“A house is made of bricks and beams. A home is made of hopes and dreams.”
Think of peace, warmth, relaxation and often the first thing to cross our mind is our beloved home. Our home holds the utmost significance and we try to make it look as attractive as it can be. When done well, it reflects our personalities and visions quite evidently.
Talking of homes, we Indians never seem to sideline our rich heritage, culture, history, art, and traditions...be it our lifestyle, way of dressing or even the way we design our abode.
Interiors of our homes, irrespective of the styles we opt for - will always have a touch of the vibrant culture, grace, warmth, and elegance. So, if you are someone who loves the traditional, artistic elements of our culture...here are some tips to incorporate them into your interiors.
6 Tips to add the Desi Swag into your Dwelling:
Here’s a list of essential elements that capture the essence of authentic Indian culture, when it comes to interior designs:
1. Handcrafted Furniture Never Goes out of Style!
Often made from exotic woods like rosewood, ebony or teak, the solid Indian furniture is intricately carved with authenticity by Indian craftsmen. They perfectly embrace the natural imperfections in the wood that actually makes it stunning.
You can go for authentic traditional pieces with curved armrests and legs, carvings and inlay work in metal. There’s a vast range of understated Indian furniture like wooden chests, footstools, and jharokhas to choose from.
So, you can get these types of furniture customised by experts. Generally, a good interior designer will help you source them or connect you with the best furniture craftsmen.
2. Play with Vibrant Colours!
Both colours and texture play a vital role in Indian homes. Everything must shine, although not in a flashy or tacky way.
You can opt for lively, and bold colours like green, purple, sunny yellow, burgundy, blue and even gorgeous gold.
Along with this, wallpapers with rich patterns give that luxurious, yet lively look to your home.
On the contrary, the softer shades like yellows and pinks, startling blues and greens can be used for upholstery such as pillowcases or chairs.
Top Tip: Try out the bicolour theme – go for a neutral shade as a base colour and a peppy bright colour for accents.
3. Don’t Ignore the Floor!
Generally, flooring is something that isn’t given much effort and attention. However, with a little bit of twist and creativity, the floor design can enhance the overall look of the house.
In India, the most common flooring types include wooden flooring, ceramic tiling, natural stone and like. Although modern homes are breaking the stereotypes and experimenting with some creative ideas.
For instance, along with wooden and stone inlays, one can try designer tiling inlays for a stunning artistic look or can opt for unpolished looking tiles for a rustic home.
Apart from these, wood deck tiling is also one of the most liked options. It is an ideal suit for patios or balconies in modern homes.
4. Add Spiritual Element
Considering the Indian traditions, and the rich heritage, almost every Indian home has a space dedicated to spirituality. The Pooja Room, as we like to call it, could be a separate room or even a small space like a cabinet in one of the rooms.
Since this place of worship is considered to be the most sacred, its position and placement are done as per the Vastu guidelines. For instance, the space for prayer should ideally be in the northeast direction of your home.
Softer shades are preferred for the walls and the materials used. It should blend perfectly and create a tranquil ambience that is ideal for meditation.
5. Let the artistic fabrics spread their charm
The rich Indian history itself speaks of beautifully designed fabrics. From mesmerising silk to calm cotton or Khadi and even tender jute. And, the said fabrics can be used in various forms, be it simple bedsheets, long beautifully layered window drapes, to carpets and heavy cotton rugs called dhurries.
6. Complement it with accessories
Since India is home to handicrafts, there is a large variety of artefacts to be used to add the desi charm to your home decor.
The choices include pottery items, diyas, leather puppets, decorative boxes, brass lamps, pots, a wide range of paintings - Rajasthani miniature paintings, gold-leafed paintings of Tanjore, to the ever-popular Madhubani art, and so on.
While large paintings serve as the centrepieces, you can also create a gallery wall with a number of smaller pieces.
That’s all from our side. Now that you know the secret of a well-designed Ashiyana of your dreams, if you would like to give your home a refreshed look, feel free to get in touch with us!