For some drama in your decor

Looking to add a bit of glam to your home but don’t know where to start? Sharon Colaco DSouza has some fab pointers to help you.

Decor is a very personal facet of a home, and it is almost audacious to impose decor trends on a home owner. Nevertheless, I dare to dive in and give a low-down on the hottest home interiors trends. With these easy-to-achieve and light-on-the-pocket trends, you can incorporate them into your home effortlessly.

Splash of leaves
Los Angeles-based decor blogger Justina Blakeney’s signature Jungalow style is in vogue now. Decoded, this style is about leafy motifs on wallpaper, leaving green touches in more than one corner of every room and the use of traditional fabrics such as ‘Suzani’.  The unifying element in all her rooms however, is natural greenery — with large, leafy plants quite prominent in the room; in some cases, even seemingly growing wild like a jungle.

While a full-fledged Jungalow design may not work for everyone, I highly recommend making houseplants a big part of your decor. Besides being fashionable, they also purify indoor air.

T for teapots
The use of teapots in various sizes and shapes in room decor are all the rage this year. It doesn’t matter what kind – they all look fantastically fashionable in the living room. Arrange a bunch of roses in them, or just display them as they are. I am particularly partial to a flower-filled teapot on the coffee table, sitting atop a pile of books. It’s a simple way to add this very stylish element to your decor.

Magic of handlooms
Handloom fabrics are something which are catching the fancy of many for decor use. Use the more traditional fabrics such as khadi, which is wonderfully stylish. Note that the fabric you pick up in khadi bhandaars is not authentic khadi.

If you wrote this fabric off as stiff and unmanageable, you should try out pure khadi woven on a handloom. It is soft and ever so durable, perfect for furnishings and drapes. It may be a tad expensive, but you know you are getting your value for money when it doesn’t shrink or fade after the first wash.

Mesmerising marble
Marble is making a huge comeback in the decor arena. Don’t go in for the conventional expensive marble flooring or large marble statues. Instead, look for a marble top for your table. The cost is next to nothing and the result is a gorgeous piece of furniture whose beauty and appeal is timeless!

Calligraphy and typography are celebrated art forms today, and have always been popular. Add them to your home decor to give a unique touch to your home. It can be something vintage like an old advertisement from Eve’s Weekly that is framed or decoupaged, a quote, a decal over your coffee machine, or even a barber shop signboard. You don’t have to buy expensive sign boards and branded typography products. There are hundreds of free typography fonts that are available online. Just ensure that you are not flouting any rules or using them without a license. You could also buy the fonts.

Dainty designs
Motifs are trending in a big way this season. But not just any motif and especially not the ubiquitous three-leaf-and-a-flower block print motif. Animal motifs like owls, cats and dragonflies are very trendy on fabrics. Use them on an accent cushion cover or upholster an accent chair with these fabrics for best results.

You could also make your own wall art with these prints. For floral motifs, try flowers such as bougainvillea and mayflowers in a watercolour finish. Paisleys will
always be in fashion, but use them with uncommon combinations, or they will look terribly average.

Having a fashionable home is not about following every trend. It’s about picking the few that work for you, and then using them to suit the style and design of your home, your way. Happy decorating!