Kehls Fabrics: Wild October Safari Fabric Trends

Pack your sense of adventure and leave the plain beige at home. October has arrived with sunshine, warmth and that restless itch to redo something in the home. So, Kehls is taking readers on safari. No khaki required, just four fabric stories that immediately grab the attention of the room. These Kehls safari fabrics bring bold prints, rich colours and a playful African-inspired feel to interior spaces.

The Bold Protea

The king protea is the showboat of the fynbos, and these prints do it proper justice. Picture big, blushing reds, fiery orange pincushions and glossy green leaves tumbling across a crisp white ground.

Swap the white for deep midnight navy and let the silvery protea blooms glow like they have snuck out after dark. One print is sunshine and champagne, the other is a secret garden under the stars. Both are bold enough to carry a room without saying a single word.

Where to use them: curtains that make the neighbours slow down, a headboard with real drama, or a pair of dining chairs that finally give your table something to talk about.

A Wild Zebra Crossing

This chenille zebra print comes in four very different moods, and each one has opinions.

Ivory is calm and elegant. Charcoal and slate are the dark horses that look effortlessly expensive. Black with burnt copper is the show-off, the one that walks in and makes the whole room turn around. And soft taupe is the silent social butterfly, quietly making friends with every other colour in your lounge.

See them on sleek dining chairs with a leafy vase and a good candle, or on a pair of cheeky ottomans parked by the coffee table. Chenille has that soft, velvety hand that begs to be touched. It is a great statement piece that complements the whole room.

An African Princess: Also Known as Astral Lady

Some fabrics decorate. Others make a statement. This woven tapestry belongs firmly in the centre of the room.

Painterly portraits of proud African women, wrapped in colourful headscarves and strings of beads, stare out in teal, rust, coral, gold and dusty rose. The detail is extraordinary, and the colour is the kind that makes a room feel like it has a heartbeat.

Style the fabric as scatter cushions against moody blue walls and a velvet armchair, and suddenly you have a corner with a story to tell. Add a wooden side table and a sprig of greenery. Interior designers call this a focal point. Kehls calls it making an entrance.

Once Upon a Time, There Was an Elephant Made of Flowers

Every safari needs a fairytale, and this one has trunks.

These gentle giants are dressed head to toe in blooms, with petals in turquoise, cobalt, lime and soft grey, drawn with a fine, storybook line on a creamy white ground. Big elephants, small elephants and baby elephants peeking out from behind their mums. It is a whole herd wandering through a wildflower meadow.

Pop the blue and green colourway onto a plump cushion beside a sage green and denim blue companion, and your sofa instantly turns into a happy place. Or take the golden mustard and grey version and wrap it around a curvy tub chair for a softer, sunnier mood. Same herd, different weather.

It is playful and pretty, perfect for the reading corner, the guest room, or any spot that needs a little more magic.

Your Wild Side Is Calling

So, there you have it: a protea garden, a zebra crossing, a gallery of queens and a herd of flowery elephants. Four fabric stories, one very good month to start your own.

October is the perfect time to refresh, restyle and reupholster before the summer entertaining begins. Pop into your nearest Kehls branch in Maitland, George or Pinetown, run your hands over the fabrics and let your inner wildness come to life. The Kehls team will happily help customers match their energy to their new fabric this summer.

Visit Kehls for more.