Give your home the desi look

When our own country has so many beautiful, traditional ideas for home decor, why do we look elsewhere? Natasha Menezes suggests we get back to our roots and celebrate the riot of colours and traditions, that is India.

We all love to decorate our homes. When on holidays, we tend to collect novelties and artefacts that we imagine will look great in our spaces. Indian home decor designs are bright and cheerful on one hand, and therapeutic on the other. And while trends keep evolving by the day, the concept of ethnic design is here to stay.

So why do we need to find Roman, French or Chinese influences to beautify our homes, when we can find better ideas right in India? Local arts and crafts are available in plenty in almost every nook and corner of the country. What’s more, every region is also highly specialised in a certain art or craft. From a warm, cosy
atmosphere to a happy and bright, festive spirit, the ethnic design concept can
encompass it all. 

So get started. It’s time to celebrate each wall, corner, floor, roof, door and window of your habitat with some traditional desi decor. It’s finally time to enjoy the taste of Indian designs and marry it with the rest of your abode.

Colours that define India

Selecting the appropriate colour spectrum for an Indian-styled home is extremely
crucial and is the starting point of ethnic decor. The colours should resonate with the spirit of India. Shades of red with accents of terracotta work well. For instance, use shades of cherry or plum for an instant desi look. Bear in mind that the shade of red should be as natural as possible and not over the top. Other loud colours like purple or yellow should be mirrored in the form of small accents like home accessories. Do not delete them completely from your colour palette as it will not lend to the overall ethnic dimension of your room.

Instead, balance it out very carefully in the varied structures of your room.

For your living room
The standard colour scheme followed by most of the builders involves white, cream or beige. So bringing the Indian decor to life in such an environment is quite easy.
Indian homes are typically characterised by bright colours and attention to detailing.
Here are few simple and cost-efficient ideas for your living room:

Furniture: Rajasthani-styled diwan sets and ornate chairs, which are quite popular in Bollywood movies are great for an ethnic living room. Introduce a traditional thakat coffee table to your living space. You can also bring in antique wooden coffee tables that double up as chests. For a more detailed decor, you can bring in intricately-carved bookshelves and bar cabinets.

Fabric: Indian-styled living areas are known for their grand appeal. Hence, they should be fully furnished. For a rich, lustrous appeal, the fabric should be either silk or faux silk. The latter is easily available in the market and also light on your
pocket. Colours like red, yellow and maroon are perfect for the living room. You can also recycle old saris, bedcovers or dupattas into patchwork for your living room furniture fabric. Chairs and diwans can be covered with rich fabrics such as velvet or silk.

Accessories: What’s a room without some accessories? Buy a couple of colourful paintings and let them adorn your walls . You can also go in for hand-painted vases or flowers in crystal bowls or ceramic jugs. Wooden swings inside Indian homes have been trending for a long time as they up the glamour quotient and also serve as a go-to place for relaxation. Use dark wood polish on the exteriors of the swing and complete it with colourful cushions made of silk. These accessories radiate happiness and bring in positivity to your home.

Desi dining area

For the dining area, decorate the table-top with rich Indian hues and fabrics. Pay
attention to the table and seating while designing an ethnic home. Add a dash of colour to the backrest of your Indian chairs. Even the table cloth and runner can
be bright and vibrant. Floor lamps, erracotta vases and lamps in bronze or gold will complete an Indian dining space. 

Bedroom tales

Bedrooms are our favourite spaces. This is where we unwind, relax and recharge our energies. It would be worth our effort to give an Indian twist to such an invigorating space.

Here are some ideas:

Furniture: Since the primary furniture in a bedroom is the bed itself, it should
preferably be made of long-lasting and all-weather-resistant material. A typical
Indian bedroom consists of furniture made out of teakwood, which is rich in essential oils and silicon. It’s durable and economical, too. Teakwood also fills the air with
medicinal properties and furniture crafted out of it can turn out to be extremely
beautiful.

Complete your bedroom look with a well-designed mirror, table, wooden wardrobe and some cane chairs.

Fabric: Fill your bedroom with pillows, cushions, quilts, carpets, curtains, bed linen and canopies in shades of light blue, lemon, turquoise, light green, raspberry or brown. They should be wrapped in embroidered silks, sequins, mirror work or gold and silver tassels. Pure white should be avoided at all cost since it is the colour of mourning in India. Instead, you can use shades of cream and ivory.

Accessories: Complete the look of your Indian-styled bedroom with
accessories like an Indian hand-painted flower vase, silver or copper tea tray and colourful Indian clay lamps. Use a sconce or a side-lamp for lighting and avoid using a chandelier in your bedroom.

Something for the kids

When every room of your abode is dotted with true Indian designs, why should your kid’s room be left behind? Yes, you can decorate your kid’s room in true desi fashion.

Furniture: If you are game for it, invest in a four-poster bed for your kid’s room. This adds an element of legance. When it comes to study tables, choose traditionally-designed, ornate ones made from local wood. 

Fabric: Follow the same colour scheme and fabric rules as mentioned for other rooms. For the bed, get a colourful patchwork quilt along with some pillows. Kids love colours, so make sure you touch upon their favourite shades, while deciding on the colour palette for their room.

Accessories: If you love wallpapers, get the ones that depict stories from ancient mythologies or you could also go in for desi superheroes. If your kid loves playing games, get some traditional ones for the little one. Get the classic games of ludo, checkers, snakes and ladders in traditional cloth forms and enjoy the traditional
appeal.

So, time to get started and enjoy the true colours of India right in your home sweet home.