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Embracing hipster decor

Last Updated 22 June 2017, 18:50 IST

Home decor styles have changed over the ages. A few decades ago, classy and chic was the way to go, but current trends are anything but ordinary, with people looking for inspiration in the most unexpected places.

Homes these days are not just abodes serving a functional purpose, they have their own character and personality, speaking volumes to you, as you sit comfortably in their embrace.

“Hipster decor is the new in-thing, it is all quirk and fun and yet adds so much harmony to the space. My living room is full of interesting decor and it was only
recently that I got to know that such a thing is called hippie decor,” states Avril Charles, a do-it-yourself home decor enthusiast from Bengaluru. Avril loves bright colours and atypical elements to style her home. She throws light on this unorthodox interior designing trend.

In recent times, people associate out-of-the box decor items with hippie trends, but it is more complex than that. This form of decor is influenced from the hippie and psychedelic art movements.

Bright colours, vivid patterns, peculiar wood patterns and bubbling liquid visuals printed on fabrics, creating wild backdrops in living spaces are what characterise hipster art decor, informs Cynthia D’costa, a freelance interior designer. “Ethnic motifs, handmade items, sun and peace symbols are what many young folk go in for. I haven’t got clients asking me to design the entire space reflecting the hippie culture, but several people I know have styled their room this way, knowingly or unknowingly.

It is quite beautiful to look at, with funky lava lamps and dreamcatchers hung aesthetically in corners, lighting up the room,” she states. Drawing on a few trends that have caught up in the City and also a few personal suggestions Cynthia has in mind, she sheds light on the different elements that one can add in the home to “hippie-it up,” as she candidly states.

Lampshades

Lampshades immediately bring pictures of bedside lamps and triangular-shaped lamps to mind, Cynthia however, is referring to lava lamps. These are translucent lampshades with a blob of colourful wax mixture floating inside a transparent liquid. There is a bulb inside, which when turned, on increases the heat of the wax and it floats around making it beautiful to look at.

“It truly is hippie and psychedelic to watch, especially if your room is a thinking space to delve into creative ideas, this is an inspirational piece to lay your eyes on, helping your mind wander,” she laughs. Lava lamps can be hung and made into eye-catching hanging lamps.

Hippie bohemian lighting is very attractive, these hanging lamps look like jazzed up chandeliers with beads and crystals creating hipster patterns of different colour, lighting up the room. It is not uncommon to see tassel chandeliers as well, available in all sizes. Apt to brighten dull evenings, it stands tall as an eccentric piece that you can show off with in the day. Cynthia points to these lampshades as a necessity in any home. Smaller versions are available that can decorate your bedside.

In olden times, there were paper lampshades with diamond or circular cutouts, helping the light pass through the openings and project the shape onto the surroundings. Avril has used her artistic skills to make lamps like these at home. She has taken inexpensive lamps available in any store, cutout shapes on black paper and stuck it onto the lampshade to give the room an artistic glow. The light can be green or red as they are the colours that predominate hippie art.

Quirky bedroom decor

Bedroom decor and style is very subjective, it’s about how you want the space to look. Some people like their bedroom to be minimalistic and muted, others prefer to go all out and transform the space to reveal their own artistic expression. After all, your bedroom is that space that you occupy for most time while relaxing.

LED strings, Avril opines, is the best way to decorate the room. Have it attached to the edges of the bed, or if you can hang it from the ceiling, letting five or six strands of the wire fall gently, it changes the entire ambience of the room. You can also have decorative plants and other elements that the LED lights can be wrapped around. It is cost effective and available easily.

Shag rugs are the next most important hipster element required in the house. “These are thick rugs, with fuzzy strands and are mostly solid-coloured. You won’t believe how warm and homely the room turns just by adding this,” Cynthia says. She also informs that though famous in the past as a hippie home element, it is now used to style any kind of space, with no necessary theme backing its use.

Colourful pillows are as essential as the rug. Throw some colourful pillows without worrying too much about the colours, and vivid is the way to go, she adds. Have a bedspread that compliments the shade of majority of the pillows and that will be enough. Bright neon colours can also be opted for, if it appeals to you, she suggests.

Oddly-shaped furniture

Hipster furniture is anything but common. Oddly-shaped bookshelves, sofa sets and rocking chairs are what constitute hipster furniture. The legs of the chairs most often bend in an outward direction towards the end and bulge in the upper segment. Most often, people look for ethnic-patterned upholstery to add a sense of harmony, in its glorious oddity. There are also circular shelves, some perpendicular on one end and curved on the other.

While not many people go in for furniture like this, Cynthia herself is not a big fan and suggests redoing old furniture to make it look hipster. “Furniture lovers can use old furniture and pep it up by redoing the upholstery with colourful patterns and prints. Bean bags that have huge art prints are a good choice,” she states.

Wall hangings & dreamcatchers

Mandala tapestry and dreamcatchers can be hung on the walls as they add a lot of charm to the room. Avril mostly prefers going on Etsy and buying these hippie-boho beauties. She suggests trying online sites and checking what is available and what would suit the house.

DIY lovers

For do-it-yourself enthusiasts, there is plenty that could be done. One can make beaded mason jars with colourful feathers at the end and have lights in them to make a beautiful piece of art.

Make sure to use a rope and wrap the open end of the jar, once tightened and tied, make beaded strings with feathered ends and hook them onto the rope.

Instead of serial lights, scented candles can be placed as well. You can paint feathers and hang them on the wall or use tassels to make your own wall hangings.

There are rules to go about it. There are several images online that you could use to draw inspiration from.

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(Published 22 June 2017, 17:52 IST)

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