Staying grounded

The use of ground-level seating, combined with floor cushions, bolsters and colourful dhurries, can create a comforting ambience in your living space, writes  Ruth Dsouza Prabhu

Bangalore finally seems to have been blessed by the rain gods. The temperatures have plummeted and some of that warm clothing has found its way out of the cupboard. It would be a nice time of the year to try and give the interiors of your home a face-lift; make it a bit more cosy by getting out those rugs, carpets and dhurries and shifting your living style closer to the ground.

Juhi Santani, a City-based interior designer says, “Traditionally, as a culture, Indians perform many day-to-day functions close to the ground — praying, cooking, eating. A lot of oriental cultures, Japanese for instance, have furniture almost at the ground level. Many of us, even today, are comfortable sprawling or squatting, rather than sitting up. The family den is a space that comes to mind, when one is talking about low seating. Putting together a casual, relaxing ensemble of a mattress or a low divan, combined with floor cushions, bolsters, and of course a dhurrie, can create a comforting ambience.”
She offers some tips on how to use rugs and dhurries to give yourself a close-to-ground seating arrangement.

Dhurries/rugs help define a zone or a corner. They, especially, work well in defining a group of seating. Put a dhurrie amidst a sofa cluster or next to a floor mattress. This helps pull the furniture grouping together. This works like a charm in a large room, where one can create more than just one seating cluster. You can use your imagination in the space that you have in your home.

A dash of colour

A dhurrie/rug can add the much-needed colour to your seating area. Very often, sofas come in neutral colours such as beige, brown or black. Dhurries add a pop of colour, along with cushions and brighten up the space.

Think of adding one in your living room, the study, in your balcony seating among other places.

In winters, dhurries keep one comfortable and close to the ground. A 'play dhurrie' in your child's room will serve as his playing focal point through the cold months of monsoon and winters in Bangalore.

There are few things, however, that you need to keep in mind when implementing these concepts. The first is to consider the heights of side tables, centre-table and the TV when planning a low seating. These must be adjusted to suit the viewing comfort as well as reach. Else you may end up having to get up multiple times to get yourself things.

A nook of your own

A good idea would be to create a separate seating nook with the necessary low profile furniture to add to your interiors and enhance the aesthetics of your space as well. Always consider putting your wall decor near the low seating at a lower height to make the whole area look balanced.

An important factor to consider is that low seating may pose an issue with the elderly suffering from stiff joints, pain etc. This is something that you need to consider; making alternate arrangements for them would be best.

Choose your rugs and dhurries to match the existing palette of colours in your room. Only then will you be able to create a cohesive ambience with your low seating option.