I wasnt sure where to start...I am sure its a common 'inertia' we all face from the state of not writing to a point of penning thoughts down, right?! Well, I started digging my photo archives and I chanced upon the pictures of my home back in India. Voila!I knew precicely what this post would be about! HOME SWEET HOME!
Living Room
The decor at my home is a marriage between wood and earthy tones of fabric and colors which give it a very warm feel. Even the lighting used is the yellow light against the typical flouroscent white lighting used in Indian homes. The yellow light enhances the warmth of the wood work at home. In the picture is seen the traditional side of the living room. The traditional south indian wooden swing is my favorite part of my home since it was made on my demand! :) The beam in the middle of the house was so ideal for this swing, which gave me the idea. I really love the cut of the swing and the brass suspensions which sways it perfectly between traditional and a modern feel. This swing was made with teak wood.
Diwaan Corner
Another distinct feature I love about Indian homes is the 'Diwaan' or the platform bed you see in most of the home (seen in the pic). I love it for a simple reason.It can be decorated in our own style and colors as well adds an ethnic feel to the living space along with its utility as a day bed. Any apartment I move into, I have made my own diwaan corner from airbeds, sofabeds, futons etc. I will talk about it in my upcoming posts. The wood work which is neatly cutout to complement a traditional diwaan is very functional. It is a divider between living room and the bed rooms giving the bedrooms more privacy and also serves as a closet on the other side, along with glass book shelf. The diwaan is as an extension to this multi-use room divider. It is a very efficient use of that area. The brass bell and hanging pot just enhance the whole beauty of this corner!
Dining Area
The dining area is seperated from the living room with yet another useful piece of furniture. This divider was made with the intension of providing storage space for cutley/crockery/dishes. Mom uses it for various decorating purposes along with the utility. There are abundant flowers and plants from our garden, which she uses to add natural feel to the area. Another mention here is how important it is to add indoor plants/flowers at home to add to the aesthetics of a home. Mom and I were never a big fans of artifical plants/flowers for decor purposes, the reasons being most of the times they look cheap and accumulate dust. Instead the real plants improve the air quality at home and we feel at peace with nature from the comfort of our home!
Closer look at dining area
Another big eye-catcher in this area are the full size, ceiling-to-floor curtains in festive orange. The silk curtains along with hanging beads bring out the charm of the whole area and make it look festive.My mom is very 'earthy' person when it comes to colors and even I believe that shades of orange and red when properly used can make a lot a difference in any home. Sometimes, bolder the better!:)
Now moving on the most important part of the home...the Master bedroom...
Master Bed
The master bedroom is a very personal and important room in any home. The master bedroom displays a very elegant and smart use of fabric, color,wood and glass. The teak wood is used in the bed, closets and the shelves. Along with Teak, a kind of checkered wood is used to bring out different hues of brown within the wood work. The checkered wood forms the headboard and the drawers. (I wish I had better closeups to show that!).
Master bedroom - Closets
What about the fabric? The bedposter and the closet doors are made using silk stoles (dupattas) which are are used to add the color to the room. The golden zari stole and the accent lighting complements the teak wood work in the room. The two closets have one black and one red stole set carefully between the wood doors and the glass which serve as 'His' and 'Hers' closets. Since this master bedroom was not really huge, every amount of detail went into designing this room in such a way to make it look spacious and not cluttered or over furnished. The curtains are made of silk in a deep shade of red. Another thing to observe is the false cieling, with yellow lighting which makes the room look spacious too.
Like they say..Everything begins at home...So now you know where my interest in the decor emanated from! :) By the end of my next post, you will understand how much of influence my home had on my decor style! I hope you liked reading this post. Keep visiting!
