Colourful textiles, practical durries, intricately woven handmade carpets, shining brass ware, and handcrafted accents the options are endless and exciting.
Put India front and center and let the decor in your home boast of your roots and cultural heritage. Go down the India inspired route and create an iconic, individual abode with architectural elements and decor. Colorful textiles, practical durries, intricately woven handmade carpets, shining brass ware, handcrafted accents the options are endlessly exciting.
Bring truly "Indie Chic" design and decor to your home with these 5 fabulous ideas!
Creative Architectural Elements
Arches, domes and skylights are architectural elements that can be incorporated into the architecture of your home at the design stage itself. An ornate archway, an India inspired stone jali, or display niches in the shape of pointed arches as shown in the image below, are superbly creative interpretations of the India inspired look that are not at all out of place even in modern urban homes.
Pointed arches frame display niches in a living room
Indigenous Art
India has a rich history of art and craft and every region has its own distinct stylized contribution with stunning examples like Madhubani and Warli painting. If you have the budget consider hiring a professional company like like 'Art on the Wall' to replicate a pattern on your walls or attempt a DIY project on your own. The stunning Madhubani style painting pictured below on an entire wall in a living room is an example of how folk art can be an eye catching accent in an Indian themed room with low diwan inspired chairs with an almost floor level table placed between.
Stunning Madhubani art on a living room wall
Wood Carvings Re-purposed
Intricate wood carvings have been used to decorate Indian homes and places of worship since ancient times. Most states have a firmly established tradition of wood craft for example Kashmir specializes in walnut wood furniture and in Gujarat there is a tradition of carved wooden balconies. A great way to update a one of a kind piece that is quintessentially Indian is to re-visualize it as something functional for instance an antique door can be used as a table top, a headboard or even as a decor accent in and of itself.
Traditional carved wood panels used in furniture and as a headboard in a bedroom
Versatile Textiles
The variety of textiles rooted in Indian heritage is truly mind boggling, providing for an endless array of options for desi decor. Color, pattern, texture and weave combined with artistic flair and regional influences make Indian textiles a treasure trove of options for you to combine and create dramatically vibrant decor. The versatility of textiles encompasses everything from upholstery to wall and window treatments, even a few cushions with decidedly Indian details can alter the decor vibe of a contemporary room effectively.
A variety of Indian textiles used as a throw, upholstery and for cushion covers, in an otherwise contemporary room
Reinvent Nature
Borrow from your surroundings to create decor with a fresh sense of vitality inspired by nature. Elements like flowers, stones, leaves, fruits, nuts and even earth or sand can infuse decor with the rich colors and textures that abound in your environment. Use nature as a subtle ally to reflect Indian roots in decor with a contemporary update that combines inherently Indian elements in unusual combinations and settings, for example fragrant curry leaves, peacock feathers or lemons combined with flowers like bougainvillea in a vase (as shown in the image below).
Brightly seasonal! Pink Bougainvillea and lemons in vases atop a dining table
Let the sensuality and colors of India inspire interior design and decor that has a 'back to roots' soul but is still unerringly contemporary and fabulous!
