JOIN USA fresh respite from the sizzling summer months, monsoons are reason enough to touch up your home and bring in the freshness of nature.
While nature caters for the clean up, with the trees and bushes being wiped clean of the amassed dust and dirt, exhibiting the revitalising greens, fresh blooms and the splendid joys of nature, it’s time to introduce a little flavour of the monsoon into your decor too.
The rain-laden clouds do bring in a whiff of fresh air loaded with intoxicating and earthy fragrance, but the forever overcast skies can sometimes become a mood dampener.
This doesn’t mean that you have to detest the monsoons!
Pop of colours
Introduce bright colourful accents in your decor to balance the moods.
Vibrant cushion covers, colourful coffee mugs, small potted plants, eye-catchy table runners and alluring crockery are a few ways to brighten up the interiors.
Vibrant bedsheets, multicoloured bathroom linen and something as meagre as a nice bright bathrobe can pep things up.
Talking of bedsheets, there is nothing like cotton for a lazy afternoon slumber time.
One thing that makes or breaks the deal is the drapery.
Heavy curtains that don’t sieve in light are a big no-no, as they add to the gloom.
Apart from this, heavy drapery tends to absorb moisture and promotes the growth of unwanted fungus that you will not appreciate.
Light coloured, see-through curtains not only keep your house connected with the outdoors, but also help maintain hygiene.
Same goes for thick woollen carpets that soak in moisture, which can be easily replaced with dhurries and rugs that are easy to clean on a regular basis.
It would also be a great idea to cover up your expensive sofa upholstery with sheets or covers.
Get some plants that can’t take the excessive rains and place them indoors.
Make sure you do not take in too many plants as keeping them indoors will attract mosquitoes and thus, the ideal place for them would be outside. |
Attention to fine details
Placing charcoal in your shoe cabinet helps keep your shoes dry, and adding rock salt to your mopping bucket in addition to a floor cleaner will keep flies away.
Also, don’t forget to seal the gaps in your doors and windows with sealants like plaster of paris, white cement or rubber linings.
Make sure that all the drains, pipes and culverts in and around the house are clean, sans any accumulated leaves, plastic bags etc.
Clean your garden of dry leaves and wilted blooms, keeping them away from your drainage system, else these tend to flow back to the drains and clog them.
Trim down the tree branches that are anticipated to fall during a thunderstorm or a heavy downpour. See to it that the drainpipes from your roof are working efficiently.
If they are not, it can lead to seepage in your ceiling and walls.
Monsoons also inspire the colour palette, as it moves from the summery pastels to the multi-hued and bright tones.
Fresh greens of the grass, reds and yellows of the bell peppers, and other colours of the revitalised mother earth have inspired many a designers and homemakers.
I do agree that these colours have to be used sparsely, but nevertheless, they need to be there.
You might not have viewed it that way, but those newly purchased colourful flip-flops and umbrellas are very much a part of your decor and colour scheme as are colourful cupcake moulds.
Wind chimes are a great way to let the cool monsoon breeze play its music, and placing one near your window can infuse your home with positive vibes.
There isn’t the slightest doubt that the smell of monsoon is intoxicating. Adding a bouquet of fresh flowers or scented candles is a sure shot way of accentuating the senses.
The aroma of freshly ground coffee beans can be a big turn on too.