creating a green dividing line useful for aesthetic appeal.
It’s a tropical plant that demands heat and would do well in a clay pot.
25. Moai
Ever the famous image of Rapa Nui, the giant Moai head is an ancient enigmatic figure that people have wondered about for centuries. Pepper your house with some of this mystique by using miniature Moais.
Flank an important item with two Moais, or have one large head on a stand gazing on its own into the distance.
26. Flint Arrowhead
You won’t be using actual stone age flint arrowheads, but they’ll have the same effect. Get replicas of the ancient arrowhead tools and use your creativity to ensure primitive charm in the living room. Hanging some by string can frame a window nicely, or you can line a shelf with them.